UPSC 2023 Topper (AIR 18) Wardah Khan: “Self-belief was key to my success. EAM, Ruchira Kamboj & Sneha Dubey were inspirations for choosing IFS”

Wardah Khan left a high-paying corporate job to prepare for the highly competitive UPSC Civil Services Exam. In her first attempt, she could not clear the CSE Prelims. Unfazed by the result, she made the bold yet carefully considered decision of giving up her corporate job to focus on preparing for her second attempt.

Her efforts bore fruit and she secured all India rank 18 in the UPSC CSE 2023 which made her dream of joining the elite Indian Foreign Service come true.

However, giving up a job to prepare for the CSE is not something that she gives as a blanket advice to future aspirants, rather recommends a practical approach.

Having lost her father 9 years ago, she took it up as a challenge and with her mother and well-wishers’ support, achieved her ambitious goal.

Excerpts from the interview

Read about her inspirational story in this exclusive interview with Parikshit Bhardwaj, Head - Content & Strategy, Jagran New Media.

Ques 1.  JagranJosh: Congratulations, Wardah! What was your first reaction/initial thoughts on hearing the good news about your success?

Ans: Wardah Khan: Thank you. My Initial reaction was of disbelief as I had never imagined to find myself in the top 20. In an exam which, in itself, is uncertain in terms of results, all that the aspirant wishes is to find their name in the holy PDF. But I'm glad that I could make it and I wish to fulfill the noble responsibility that lies on my shoulders now which is to serve my country.

Ques 2: JagranJosh: Tell us a bit about your family background and your support system who stood by your decision and journey to clearing the CSE?

Ans: Wardah Khan: I have my mother in my immediate family. My father passed away 9 years ago. Both my immediate and extended family was initially apprehensive of my decision but when I started the preparation, they whole heartedly supported me. Besides this, my school & college friends also stayed in touch and used to encourage me during low times.

Ques 3:  JagranJosh: What were your motivations to give up a high paying corporate job to join the civil services?

Ans: Wardah Khan: My motivation was 2 fold. I wanted to study something that aligned with my interests. UPSC's multidisciplinary syllabus catered to my interest. Secondly I wanted to pursue a field through which I could create a large scale impact and transform lives of people.

Que 4: JagranJosh: Your decision to give up your job to prepare for the CSE is certainly courageous. What would you recommend to other aspirants who may be considering a similar move?

Ans: Wardah Khan: While I took this risky bet for the exam, I do not necessarily endorse this decision and would leave it to the aspirants wisdom. A lot of people have financial obligations at home. Besides this, considering the risky market these days, it might get challenging to find a job again in case we don't clear the exam. So one should make a call depending on their financial standing & marketability of their degree in terms of getting employment easily even after a gap.

Ques 5: JagranJosh: What was your long-term and short-term preparation strategy for the exam?

Ans: Wardah Khan: Long term strategy involved a good understanding of syllabus first, followed by previous year questions analysis to understand what UPSC expects from us. These two things give way to note making for different syllabus heads and answer writing strategy.

Short term strategy - breaking down of your yearly plan into monthly and weekly targets helps us to stay on track. Solid foundation needs to be established through NCERTs first followed by other standard books. Keeping tab on current affairs through daily newspaper reading and monthly revision will keep us updated.

Ques 6: JagranJosh: What do you think was the key reason for success in your second attempt at the CSE?

Ans: Wardah Khan: The key reason was attitudinal change. Having self belief and not getting scared of the exam helped me a lot. Additionally, a thorough previous years questions (PYQ) analysis and focused Optional prep also boosted my confidence before the second attempt.

Ques 7: JagranJosh: You scored a rank 18 and opted for the IFS. What were your motivations for this choice?

Ans: Wardah Khan: I used to participate in Model United Nations during my college days. This ignited my interest in diplomacy. When I further started studying about the International Relations during my UPSC prep, this inclination was further strengthened. I idealized individuals like Ruchira Kamboj ma'am, Sneha Dubey ma'am (known for her historic speech at UN) and Honourable EAM sir and was motivated to represent India's interests like them on international platforms.

Ques 8: JagranJosh: What advice would you like to give to the future Civil Services aspirants?

Ans: Wardah Khan: My two cents to aspirants would be - always believe in yourself. We are created with unique capabilities by God and are destined to do great things but only if we have confidence in ourselves. Continue working hard and leave the results to God. Luck will also not elude the worthy candidate for long. Also, stay true and honest to yourself about your level of preparedness.

Ques 9: JagranJosh: Would you like to say a few words about the work that JagranJosh team is doing to help Civil Services aspirants?

Ans: Wardah Khan: I would like to applaud JagranJosh’s initiative of printing detailed strategies of rankholders which would be helpful to aspiring candidates.

JagranJosh: Thank you very much for your time. On behalf of the entire Jagran New Media team we congratulate you once again on your achievement and wish you a glorious career ahead.

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