The results of the prestigious UPSC examination 2017 was declared on April 27, and a total of 16 candidates from different parts of Assam have brought glory to the state.
Guwahati's Siddhant Das cracked the examination in his 1st attempt and secured All India Ranking 267. His family could not express their joy in words on his achievement; his mom said, "We needed time to accept that the news was true." The 26 year old is the first in his entire family to make his mark in the civil services.
Unlike several candidates who nourish the dream of being in the civil services since childhood, for Siddhant, the interest grew over the years. He is a musician and has been associated with several bands for many years. But gradually as the years rolled by, he grew the interest of serving the people of the society.
Siddhant did his schooling from Assam Valley School and pursued his H.S from Army School, Guwahati. He completed his graduation from Cotton College and Masters from Indian Institute of Forest Management. He was working with Axis Bank, Kolkata, which he had quit to make preparations for the UPSC.
His achievement is the result of his 13 months of rigorous hard work. His targets were divided into daily and weekly basis. Speaking about the examination, he said, "The examination is not hard per say, it's that you need to do hard work. I think IIT JEE is a hard exam, because to crack the examination you require a certain level of intellect and in-depth academic knowledge. You have to be naturally gifted in Science. But UPSC is a very common exam; it's about society, politics and things that revolve around us daily."
"Anyone willing to do hard work and is willing to be disciplined, can appear and clear this examination," he added.
Siddhanth thoroughly followed The Hindu for his contemporary studies, and relied on internet research for rest of his preparations.
According to him, the Prelims is the hardest stage. Out of 10 lakh candidates who apply, only 13,700 get selected for Mains. In his words, “The Mains stage is all about how you present your thoughts, but the competition in the first round is beyond imagination.”
He considers 'luck' to be another key player in the whole achievement. He is very thankful to his family for their incessant support.
"After I get my profile, I want to honestly serve the society, remain true to my ideals, and help whoever and whichever way I can," shares Siddhant.
