NEW DELHI: Shruti Sharma, 25-year-old alumni of St Stephen’s College was not able to believe her eyes when she saw her name on the top of the list of UPSC Civil Services 2021 results, declared on Monday.
Securing the All India Rank (AIR) 1, Sharma, resident of East of Kailash said, “I was confident that I’ll secure a decent rank in the UPSC exam but topping it was a surprise. I scrolled the results thrice before I finally broke the news to my family.”
Shruti hails from Bijnore in Uttar Pradesh. Even though she has studied in Delhi, she has strong ties with her hometown which is why her first preference is to get the Uttar Pradesh Cadre. “I belong to Basta in Bijnore and my extended family lives there. Also, the state gives more opportunities for the IAS officers to perform. UP cadre is my first preference; however I am open to serve in any capacity. I wish to work in education, health and women empowerment sectors,” shared Shruti.
Shruti’s father Sunil Dutt Sharma is an architect and also runs a charitable school in his village, while, her mother Rachna Sharma is a teacher-turned home maker and her brother Aditya Sharma is a sportsperson.
Her mother who once herself dreamt of becoming an IAS officer said, “My unfulfilled dream has come true. My daughter has given me the happiest news. What else could I have wished for?”
Rachna, a post graduate in sciences left her teaching profession ten years ago to take care of her kids.
Sharma completed her graduation in History honours from St Stephen’s College, after which she opted for a master’s degree in Modern History at the Jawaharlal Nehru University. However, she could not complete her degree and took admission at Jamia Millia Islamia Residential Coaching Academy for UPSC aspirants. Currently, she is pursuing MA Sociology from the Delhi School of Economics.
Giving credit for her success to her parents, teachers, and friends for being constant support throughout her journey, Shruti said, “My parents are happy and that is most important thing for me today. Although, all institutions shaped me in multiple ways, I got the best training ground at Jamia. It was a long journey with constant ups and downs but with the right environment and teachers, everything worked out.”
Sharing her strategies, Shruti said, “I limited my sources of learning to my own notes from books and newspapers. I gave a number of mock interviews before appearing for the exam. I believe that spending long hours on studying doesn’t matter; the quality of education is what matters the most. I maintained a balance between my studies and social life.”