Name: Kanishak Kataria
Rank: 01
Optional subject: Mathematics
Medium: English
Native place: Jaipur, Rajasthan
Education Qualification:
• B.Tech with Honours in Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay - 2014
Parents Occupation:
• Father : IAS Officer, Rajasthan
• Mother : Homemaker
Coaching taken:
• GS – Vajiram and Ravi, Delhi
• Mathematics – IMS, Delhi
Marks:
Prelims:
• Paper -1 : 106
• Paper -2 : 147.5
Mains and Personality Test:
My Journey:
• Most of my schooling was done in Kota, Rajasthan, a city well known for its IIT and
NEET (then PMT) coachings. Being good in Mathematics and having an aptitude for
Science, I naturally got attracted to engineering (and IITs) for graduation.
• I appeared for the IITJEE examination in 2010 and secured AIR 44. I opted for IIT
Bombay for its all-round career options and Computer Science as my branch due to my
interest in the subject plus the opportunities which were present in the sector.
• My father had recommended UPSC as a career option to me right since my childhood.
After my graduation in 2014, he again asked me to appear in the UPSC examination.
However, I always wanted to explore multiple options before making such a pivotal
decision in my life. I had secured a job offer from Samsung Electronics, South Korea. Itwas an amazing opportunity for me to get exposure outside India and also explore the
private sector - an offer which I accepted.
• I moved back to India in 2016 and started working in a private firm in Bengaluru.
Although UPSC was an option always lingering in the back of my mind, I never gave a
serious thought into it during this period (September 2014 - April 2016).
• It was only after I had spent 7-8 months in Bengaluru, that I started contemplating
more seriously about my career. Comparing my life outside India and then in India, I
felt there is much work that needs to be done in India and as an individual, I can also
contribute towards it.
• Having seen my father work, I was aware that if I join administration I could create a
more meaningful impact. Civil Services provides one an opportunity to work in a
diverse set of fields and be more satisfied with the work that one does.
• I discussed with a few officers with similar background about their experiences in
administration and would it be a better career choice for me. I also got an opportunity
to work in the US for a couple of months and later got a Masters admit from a US
university (in April 2017). But my experiences abroad made it clear to me that I want
to stay and work in India. Instead of preparing with a half-hearted attitude, I
preferred to first make it clear in my mind as to why I wanted to prepare for UPSC and
after nearly 5-6 months of deliberation, I finally decided to prepare for UPSC.
• I had heard about the uncertainty and difficulty of UPSC. Moreover being away from
studies, especially humanities subjects, I was aware of the challenge I was throwing
myself into. However, I had clarity as to why I want to appear in UPSC and this
challenge didn’t feel that big. In fact, I was excited to learn more about subjects like
History and Polity. Also, I decided to give only 2 attempts. If it was meant to be, I
would clear the exam in 2 attempts and if not, I would move on from it.
• In May 2017, I quit my job to fully focus on UPSC. I moved to Jaipur and started
researching what and how I needed to prepare. I read a few topper blogs to see what
needs to be done and then fixed the target for appearing in Prelims 2018.
• One of the 1st tasks I did was to finalise my optional as many toppers had focused a lot
on its importance. I went with my strength, chose Mathematics as my optional and
decided to make it my main-pillar(or X-Factor) in my preparation. After researching a
little, I set a target of scoring above 350 in Mathematics. I knew if I score 350+ in
optional, I would easily get into the IAS.
• In the meantime, I got in touch with a couple of my batch-mates from IITB, who were
also starting their preparation for UPSC. At the start, I was apprehensive about moving
to New Delhi for preparation (as I liked to study alone in the comfort of my home).
But in the company of my friends, I decided to move to New Delhi and join coaching
for streamlining my preparation. Given I had only 2 attempts in mind, I tried to find
ways to maximise my returns in the 1st attempt itself.
• In June 2017 I shifted to New Delhi and joined Vajiram and Ravi for yearlong GS
coaching for Prelims-cum-Mains and IMS for Mathematics coaching.
