‘Believe in Your Abilities’: IAS Officer Shares Photo of Her UPSC Marksheet to Motivate Aspirants – News18

Cracking the UPSC exam, particularly the Civil Services Examination (CSE), is a challenging yet rewarding endeavour for many in India. Recently, an IAS officer shared her UPSC marksheet to inspire and motivate people towards achieving their dream of joining the civil services. IAS Sonal Goel, who is no less than a celebrity on social media, took to the microblogging site ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) and shared a picture of her UPSC Civil Services 2007 Mains marksheet on February 21.

The IAS officer, who cracked the UPSC Civil Services exam in 2008, recounted on her journey from an initial setback in her first attempt at the UPSC Civil Services Examination in 2007 when she fell short of qualifying for the interview stage to her triumphant success in May 2008.

Sharing a picture of her marksheet, Ms Goel captioned it with a long note. She wrote, “Nostalgic moment as I came across my UPSC Civil Services 2007 Mains marksheet, reminding me of the trials and triumphs that led to final selection. In my first attempt, I fell short of getting an Interview call due to low marks in the General Studies papers in Mains. However, this setback fueled my determination to leave no stone unturned in achieving my UPSC goal.”

Emphasising the importance of dedication and relentless effort, she highlighted that despite facing failure her determination remained unshaken. She went on to share that she then devoted herself entirely to master the General Studies paper and improve at other aspects of Mains. She poured her heart and soul into every aspect of the syllabus, along with pursuing her LLB from Delhi University and doing a part time job as a CS (Company Secretary).

Following her sheer dedication, the IAS officer added, she not only cleared the exam but also achieved the highest marks in General Studies compared to her optional subjects, which included Commerce and Public Administration, in her second attempt. “Reflecting on this journey, I am reminded of the invaluable lesson that with dedication and relentless effort, no obstacle is insurmountable,” she wrote.

The IAS officer also encouraged aspirants to learn from setbacks, believe in their abilities and pursue their goals with passion without losing sight of their dreams. She urged them to view every setback and failure as an opportunity to improvise, learn and ultimately, triumph.

“It is through perseverance that greatness is achieved,” the IAS officer concluded.

Have a look at the post below:

The post went viral instantly garnering the attention of many users online and pulling over 71,000 views. Many social media users praised the IAS officer for ‘encouraging’ UPSC aspirants with her inspiring story. The aspirants, on the other hand, thanked the IAS officer for sharing her story and motivating them.

A user commented, “Nostalgic and priceless treasures. Achieve new horizons of excellence in your professional life.”

“You did that all while doing a part time job and pursuing your LLB. Props to you for your achievement. Mad respect for you Sonal Di. This is the exact thing I needed cause I’m myself juggling multiple things and was getting demotivated thinking I won’t be able to pull things off,” expressed a user.

Another user wrote, “Great to see. Currently children don’t have many role models and are worshipping/following ‘self-serving only’ individuals and are away from reality. This post is a great one to start!”

“Beautiful message madam (very helpful). Thank you,” an individual added.

Isn’t Sonal Goel’s story inspiring?