In this article, we are going to share the stories and struggle of an IAS Topper. UPSC Exam is referred as one of the toughest exams in India.
But as we all know Nothing is Impossible. Nandini KR proved it by scoring the highest rank in IAS exam, She made her family proud by securing Rank 1 in UPSC IAS 2016 exam, She has cleared the exam at the Age of 31, she was already working and you would be amazed to hear her real struggle. We have brought complete details about her preparation strategy, her education background, optional subject etc, read the complete post –
ABOUT NANDINI KR
- Mother’s Name: Vimala KV
- Father’s Name: Ramesh KV
- Brother’s Name: Thorun Patel
- Category: OBC
- Religion: Hinduism
- Date of Birth: September 15, 1990
- Birth Place: Kembodi Village, Kolar, Karnataka
FAMILY BACKGROUND
She belongs to a village Kembodi in Kolar District of Karnataka. She is not the only child in her family his brother also supported her in her career. Her parents are very supportive towards her, her father used to take her to the camps for the literacy awareness. When she was attending one of the camps she got an opportunity to work as a volunteer in the villages across the district. During this period she realized that the improvement in the district was not well. She observed the potential of district administration to solve all the challenges and bring the improvement in the district. This was when she started taking interest in civil services.
When she was pursuing her engineering she used to travel by bus from Kolar to Bangalore which is a huge distance. But while traveling she started noticing things and she came up with a lot of ideas. She said that it was the age of germination of a lot of ideas in her mind. She had to travel five hours daily to complete her studies or to pursue her passion. She was very extrovert and interactive with her fellow commuters which helped her to see the different side of the society and the challenges people have to face.
She was an officer of the IRS (Indian Revenue Services) and undergoing trainee at the National Academy of Customs in Faridabad. She made her family proud by securing Rank 1 in UPSC IAS 2016 exam.
During her interview with PTI, she stated “It is like a dream come true. I always wanted to be an IAS Officer”.
- Read More : TINA DABI: YOUNGEST IAS TOPPER – AIR1 UPS 2015
EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION
She has completed her 10th class from Chinmaya Singh School in Kolar, Karnataka. She was a very bright student from her school days. She has scored 96.80% in her 10th class.
After completing her 10th class she moved to another school in Karnataka i.e. Alva’s PU College, Moodbidri. In her 12th she scored 94.83%.
She was always interested in Civil Services so after completing her schooling she chose to pursue her career in Civil Engineering. She had completed her B.Tech (Civil Engineering) from MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Karnataka. She completed her engineering by scoring 9.82 CGPA.
She also took a coaching for UPSC Exam from an institute in Delhi i.e. Vajiram and Ravi Institute.
SCORECARD OF NANDINI KR
Nandini KR topped the competitive examination of UPSC IAS. She secured 1120 marks out of 2025.
STRUGGLE
- First Attempt: She has first attempted the exam in 2013. She does not have proper guidance for the exam in that days but still, she took the exam in 2013. Unfortunately, she was not able to clear the exam in her first attempt but she was not disheartened. She realized that if she prepares well under the proper guidance, she can clear the exam.
- Second Attempt: She gives the exam again in 2014. She started her preparation by reading some NCERT books, newspapers as her financial status was not so well. She had done a lot of hard work but still, she was not able to clear the exam. Then she realized her mistakes and made them her strategy.
- Third Attempt: After failing two times, she does not lose hope. She attempted the exam again in 2015. She continued with her passion and started preparing for her exams. She founded her weakness and started working on her weakness in order to make them her strength. She had to face a lot of obstacles at that time.
- Fourth Attempt: She does not lose her hope and attempted the exam in 2016. She started doing self-studies at home and resigned her job. She moved to Bangalore and started preparing for Insights Test Series.
Finally, after doing a lot of hard work, she cracked the exam with Rank 1 and made her parents proud.
NANDINI KR MEDIA COVERAGE
Nandini KR, NDTV, An Indian Television Media Company
“Nandini KR, who topped the Union Public Service Commission 2016 exams on Wednesday, says she wants to join the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) to serve the people of India, rather become a diplomat.
Ms. Nandini said her friends had been joking for a week that she would be a topper and should get ready to celebrate the occasion.”The Hindu, English Language India Daily Newspaper
“Nandini K.R., a 26-year-old from a small village in Kolar district, has topped the civil services exams, the results of which were announced on Wednesday. A candidate from the State has bagged the first place in the prestigious exams after a gap of several years.
Ms. Nandini is an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) probationer, who is currently undergoing training at Faridabad in Haryana.”Hindustan Times, Indian English language daily Newspaper
“Nandini KR of Karnataka’s Kolar who topped the Union Public Service Commission’s civil services examination for 2016, is a civil engineering graduate from MS Ramaiah Institute ofTechnology in Bangalore. “This is a very happy moment for me, I have realized my dream,”Nandini told news agency ANI.
In her last attempt, she had made the grade for the Indian Revenue Service (IRS).”
MOTIVATION
Nandini KR is a motivation and inspiration to all the women. She proved that if you are dedicated to something then no one can stop your following your dreams. She proves that if you will do hard work you can achieve higher success in your life. She had a lot of problems but she didn’t stop doing hard work.
We can take motivation from Nandini Kr. She teaches all of us a lesson that nothing can stop you if you’re ready to fight with it. She proved that money is not a barrier. If you want to crack the exams, then it is not necessary to join all the coaching centers and pay a high fee. You can start studying by NCERT books, newspapers. Nowadays technology is playing an important role in every field. You can make use of technology by studying through the internet.
She proved that gender is not a barrier. The only thing that matters is your hard work and dedication. You can achieve anything by your dedication and hard work.
She proved that failure is not an option. If you fail sometimes that doesn’t mean that you are not capable of doing that. You have to take your failure as a lesson and learn from your mistakes.
I hope that our article will motivate you enough to start following your dreams and be an inspiration like Nandini KR and make your parents proud.
You can refer to the below links to clear your UPSC Examination
How To Prepare for UPSC -CSE ( IAS) While Working – Hear from Toppers
Which is Best Optional Subject for UPSC Mains : How to Choose Optional for UPSC
You can see the various interview of Nandini KR