UPSC Civil Services Exam is attempted by lakhs of candidates every year. Graduate pass candidates can apply in this exam. Even if their medium is in English or English.
However, it is a common belief among the candidates that English medium candidates are unable to crack the Civil Services Examination. Breaking these myths, the present District Magistrate of Almora, Uttarakhand, Vandana Singh Chauhan not only cleared the Civil Services Examination through English medium but also secured AIR 8 in the 2012 examination. Let’s know about them.
Vandana Singh Chauhan is from a very humble background. Her family lived in Nasrullagarh, a small village in Haryana where Vandana was born and brought up.
Vandana had a joint family and had conservative views when it came to girls’ education. But Vandana’s father Mahipal Singh Chauhan was in favor of writing and teaching his daughter. Vandana was sent to Kanya Gurukul near Moradabad to complete her education. After which Vandana worked hard and dreamed of becoming an IAS.
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After completing class 12th, Vandana Singh Chauhan enrolled for LLB at BR Ambedkar University, Agra. Since her family did not have much support, she did not go to college, but remained at home during her graduation. Vandana used to order her law books online in those days or send her brother to collect them. However, he did not give up his studies and completed his graduation. Let me tell you, he has done his graduation from English medium.
When a village girl from English medium school cleared UPSC in her first attempt
After graduation, Vandana started studying UPSC Civil Services. She could not move to any other city to take admission in a coaching institute as her family’s financial condition did not support the idea, so she started preparing at home.
She used to study for 12-14 hours every day. Apart from his brother, no one from his family helped him in preparing for this exam. Within a year his hard work paid off. Vandana cracked her first attempt in UPSC CSE in 2012 and secured 8th rank. As soon as the result came, her news spread across the country and overnight she became an inspiration for lakhs of village girls who could not study in English medium schools.
Vandana Singh Chauhan once said in an interview that she made the mistake of ignoring the negative marking in CSE Prelims but somehow crossed the cut-off at that time. He asked the candidates not only to prepare for UPSC Mains throughout the year but also prepare for Prelims by solving as many sample papers as possible at least 6 months before the exam.
Vandana Chauhan is currently posted as DM of Almora district of Uttarakhand. He was given a guard of honor at the Collectorate on the occasion of his joining as DM last year.