"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."

- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

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Star Citizens

Unbreakable Spirit: The Inspiring Story of IAS Ritika Jindal

From the small city of Moga in Punjab, Ritika Jindal’s brilliance shone through from a young age. Known for her academic excellence, she topped the CBSE 12th Board exams, securing the highest marks in North India. Her academic journey led her to Sri Ram College of Commerce in Delhi, where she pursued her graduation and began her preparations for the UPSC exams in her third year. Facing Family Tragedy During this crucial phase of her preparation, Ritika faced an unimaginable challenge. Her father was diagnosed with oral and lung cancer. Balancing her studies and her role as a caregiver, Ritika often found herself studying in hospital rooms. Despite the overwhelming circumstances, she remained focused on her goal.  First Attempt and Setbacks Ritika's first attempt at the UPSC exams did not go as planned. However, she did not let this setback deter her spirit. With renewed determination, she continued her rigorous preparation, inspired by her father's courageous battle against cancer. In 2019, Ritika's hard work paid off. At just 22 years of age, she cleared the UPSC exams, securing the 88th rank, and became one of India’s youngest IAS officers. Her success was the result of her resilience and dedication, but it came with a heavy heart as both her parents passed away during her IAS training. In an interview reflecting on her journey, Ritika shared, “Seeing my father fighting for life gave me a lot of strength, and I worked hard for the exam.” Her words resonate with the indomitable spirit she embodied throughout her preparation and the challenges she faced. Source: Google Images A New Beginning in Pangi Currently, Ritika is serving as the Resident Commissioner in Pangi, Himachal Pradesh.  Pangi presents its own set of challenges due to its treacherous roads and remote villages. Ritika’s posting in this challenging location highlights her remarkable ability to confront and overcome obstacles, regardless of the circumstances. Ritika Jindal, IAS, UPSC, inspiration, perseverance, Punjab, Pangi, Himachal Pradesh

24 Jul 2024
Star Citizens

Visionary Scholar: 32-Year-Old Software Engineer Empowers Visually Impaired Children in Tamil Nadu with Education Mission

Gomathi K, a 32-year-old software engineer, is on a mission to educate visually impaired children in Tamil Nadu. Gomathi completed her studies from a government school and went on to take a bachelor’s degree in engineering. She is now a successful software engineer based in Germany. Gomathi started her mission by helping visually-impaired children pay their fees, but soon she dug deeper to find out their everyday battles. She took the help of visually-impaired people who were skilled in teaching to assist these dropouts. Eventually, she began to convert important study material for competitive exams, including bank tests and UPSC exams, into audio books. Gomathi even organised health camps and workshops specifically for visually impaired children. With the assistance of her friends and guided volunteers, she has produced over 300 audio recordings to support visually impaired individuals. She is continuously working towards empowering the visually impaired community, especially children. Gomathi and her group of friends are planning on converting more books to audio files. "The ongoing project involves transforming the book ‘India Varalatril Bhagavad Geethai’ into an audio format," says Gomathi. Apart from this, Gomathi is also part of a team called ‘Our Village Our Responsibility,’ which was founded in the USA by a Tamil group. She works as a coordinator for the state of Tamil Nadu to provide financial assistance to students from poor farming communities and support their education. As of now, over 150 students are receiving help from the group. They have also donated 36 cows for the poor and underprivileged farmer families.

27 Jul 2023
Star Citizens

How Ishita Kishore defied the odds to ace the UPSC Civil Services Exam

Ishita Kishore, an accomplished alumnus of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) in Delhi, has emerged as the All-India Rank 1 (AIR 1) in the prestigious Civil Services Exam 2022, announced by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). This remarkable achievement marks a significant milestone in Kishore's journey, which began with her graduation in Economics Hons from SRCC in 2017. Hailing from Delhi, Ishita Kishore cleared the UPSC CSE on her third attempt, showcasing her unwavering determination and perseverance. Upon learning about her achievement, Kishore expressed her joy, describing it as a dream come true. She gratefully acknowledged the continuous support and encouragement she received from her family throughout her journey. Kishore studied at Air Force Bal Bharati School in New Delhi and her academic excellence is evident from her exceptional performance in her Class 12 board exams, where she secured an impressive 97.25 percent in the commerce stream. During her graduation, Kishore gained valuable experience through internships with notable organizations such as CRY Foundation, Housing and Urban Development Corporation, and GAIL Ltd. Subsequently, she joined Ernst and Young as a Risk Analyst in 2017. However, driven by her aspiration to serve the nation, she made the courageous decision to leave her corporate career in 2019 to dedicate herself fully to the UPSC Civil Services exam preparation.  She chose political science and international relations as her optional subject for the UPSC CSE. At the age of 26, Kishore brings a diverse background to her pursuit of public service. She was a national-level football player, having participated in the prestigious Subroto Cup football tournament in 2012. With a passion for social change, Kishore aims to work towards women's empowerment and upliftment of marginalized communities. As Ishita Kishore embarks on her journey as a civil servant, her success serves as an inspiration for aspiring candidates and exemplifies the power of determination, hard work, and a strong sense of purpose.

