From Farmer's Son to IAS Officer: Rajiv Kumar's UPSC CSE Journey (AIR 42)
"My father never went beyond Class 5. My mother runs a small provisions shop. When I got AIR 42 in UPSC CSE 2024, the first thing I did was touch their feet."
— Rajiv Kumar, IAS Officer (UPSC CSE 2024, AIR 42)
Background: Growing Up in Rural Bihar
Rajiv Kumar was born in a small village near Muzaffarpur, Bihar. His father is a marginal farmer who cultivates barely 2 acres of land. Electricity was unreliable. The local school lacked teachers. Yet, Rajiv stood first in his district in the Class 10 board exams.
"I never had coaching or tuition for Class 10 or 12. I would study by the streetlight when power went off at home. That taught me discipline more than anything else," he recalls.
Rajiv completed his graduation in Political Science (Honours) from Patna University after which he moved to Delhi to pursue civil services preparation.
The First Attempt: Learning What Not To Do
In his first UPSC CSE attempt (2022 Prelims), Rajiv failed to clear Prelims.
"I made every beginner's mistake. I read too many books. I spent 3 months only on History. I had no schedule. My GS3 was weak. I never took a full mock test," he admits.
Key mistakes in Attempt 1:
- No structured revision strategy
- Ignored Current Affairs for the first 5 months
- Never attempted a timed mock test before Prelims
- Underestimated CSAT Paper 2 (nearly missed the cutoff)
The Second Attempt: Clearing Prelims, Failing at Mains
In 2023, Rajiv cleared Prelims with a score of 115.66 marks (General Cut-Off: 93.28 that year — a relatively low cut-off year).
He reached Mains but could not clear. His GS4 (Ethics) score was only 88/250 and his Optional (History) Paper 2 was poorly attempted.
"I had studied hard for Mains, but I realized I was studying content, not answers. The examiners want structured, layered answers with introduction, body, diagrams, and conclusion. I was writing essays."
The Third Attempt: Strategic Overhaul
For his 3rd and final attempt (UPSC CSE 2024), Rajiv overhauled his entire approach:
Study Schedule (Final Year Preparation)
| Time Slot | Activity |
|---|---|
| 5:00 AM – 6:30 AM | Physical exercise + newspaper reading |
| 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM | Optional Subject (History) — systematic study |
| 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM | GS study (rotating among GS1, GS2, GS3, GS4) |
| 2:30 PM – 5:00 PM | Answer writing practice (Mains) |
| 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM | Current Affairs notes-making |
| 8:30 PM – 10:00 PM | Revision of the day's content |
Resources That Made the Difference
| Subject | Resource Used |
|---|---|
| Current Affairs | The Hindu + Vision IAS Monthly CA |
| GS1 History | Spectrum Modern India + NCERT XI/XII |
| GS2 Polity | M. Laxmikanth (4th read) |
| GS3 Economy | Ramesh Singh + Economic Survey |
| GS4 Ethics | Lexicon for Ethics + personal case studies |
| Optional: History | Old NCERT + Norman Lowe World History |
| Answer Writing | InsightsIAS Model Answers + self-practice |
What Changed in the 3rd Attempt
- Answer Writing First: Started Mains answer writing from day 1 of preparation — even when content knowledge was incomplete
- Fewer Books, More Depth: Reduced to 2–3 standard books per subject; read those 3–4 times
- Mock Tests Every Week: Joined a Prelims test series (Insights IAS); appeared in 40+ mocks before Prelims
- Current Affairs Integration: Maintained a handwritten Current Affairs diary — 1 page per day; revised weekly
UPSC CSE 2024 Scores
| Stage | Score | Marks Available |
|---|---|---|
| Prelims GS Paper 1 | 122.66 | 200 |
| Mains Written (All GS + Essay + Optional) | 884 | 1,750 |
| Interview (Personality Test) | 196 | 275 |
| Total (Mains + Interview) | 1,080 | 2,025 |
Interview Experience
Rajiv's interview board was chaired by a senior IAS officer. He was asked:
- About his village in Muzaffarpur — development challenges
- Bihar's floods: inter-state water sharing treaties
- His Optional (History) — Ashoka's Dhamma policy and its modern relevance
- A current affairs question on India's G20 Presidency legacy
- Ethical dilemma: A senior asks you to falsify a report that will save jobs. What do you do?
"The board was very respectful. They listened. I stayed calm. I had prepared answers on Bihar-specific issues knowing they'd ask — and they did."
Rajiv's Top 5 Advice for UPSC Aspirants
- Start writing answers from Month 1. Don't wait till you "finish the syllabus." You never will.
- Current Affairs is 40% of Prelims. Treat it with the same seriousness as static GS.
- Take Prelims seriously every year. Prelims failure is the biggest reason candidates don't make it in 3 attempts.
- Choose your Optional wisely. Pick based on your genuine interest — you'll study it 400+ hours. If you hate it, you won't do it well.
- Be consistent over brilliant. 8 consistent hours per day beats 14-hour panic sessions every time.
Rajiv Kumar is now posted as an IAS Probationer. He mentors UPSC aspirants on weekends through an online community.
— ExamDetail Editorial Team | April 2026