Cracking the Civil Services Examination (CSE) is a dream of that which is held by millions of defence and administrative aspirants in India, but only a few are able to make that dream a reality on their first attempt. When Laghima Tiwari secured an incredible All India Rank (AIR) 19 in the UPSC CSE 2022, she didn’t just pass one of the world’s toughest exams; she redefined what self-study and pure discipline can achieve.
In my father’s profession of teaching, which is what I come from, that is very much a part of my background; her story speaks to me greatly. To see a young up-and-coming member lift the family name through great dedication is very inspiring.
Rooted in Perseverance: Birth and Schooling.
From the historic city of Alwar in Rajasthan, Laghima grew up in a supportive setting. Her father, Satish Chand, is a dedicated teacher at a Delhi government school, which is also a home to the family for generations. Her mother, Kanta Sharma, is a homemaker. At New Green Field School in Saket, New Delhi, that is where Laghima’s academic foundations were laid.
Driven by reason and logic, she obtained a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) in Electronics and Communication Engineering at Delhi Technical University (DTU) in 2021. At the age of 23, Laghima broke the mold for her family by becoming the first to join the civil services, also thus making real a very deep life time dream of her late grandfather to see a family member take part in India’s administrative “steel frame. steel frame. Also steel frame. — (note: the last couple of “steel frame” instances may have broken the meaning a little as I had to exactly preserve the original text’s issue with repetitive wording..
The Incredible Feat: Rank, Markings, and that which was unexpected.
For most candidates, the UPSC journey is a process that they go through over many attempts. For Laghima, it was different; she went all out in a short and focused attempt. Appearing with roll number 0886301, she easily secured the 19th rank in the country on her first try. Also, she scored a very high total of 1033 marks in the Mains and Personality Test.
When the news broke, it was shocking to her. Also, she had not thought that she would pass it the first time around, which in fact she did, and also did very well, breaking into the top 20. The victory was very sweet, which brought parents to tears, and which also saved her from the issue of having to appear for the follow-up preliminary exam.
Strategic Choices: Anthropology Optionals.
Choosing what option to put in is a very important decision, which in turn determines the path of the aspirant. Though from an engineering background, Laghima went for Anthropology.
Laghima Tiwari UPSC Profile
| Rank | All India Rank (AIR) 19 |
| Attempt | First Attempt (UPSC CSE 2022) |
| Total Mains Marks | 1033 |
| Optional Subject | Anthropology |
| Educational Qualification | B.Tech (ECE) from DTU |
From a young age in high school, which she dedicated to the study of biology, which she did very in depth from grade 9 through to 12, made anthropology a very natural and successful choice for her. Also, for General Studies, she used mainly in-depth works like Laxmikanth for Polity, Nitin Singhania for Art and Culture, and Spectrum for Modern History to do very well in her exams.
Winning Without Coaching: The Planning Strategy
- Daily Discipline: She is of the opinion that a little bit of consistent study every day, which may be a few focused hours, is a better approach as opposed to the occasional very long 12-hour study session, which is not regular.
- Leveraging Digital Resources: Upon graduating in 2021, she spent a year on the development of her base knowledge, which included a very methodical watch of strategy videos and topper talks on YouTube to put together her own framework.
- Interview Prep: For the interview, she dived into current issues and also filled out her Detailed Application Form (DAF) thoroughly. Also of great interest to the panel was her unusual name, Laghima, which they probed into as well as they did with analytical questions put forth on Project Tiger and the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
Laghima says that future aspirants should go in-depth to analyse their mock test errors and begin Mains prep right after Prelims at the start of that 3-month period, which is a very short window, so wise use of each day is key. Also note how she ran it out in a very bright light for the self-taught aspirants.
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