24 May 2023
Star Citizens

This Girl Cracked UPSC in First Attempt While Studying Medicine

Akshita Gupta, a medical student from Chandigarh, has achieved a remarkable feat by clearing the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination in her first attempt and securing the All India Rank of 69. Her achievement is all the more impressive considering she was juggling her medical studies alongside her UPSC preparation.   It was in the third year of her MBBS at Government Medical College & Hospital, Chandigarh, that she realised her calling was elsewhere. Despite the daunting task of preparing for one of the toughest examinations in India, Akshita remained determined and focused on her goal. Her hard work, dedication and perseverance paid off when the UPSC results were announced, and she secured a place in the prestigious civil services.   As a medical student, Akshita faced numerous challenges while preparing for the UPSC exam. Her medical studies demanded a considerable amount of her time and energy, but she never let that deter her from her goal. She found a way to balance her studies, her UPSC preparation, and her personal life, without letting any one of them suffer.   Akshita's success serves as an inspiration to all those who aspire to clear the UPSC exam. Her achievement is a testament to the fact that with hard work and determination, one can overcome any obstacle and achieve their dreams. Her story is also a reminder that one should never give up on their goals, no matter how difficult they may seem.

1 Mar 2023
Star Citizens

Now, the Visually Impaired Can Easily Crack the Toughest Exams

The UPSC  exams or civil services examination is considered as the toughest to crack with a success rate of only 25 percent. There are a number of visually impaired persons who appear for this challenging exam. However, they have only 20% of the syllabus available in Braille from. Hyderabad resident Akella Raghavendra decided to address this problem and started training visually impaired candidates in 2016. Raghavendra’s Endeavour Akella Raghavendra himself was an aspiring candidate for the civil exams. He exhausted all his attempts and missed the last one by just 12 marks. When he pondered over his failure in spite of all the hard work, he understood the loopholes and flaws. He then decided to train future IAS aspirants and started his training centre in Dilsukhnagar in 2001. Once, during a visit to the US, he was amazed to see the excellent facilities being offered to visually- and physically-challenged students. He was inspired to develop and offer such facilities to the visually impaired back home. Study Materials In Braille Raghavendra worked diligently and spent seven years of research to prepare study materials for the UPSC in Braille and audiobook format, the latter a first in India. He prepared a comprehensive and concrete file and an audio version of the same. Since everyone has a smartphone these days, he uploads two or three lessons which they need to learn that day. Another parameter is monitoring what they have learnt. Raghavendra spent 5 lakhs from his savings to prepare the study materials. His concern for the visually impaired and his efforts to prepare useful and effective study materials to help them clear the civil service exams is really commendable. Image Source: Online IAS

4 Nov 2019
Star Citizens

Global Inspirations

How Trash on Mt Everest Is Turned Into Treasure by Sensible and Sustainable Means

Mount Everest the scene of pristine natural beauty, unfortunately, came to be known as the ‘highest dumpster in the world’ due to years of the accumulated waste left by mountaineers who throng the mountain to scale the world’s highest peak. After facing criticism for the unclean state of this majestic mountain, Nepal’s government and mountaineering groups organized a six week clean up this year. Dedicated Efforts The workers who are on a mission to clean up the world’s tallest mountain are manually collecting tones of trash which include empty cans and gas canisters, bottles, plastic and discarded climbing gears. These are then sent to recycling centres. A 14 member strong team scaled almost 26,300 feet from base camp to the closest camp to the summit and retrieved more than 10 tons of trash that were flown or driven to recycling centres in Kathmandu. Turning Trash To Treasure The workers manually sort the trash – iron, shredded aluminium, cans etc which are sent appropriate places like rod manufacturing firms or utensil makers for their rebirth. Gradually, upcycled items like pots, lamps, light fixtures, household items like glasses are finding its way into homes, upmarket restaurants and even five-star hotels. While authorities and businesses are finding sustainable and environment-friendly ways to tackle waste left at the Mount Everest, it is also the duty of every mountaineer to pick up and carry their trash back to the place where they could be disposed off in a responsible manner.

25 Oct 2019
Global Inspirations

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