Apala Mishra, a 24-year-old Hyderabad (BDS Bachelor of Dental Surgery) graduate student, passed the UPSC Civil Services exam in 2020 and secured the ninth rank in the CSE 2020-2021.
Apala is from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, and she graduated from the Army College of Dental Sciences in Hyderabad. She took the UPSC Civil Services test shortly after finishing her graduation and passed it on her third attempt.
UPSC is considered to be one of the most difficult competitive exams. Every year lakhs of aspirants appear in the exam and spend numerous years just preparing for UPSC.
According to most of the aspirants, the interview is the most challenging part to crack, and the results are unpredictable every year.
Apala Mishra, an Indian Police Service (IPS), got the highest marks in the UPSC interview in the year 2020. She has become a role model for thousands of aspirants. Moreover, her journey is so inspiring and can really boost your confidence.
Her story will make you believe in hard work and how you can consistently achieve your dream. Apala Mishra is an example of sheer determination and dedication. Today we will discuss all of her, such as Apala Mishra’s Biography, UPSC preparation, results, and family.
Apala Mishra’s Biography
Apala was born on 4th April 1997. Just at the age of 23 years, she cleared the UPSC exam, and not only that, and she topped the interview that year as well.
Her father, Amitabh Mishra, is a retired military officer. Her mother, Dr. Alphana, is a professor. Her brother’s name is Abhilekh Mishra. Her grandfather, the late Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, was an author.
Apala’s education started at Delhi Public School in Rohini, Delhi, and continued at the Army College of Dental Science, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree.
Apala Mishra was a gold medalist in her college and was always a bright student. Moreover, she is the granddaughter of famous novelist Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, which has had a huge influence on her.
Therefore, Apala also likes to write, and her poems have been published in Sahitya Akademi in English. Apala’s father and brother are both in the army; they all significantly impacted her life, and she excelled in college due to the inherited discipline and provided services in various domains.
UPSC attempts
When Apala finished her Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree from Hyderabad in 2017 and was selected as a dentist to serve in the army, however, she dreamed of becoming an IFS (Indian Foreign Service), and that’s why she started working toward her dream.
Apala began her preparation for UPSC, and it was not an easy one for her; she cleared the exam on the third attempt. Moreover, she embraced her initial struggles and learned from them.
Apala Mishra’s strategy and preparation
While sharing her journey and preparation technique for the UPSC exam, Apala Mishra stated that success in any subject could only be attained with self-confidence, discipline, and time management.
Moreover, she said if you develop a schedule, you must maintain that pattern always, and you will have to study 7 to 8 hours a day.
According to her, you should always know why you want to become an IFS officer because if you know your reason and motivation behind becoming an IFS, you will succeed in that work with great enthusiasm.
Apala Mishra’s Career Path
Apala stated that by the time she was in the final year of her dental degree, she was leaning more toward civil service because it offers a variety of job choices and career options. Moreover, her elective subject was anthropology.
She plans to work in the field of health, especially women’s health. She vowed to give her studies her undivided attention.
Moreover, she made timetables and followed them religiously. Apala feels that candidates should study for 7 to 8 hours per day. She also realized the value of discipline and consistency during this time.
When asked why she switched from medicine to administration, Apala stated, Her background served as a source of motivation for Her. She examined our country’s healthcare system carefully while pursuing her dental degree.
Thereafter, concluded that it required more attention. This thinking motivated her to pursue a career in the civil services in order to make a bigger contribution to society. This way, she can make a bigger impact in our country.
How did she prepare for the UPSC?
Apala Mishra said she focused on understanding the exam and its syllabus, as well as her own strengths and weaknesses, in 2018 because the course was different from her educational background.
Therefore It took time to grasp the pattern. The topper claims that once candidates realize their own weaknesses and strengths, things eventually improve.
Moreover, she made a daily study regimen of 7-8 hours. The UPSC topper initially joined coaching sessions but then shifted to self-study because Apala believes that coaching centers can help people, but they must study independently; at the end of the day, it is their own journey.
Apala believes that if one wants to excel in something, he or she must mentally prepare for it. This is a basic principle she used to keep herself motivated during her preparation.
The topper also advises candidates to follow the curriculum and accept their failures. She feels that embracing setbacks allows aspirants to improve and have a positive attitude toward preparation, which will help in their achievement.
The Bottom Line
Being an IFS officer is a dream of many Indians, but only a few are dedicated enough to actually achieve it. Apala Mishra is one such determined individual who is living her dream life.
Her only motive was to serve her country and solve the bigger issues while working on a grass root level. Her motive was the reason that she kept on going even after failing in her initial two attempts.
Apala never gave up on her dreams and finally achieved the ninth rank in her third attempt. This is an example of sheer determination and hard work. Stories like Anumpan Mittal‘s and Apala Mishra’s really set an example for the youth of this country.
