Several candidates from the State have cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination-2020, the results of which were declared on Friday afternoon. Among them was Akshay Simha (77th rank) and Nischay Prasad (130th rank).
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Mr. Prasad relied on self-study to clear one of the toughest exams in the country. In his second attempt, the 24-year-old from Mysuru was ranked 130. He is a BE graduate in biotechnology.
He told The Hindu that he had made “a casual attempt” in 2019. “However, in 2020, I was very serious about clearing the exam. I always had a plan to appear for civil services exams. But I did not join any of the coaching institutes for classes,” he said. Instead, he relied on self-study by reading books and other material available online. “I got support from everyone, from teachers to family members.”
When asked how the pandemic impacted his preparation, he said, “Last year, the exam were scheduled in the month of May, but it was postponed. It was an uncertain time and continuing to study was a challenge. Gradually, I focused on revision and sat for the exam.”
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Mr. Prasad wasn’t the only candidate who was frustrated by the delays. Mr. Simha, ranked 77, said that it was mentally tough to sustain the same level of enthusiasm and maintain readiness for the examination. “It kept getting postponed because of COVID-19. This was my second attempt,” he said.
It was only two weeks ago that the 26-year-old Mr. Simha joined Bank of India. He was winding up for the day when the results were declared. “I did inform my boss about my result and they were happy for me,” he said.