Haritha Vijay Kumar, is an incredible woman, a dreamer, and an achiever. Haritha V. Kumar has appeared in the UPSC CSE exam, one of India’s toughest exams. Though she wasn’t able to crack the exam in her initial attempt did not only appeared for the exam once, twice but four times and finally cracked the toughest exam in the country with AIR 1
UPSC usually begins in June and the results are declared in March. It is a long journey where the aspirants have to put in their maximum efforts each day to crack the exam. UPSC examination is not a sprint race, it is a marathon race. Students take part in the marathon race with the desire to become IAS, IPS, IFS, and IFoS officers.
Biography of the incredible Haritha V. Kumar
Haritha Vijaya Kumar is one of those students who has excelled in the UPSC exam. In 2012, Haritha Vijaya Kumar ranked first in UPSC. Haritha is the first resident of Kerala to top the UPSC CSE exam. Not only that, Haritha V. Kumar is the first Keralite woman to score the first rank in the UPSC CSE exam.
Haritha Vijaya Kumar was born on 21 November 1985 currently aged 36.
Haritha came from a middle-class Indian family and lived in a small town named Neyyattinkara. This town is 20km away from the capital city of Kerala.
Most of the success stories begin with a supporting family
They were a very happy family with a total of 5 members including her. Haritha’s father, Vijaya Kumar is a contractor for Kerala water authorities. Haritha’s mother, Chitra is a homemaker. She also has twin brothers namely Sadrarsh and Satheerth.
There is a saying that it is difficult to pursue your dream career if you come from a typical middle-class family. Haritha wholeheartedly proved it wrong.
Her achievements showed us that nothing is impossible if you truly want and work for it. From her childhood, Haritha wanted to do some sort of civil service, her father gave his full support to Haritha and even took big steps toward that.
Her mother also wanted her daughter to do something praiseworthy so she also gave her full support to her.
Haritha not only excelled in studies but also trained in Mohiniyattam, Bharatanatyam, and Carnatic music. She is a great fan of Malayalam movies. Malayalam novels and poetry are also among her areas of interest.
Early education of UPSC topper Haritha Kumar
Haritha is a very bright child since her childhood, she decided from a very young age that she would pursue a career in the civil service and she went for that.
Haritha completed her higher secondary school at a girl’s high school called St.Theresa Convent. The school is in Malayalam medium.
Then she also joined a Boys Higher Secondary School which is an English medium Government school at hospital junction at Neyyattinkara.
hen Haritha shifted to Thiruvananthapuram for further studies. Haritha has a bachelor’s degree in Btech for electronics and telecommunications. She did her bachelor’s in Btech from Barton Hill Engineering College.
Ambition was always Haritha Kumar’s thing
The first Keralite woman to top the UPSC CSE exam is Haritha Vijaya Kumar. She has put in hard work and determination to gain this success. Haritha even believes that there is no such thing as luck. You create your luck by working hard or working leniently.
“Your success is proportional to the intensity of your ambition. Therefore, stay focused on your goal.”l, said Haritha Vijaya Kumar
Haritha’s love and passion for her dream is the sole thing that leads her this far.
Success Mantra of UPSC Topper Haritha Vijay Kumar
Every person who has achieved their dreams has worked too hard for it. Haritha V. Kumar did not eliminate consistency and focus even for one night. She believes that success can not be achieved overnight.
One has to go slowly step by step and break one milestone at a time to reach the big picture. Many distractions and many misleadings came her way, but she crossed one obstacle and came out even stronger.
Haritha’s journey is full of ups and downs, but her mantra for success is never letting it go without working hard.
“I owe my success to my family” – Haritha V. Kumar
IAS Haritha’s family has been very cooperative and supportive of her decision.
Haritha’s family may not be a very rich one but they were one happy family united in every decision and supporting each other in times of need.
Haritha’s father wanted her daughter to join the civil services as it was her childhood dream and so was supportive of her daughter taking the UPSC CSE exam. Haritha’s mother also motivated her each time she felt low and encouraged her not to give up.
Haritha’s family even moved to Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram for her higher education without thinking twice. Her parents have rooted for her during the whole journey.
You can do anything you want if you have family support.
“Being ambitious from her early childhood” – Haritha v. Kumar’s sister
Haritha was once asked in 1st standard by her teacher, Sister Jasmine about what she wants to do in her life. Haritha said she wanted to be a collector without even knowing what is it.
Haritha’s father put the thought of her doing civil services in her childhood only. That is why her family supported her so much to make her reach her goals.
With determination, perseverance, and consistency, Haritha made her childhood dream a reality. From Haritha to IAS Haritha, she has come a long way.
The way From Haritha to IAS Haritha – Success is not always easy
In 2009, Haritha made her first UPSC attempt. She cleared the prelims round but did not qualify in the second round which is the mains.
Haritha did not give up or lose hope, again she sat for the exam the following with even harder preparation.