• In the initial 4 months, my full focus was on finishing the optional syllabus and have a
basic minimum coverage of GS along with daily current affairs from newspapers. By
October 2017, I finished 90% of my optional and then shifted fully on GS preparation.
• My GS preparation was always Mains oriented. I read the syllabus, saw Past Year UPSC
Questions and prepared for each subject accordingly using a minimal resource list
comprising of NCERTs, a single standard book, and coaching notes. For 2.5 months, my
full focus was on GS and current affairs.
• In January and February 2018, I decided to revise my optional one last time before
focusing fully on Prelims preparation, which I started in March 2018.
• In April 2018, I shifted back to Jaipur after the classes got over and started self-
studies. During March-May 2018, I prepared solely for Prelims (to be held on 3 June
2018).
• After the prelims, I took a week's rest and then started my main preparation. For 1
month until the result of prelims was out, I focused on revising my optional and
refining my answer writing skills. I knew whether I clear the prelims or not, this phase
was very important for overall preparation and focused on maximising my efforts.
• After the prelims result were out, I started revising my GS subjects and appeared in a
test series (8 full-length tests). I focused more on revision instead of picking up new
sources to read.
• The Mains finished on 7 October 2018 and I decided to take a month’s rest. I stayed in
touch with the current affairs through daily newspaper reading. Post my GS papers I
wasn’t much confident about my performance and result. But I knew optional was my
X-factor and I was a little upbeat after a good optional paper in Mains. So my overall
feeling was quite positive about the Mains result.
• After the results for Mains were out (on 20 December 2018), I started my Personality
Test preparation. I appeared in a few mocks and prepared my DAF thoroughly.
• The Personality Test was scheduled for 6th March 2019. After the PT, even though I
tried to focus on Prelims 2019, I couldn’t do so because of anxiety and curiosity about
the result. There were mixed feelings - I had a hunch that if everything works as per
my plan I would clear the examination but at the same time I wasn’t sure about my GS
marks. Having appeared in Mains for the 1st time, there wasn’t any surety of the
marks given the paper is subjective.
• It was 5th April 2019 when the final results came out and I was shocked and a little
relieved to have cleared the examination in my 1st attempt and get into IAS. AIR 1 was
just a cherry on top of the cake for me. To be honest, I still haven’t processed or
realised the magnitude of that achievement yet. I am just happy to see the positive
returns for my 1.5 years of hard work and having realised my dream in the very first
attempt.
• The final result showed me that if the desire is real, motivation strong accompanied
by consistent hard-work, then everything falls into place. The examination might be
considered one of the toughest to crack, especially in the 1st attempt but impossible
is nothing. And it’s just not me, there are multiple first attempters to have cleared
this examination.
• Hopefully, in years to come more and more people would be able to realise their
dream of clearing this examination with the minimal number of attempts.
• The last few months have been quite relaxing - I fulfilled the promise I made to myself
at the start of my preparation and went on a month’s travel. After that, I have been
just relaxing at home and awaiting the start of training at LBSNAA. To be honest I
haven’t seen many pics of the academy or training process which many previous
toppers have shared. I wanted to keep my LBSNAA experience completely new and
that’s what excites me a lot about it!
• In the future lies the start of something new and challenging. I hope to undergo a
wonderful training process and then get on with the work. Hopefully, I will pass the
test and meet the expectations of everyone - me, my parents, my family and the
people of this country - as an administrator.
Message for newcomers:
• You have made a lot of sacrifices to prepare for this examination. If not someone else,
just be true to yourself and remember why you want to come into civil service. More
than subject knowledge, UPSC tests the psychology and emotions of aspirants a lot. If
you are clear in your head, nothing can stop you from cracking UPSC.
