Kanishak Kataria made history by becoming the first person in the country to secure AIR 1 in CSE 2018 at his first attempt. His journey from being a successful software engineer to a civil servant is an inspiration for many aspiring UPSC candidates.
Early Life and Education
Kanishak was born in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on September 26, 1992, in a family that valued education. His father, S. M. Verma, is an IAS officer, and his mother is a housewife. He has an elder sister, Tanmaya Kataria, a medical student at Sawai Man Singh Hospital. He finished his schooling at St. Paul’s Sr. Sec. School in Kota and did a B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Bombay (2010-2014).
Career Before UPSC
Kanishak was working as a data scientist in Samsung, a multinational company, before he appeared for the UPSC exam. He was unhappy with his work despite the good pay and therefore quit his job to study for the Civil Services Examination with the intent of serving the nation in a more worthwhile manner.
UPSC Preparation and Strategy
Kanishak chose Mathematics for the optional subject, scoring 170 in Paper 1 and 191 in Paper 2. His regular study routine included a study time with more than 12 hours a day, ramping up in intensity as the Prelims Examination approached.
While he attended coaching in Delhi, he emphasized that self-study played a crucial role in his success. His UPSC booklist included:
Ancient History: R.S. Sharma
Medieval History: Satish Chandra
Modern History: Spectrum
Polity: M. Laxmikanth
Economics: Vision IAS Material
Ethics: Lexicon
His hard work and strategic preparation helped him secure an impressive total of 1121 marks, making him the UPSC 2018 topper.
Marksheet of Kanishak Kataria (UPSC 2018)
Essay: 133
General Studies 1: 98
General Studies 2: 117
General Studies 3: 117
General Studies 4: 116
Mathematics (Optional Paper 1): 170
Mathematics (Optional Paper 2): 191
Interview/Personality Test: 179
Total Marks: 1121
Personal Life and Interests
Kanishak is single and dating a software developer named Sonal Chauhan.
Cricket, football, and tennis are some of his favorite sports, and he maintains a strict study schedule. Though he is busy preparing for the UPSC and yet still manages his time efficiency to gain success from hard work.
Social Media Presence
Kanishak Kataria is on Twitter and Instagram yet does not have a public Facebook account.
Instagram: Kanishak Kataria Official
Twitter: Kanishak Kataria Official
His twitter account offers more than 50K followers and he spreads awareness on UPSC preparation and other related topics through it. On his Instagram account, he posts updates from time to time to his almost 2 lakh followers.
Lessons from Kanishak Kataria Journey
Self Study Is Important-Coaching may bring some help, but major input comes from self discipline and personal effort.
Consistency is Key-12+ hours of study every day made him have strong conceptual clarity.
Love for Serving More than Cash-Moved out of high paying job to serve the country.
Right Strategy Makes it Right-Structured approach and mathematics as the optional subject played vital role in success.
Conclusion
A journey of Kanishak Kataria from IIT Bombay to IAS officer proves that only hard work and consistency, along with the right strategy, can lead to success. His tale inspires every UPSC aspirant to remain committed and sweat towards his or her goal with perseverance for achieving his aim.
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