One of India’s youngest IAS officers, IAS Neha Byadwal, has become a role model forUPSCaspirants overnight with her performance and dedication. Born in Rajasthan and raised in the state of Chhattisgarh, Neha is among the few UPSC aspirants who did not give up and held onto her dreams.

After failing the exam on her first few attempts, she decided to change her study pattern instead of giving up. One of the major changes she made was to avoid overusing her mobile phone and completely ban social media.

According to reports, Neha did not touch her phone for nearly three years because she was determined to crack the country's biggest exam. With her goal clear, all her hard work paid off, and Neha cracked the exam with AIR-569. She secured a total of 960 marks, including 151 marks in the interview.

“I think my educational background is very humble but what really forged me for UPSC was my father, he is the foundation of my inspiration. Grew up idealising him, his service and his integrity really made me believe in the notion of - “UPSC, a cradle of service to the nation,” Times of India quoted Neha.

“Past four years unfurled like chapters in a book, pages marked with trials and errors. There were setbacks but it only propelled me forward. I believe it’s only in adversity that we get the chance to introspect. Then it was in my fourth attempt, at the age of 24, that I could get what I dreamt of,” she added.

“On the day of result, I cried more on the inside than on the outside, I just took a look at my family, the joy in their eyes was beyond my imagination,” Neha further stated.

In her advice for other young Civil Service aspirants, Neha said, “To all the CSE Aspirants who are in this from all the remote corners of the country, I would like you to know that when it comes to preparing, what matters most are the hours you put in and how well you use them. It doesn’t matter where you are, as long as you have a good plan. I was fortunate to have people around me who created the perfect environment for studying. They boosted my morale, and I never felt tired or bored. You have to love and enjoy this process.”