• Do not fall into the trap of fear-instillers and rumour-mongers. Believe in yourself and
your hard-work. People will say a lot of negative things like it can’t be done in the 1st
attempt but they all just want to bring you down. This exam is perfectly doable in one
attempt. You just need to be a little strategic and smart with your studies. It does
require a little bit of luck on the way but it only comes to your way if you have worked
hard.
• Be consistent and do not reduce the intensity. Go hard in the initial 4 and last 4
months and save energy in the middle. Treat it like a marathon. If you prepare well in
the first 4 months and finish your optional early, you are all sorted for the mains
preparation.
• Do not worry about going to New Delhi or joining any coaching. In present-day and
age, there are ample resources available online. If you can study well in the comfort
of your home, believe me, there is no other place where you can prepare better!
• Be ruthless with your resources and habits. If something is not working just discard it.
It something is working do it again and again. Be less emotional and more mechanical.
• Do not compete with anyone else, your competition is with yourself. If you can
improve daily and be a better version of yourself every day it means you are heading
in the right direction.
• Stay optimistic throughout and journey and believe in yourself. My pillars of success
are “optimism, hard work, and self-confidence”. In any moment of despair, they
pulled me out of it and kept me going. Make them your armour and you can shield
yourself from all negative thoughts and challenges.
• Keep limited resources. In 1st attempt, it is nearly impossible to read each and every
resource. Keep a clear focused strategy that suits yourself. Do not mimic someoneelse. If you see a topper has read 5 books, you also need to keep in mind the number
of attempts he/she took for reading those many books. Guidance is needed but be
critical and filter out those opinions which do not apply to yourself.
• At last, I would just tell you that UPSC is not everything in life. Open yourself to the
outside world and see what opportunities lie in front of you. Do not focus on the
result, instead, just enjoy the process. Even if you do not clear this exam, you are
going to learn a lot and become a better person. Just live in the present, focus less on
the results and do not think far ahead in the future. If you do so, you will get the
result you deserve.
• Best of luck! :)
Contact options:
Telegram Channel: t.me/Kanishak2018NotesAndStrategy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kanishak_kataria
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KanishakKataria
Blog: demystifycse.in
Rank: 01
Optional subject: Mathematics
Medium: English
Native place: Jaipur, Rajasthan
Education Qualification:
• B.Tech with Honours in Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay - 2014
Parents Occupation:
• Father : IAS Officer, Rajasthan
• Mother : Homemaker
Coaching taken:
• GS – Vajiram and Ravi, Delhi
• Mathematics – IMS, Delhi
Marks:
Prelims:
• Paper -1 : 106
• Paper -2 : 147.5
Mains and Personality Test:
My Journey:
• Most of my schooling was done in Kota, Rajasthan, a city well known for its IIT and
NEET (then PMT) coachings. Being good in Mathematics and having an aptitude for
Science, I naturally got attracted to engineering (and IITs) for graduation.
• I appeared for the IITJEE examination in 2010 and secured AIR 44. I opted for IIT
Bombay for its all-round career options and Computer Science as my branch due to my
interest in the subject plus the opportunities which were present in the sector.
• My father had recommended UPSC as a career option to me right since my childhood.
After my graduation in 2014, he again asked me to appear in the UPSC examination.
However, I always wanted to explore multiple options before making such a pivotal
decision in my life. I had secured a job offer from Samsung Electronics, South Korea. Itwas an amazing opportunity for me to get exposure outside India and also explore the
private sector - an offer which I accepted.
• I moved back to India in 2016 and started working in a private firm in Bengaluru.
Although UPSC was an option always lingering in the back of my mind, I never gave a
serious thought into it during this period (September 2014 - April 2016).
• It was only after I had spent 7-8 months in Bengaluru, that I started contemplating
more seriously about my career. Comparing my life outside India and then in India, I
felt there is much work that needs to be done in India and as an individual, I can also
contribute towards it.
• Having seen my father work, I was aware that if I join administration I could create a
more meaningful impact. Civil Services provides one an opportunity to work in a
diverse set of fields and be more satisfied with the work that one does.
• I discussed with a few officers with similar background about their experiences in
administration and would it be a better career choice for me. I also got an opportunity
to work in the US for a couple of months and later got a Masters admit from a US
university (in April 2017). But my experiences abroad made it clear to me that I want
to stay and work in India. Instead of preparing with a half-hearted attitude, I
preferred to first make it clear in my mind as to why I wanted to prepare for UPSC and
after nearly 5-6 months of deliberation, I finally decided to prepare for UPSC.
• I had heard about the uncertainty and difficulty of UPSC. Moreover being away from
studies, especially humanities subjects, I was aware of the challenge I was throwing
myself into. However, I had clarity as to why I want to appear in UPSC and this
challenge didn’t feel that big. In fact, I was excited to learn more about subjects like
History and Polity. Also, I decided to give only 2 attempts. If it was meant to be, I
would clear the exam in 2 attempts and if not, I would move on from it.
• In May 2017, I quit my job to fully focus on UPSC. I moved to Jaipur and started
researching what and how I needed to prepare. I read a few topper blogs to see what
needs to be done and then fixed the target for appearing in Prelims 2018.
• One of the 1st tasks I did was to finalise my optional as many toppers had focused a lot
on its importance. I went with my strength, chose Mathematics as my optional and
decided to make it my main-pillar(or X-Factor) in my preparation. After researching a
little, I set a target of scoring above 350 in Mathematics. I knew if I score 350+ in
optional, I would easily get into the IAS.
• In the meantime, I got in touch with a couple of my batch-mates from IITB, who were
also starting their preparation for UPSC. At the start, I was apprehensive about moving
to New Delhi for preparation (as I liked to study alone in the comfort of my home).
But in the company of my friends, I decided to move to New Delhi and join coaching
for streamlining my preparation. Given I had only 2 attempts in mind, I tried to find
ways to maximise my returns in the 1st attempt itself.
• In June 2017 I shifted to New Delhi and joined Vajiram and Ravi for yearlong GS
coaching for Prelims-cum-Mains and IMS for Mathematics coaching.
• In the initial 4 months, my full focus was on finishing the optional syllabus and have a
basic minimum coverage of GS along with daily current affairs from newspapers. By
October 2017, I finished 90% of my optional and then shifted fully on GS preparation.
• My GS preparation was always Mains oriented. I read the syllabus, saw Past Year UPSC
Questions and prepared for each subject accordingly using a minimal resource list
comprising of NCERTs, a single standard book, and coaching notes. For 2.5 months, my
full focus was on GS and current affairs.
• In January and February 2018, I decided to revise my optional one last time before
focusing fully on Prelims preparation, which I started in March 2018.
• In April 2018, I shifted back to Jaipur after the classes got over and started self-
studies. During March-May 2018, I prepared solely for Prelims (to be held on 3 June
2018).
• After the prelims, I took a week's rest and then started my main preparation. For 1
month until the result of prelims was out, I focused on revising my optional and
refining my answer writing skills. I knew whether I clear the prelims or not, this phase
was very important for overall preparation and focused on maximising my efforts.
• After the prelims result were out, I started revising my GS subjects and appeared in a
test series (8 full-length tests). I focused more on revision instead of picking up new
sources to read.
• The Mains finished on 7 October 2018 and I decided to take a month’s rest. I stayed in
touch with the current affairs through daily newspaper reading. Post my GS papers I
wasn’t much confident about my performance and result. But I knew optional was my
X-factor and I was a little upbeat after a good optional paper in Mains. So my overall
feeling was quite positive about the Mains result.
• After the results for Mains were out (on 20 December 2018), I started my Personality
Test preparation. I appeared in a few mocks and prepared my DAF thoroughly.
• The Personality Test was scheduled for 6th March 2019. After the PT, even though I
tried to focus on Prelims 2019, I couldn’t do so because of anxiety and curiosity about
the result. There were mixed feelings - I had a hunch that if everything works as per
my plan I would clear the examination but at the same time I wasn’t sure about my GS
marks. Having appeared in Mains for the 1st time, there wasn’t any surety of the
marks given the paper is subjective.
• It was 5th April 2019 when the final results came out and I was shocked and a little
relieved to have cleared the examination in my 1st attempt and get into IAS. AIR 1 was
just a cherry on top of the cake for me. To be honest, I still haven’t processed or
realised the magnitude of that achievement yet. I am just happy to see the positive
returns for my 1.5 years of hard work and having realised my dream in the very first
attempt.
• The final result showed me that if the desire is real, motivation strong accompanied
by consistent hard-work, then everything falls into place. The examination might be
considered one of the toughest to crack, especially in the 1st attempt but impossible
is nothing. And it’s just not me, there are multiple first attempters to have cleared
this examination.
• Hopefully, in years to come more and more people would be able to realise their
dream of clearing this examination with the minimal number of attempts.
• The last few months have been quite relaxing - I fulfilled the promise I made to myself
at the start of my preparation and went on a month’s travel. After that, I have been
just relaxing at home and awaiting the start of training at LBSNAA. To be honest I
haven’t seen many pics of the academy or training process which many previous
toppers have shared. I wanted to keep my LBSNAA experience completely new and
that’s what excites me a lot about it!
• In the future lies the start of something new and challenging. I hope to undergo a
wonderful training process and then get on with the work. Hopefully, I will pass the
test and meet the expectations of everyone - me, my parents, my family and the
people of this country - as an administrator.
Message for newcomers:
• You have made a lot of sacrifices to prepare for this examination. If not someone else,
just be true to yourself and remember why you want to come into civil service. More
than subject knowledge, UPSC tests the psychology and emotions of aspirants a lot. If
you are clear in your head, nothing can stop you from cracking UPSC.
• Do not fall into the trap of fear-instillers and rumour-mongers. Believe in yourself and
your hard-work. People will say a lot of negative things like it can’t be done in the 1st
attempt but they all just want to bring you down. This exam is perfectly doable in one
attempt. You just need to be a little strategic and smart with your studies. It does
require a little bit of luck on the way but it only comes to your way if you have worked
hard.
• Be consistent and do not reduce the intensity. Go hard in the initial 4 and last 4
months and save energy in the middle. Treat it like a marathon. If you prepare well in
the first 4 months and finish your optional early, you are all sorted for the mains
preparation.
• Do not worry about going to New Delhi or joining any coaching. In present-day and
age, there are ample resources available online. If you can study well in the comfort
of your home, believe me, there is no other place where you can prepare better!
• Be ruthless with your resources and habits. If something is not working just discard it.
It something is working do it again and again. Be less emotional and more mechanical.
• Do not compete with anyone else, your competition is with yourself. If you can
improve daily and be a better version of yourself every day it means you are heading
in the right direction.
• Stay optimistic throughout and journey and believe in yourself. My pillars of success
are “optimism, hard work, and self-confidence”. In any moment of despair, they
pulled me out of it and kept me going. Make them your armour and you can shield
yourself from all negative thoughts and challenges.
• Keep limited resources. In 1st attempt, it is nearly impossible to read each and every
resource. Keep a clear focused strategy that suits yourself. Do not mimic someoneelse. If you see a topper has read 5 books, you also need to keep in mind the number
of attempts he/she took for reading those many books. Guidance is needed but be
critical and filter out those opinions which do not apply to yourself.
• At last, I would just tell you that UPSC is not everything in life. Open yourself to the
outside world and see what opportunities lie in front of you. Do not focus on the
result, instead, just enjoy the process. Even if you do not clear this exam, you are
going to learn a lot and become a better person. Just live in the present, focus less on
the results and do not think far ahead in the future. If you do so, you will get the
result you deserve.
• Best of luck! :)
Contact options:
Telegram Channel: t.me/Kanishak2018NotesAndStrategy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kanishak_kataria
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KanishakKataria
Blog: demystifycse.in
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