This time she cleared the exam with an excellent rank. She ranked 179 for which she was eligible for IPS(Indian Police Service) and IRS(Indian Revenue Service). Though she opted for the IRS, she wanted to give it another shot and became determined that no matter what happened, she would crack the exam with as many as attempts possible.
Then in the third attempt, Haritha got a rank of 294 All India Rank.
She got disheartened and felt low, thinking of giving up. But her mother motivated her to not give up on her dreams. Her father also provided her with every amount of support he could. Haritha even took a year’s leave from her IRS training at the National Academy for Customs, Excise, and Narcotics in Faridabad.
This was Haritha’s fourth and final attempt. She had to make it work by hook or by crook.
When did Haritha v Kumar give her last attempt?
In 2012, Haritha took the exam one last time and history was made. Haritha became the first Keralite woman to rank first in UPSC. Not only that after 22 years someone from Kerala got the first rank.
After that, she became the picture of inspiration for all the women out there who wants to achieve something big in their life, not necessarily cranking UPSC but making their dreams come true. She is the epitome of inspiration for all the students who want to become IAS. She shows that hard work always pays off, just a little bit of patience is required.
What was the result of Haritha V Kumar in her last attempt?
Haritha Vijaya Kumar got the rank of AIR 1st in the UPSC exam in 2012. She got a percentage of 51.8% at the age of 27.
Haritha chose Economics and Malayalam as her optional subjects. She chose Malayalam as her optional subject because it is her mother tongue and also she did her schooling in Malayalam medium.
Haritha chose Economics as her optional subject as her classmates were research graduates and scholars of Economics who provided her with the pieces of information she needed.
She also thinks that if we solve economics, economics can solve all the core problems of our country.
Scorecard of Haritha V Kumar
Let us get a view of this great personality’s scorecard.
Exam Score Obtained
Mains 1013/2000
Interview 180/300
Total 1193/2300 (51.87%)
It is indeed awesome!
Secret tricks to top UPSC
Well there is no such trick or tip to just magically crack this exam but these are the measures taken by 2012 to toper Haritha V Kumar
- Determination
IAS Haritha V Kumar always mentioned that If we have determination, nothing can stop us and deter us from following our course of action to achieve goals or realize our dreams. Obstacles may arise and obstruct our progress. They may delay the success, disturb us temporarily, and may even mislead us, but they cannot withstand the power of determination.
- Motivation
UPSC is a very tough journey for an aspirant. Might they get tired and try to give up everything? But they should stay motivated for their success. At some point, they just really wanted to quit everything but motivation can bring back and they watch motivational videos, songs, or inspiring autobiographies to stay strong with their UPSC journey.
- Allocate Your Time Strategically
Time allocation or time management is dividing and allocating your time wisely to do important tasks in a day.
Haritha mentioned some vital things in one of her interviews. Why is it important or beneficial for us?
There are various reasons for it. Time management is very important for our careers. It is one of the key factors to success in any field of work. Especially for the UPSC exam, we should read the entire book according to the subject and divide it into subtopics. In this way, we can cover all the topics as per the time strategy.
- Family Support
In our Indian societies, family values are essential. From our family, we receive unconditional love and support. We also get a significant emotional connection, and constant family strength in our tough times from family.
Haritha’s parents were very supportive during her entire journey at UPSC and her siblings were very loving and supportive.
She can’t imagine her existence without her family as mentioned. The members of the family define family values as always and this plays a big role in her success.
- Focus
Focus is the ability to set one’s mind and attention on a particular course until it yields the desired results. It involves channeling all your energy and concentration into a specific task, either long-term or short-term, and remaining in that state till the task is accomplished.
Focus requires a whole lot of commitment to one’s goal because many things may tend to sway one from that course, nevertheless, focus overcomes all these.
According to Haritha, focusing on your goal is a crucial part of achieving your goal.
Tips on answer writing – by Haritha v Kumar
It is very much vital to write answers calmly. She gave a lot of her time to the preparation of the mains as she could not clear the mains in her first attempt.
She solved many previous year’s papers and also took a glance at previous toppers’ answers which helped her build the concept very much.
General knowledge and current affairs are a must
To keep updated with current affairs, candidates must read newspapers and watch the news. There are also lots of books on General Knowledge which should be read before giving the exam.
The interview round is the hardest hurdle
After clearing prelims and mains, there is one last round which is the interview round. It checks one’s personality, mind coordination, ability to handle oneself in critical situations, etc. For this round, one should know how to speak English clearly as it is the mode of communication. English skills are mandatory. It also checks one’s confidence.
Final words
Hard work never goes in vain. Have a little belief in yourself and stay patient throughout the process. Haritha failed once, and twice but did not give up, she worked harder and created history by becoming the first woman in Kerala to top the UPSC exam. She converted her weakness into strength and is the best example of perseverance and determination.
To keep yourself motivated all the time read more real-life stories like this on Edukemy.
Read our Success stories.
FAQs
Q: What does Haritha Vijay Kumar mean by “Do not settle for less, no matter how much it takes”?
A: Haritha Vijay Kumar emphasizes the importance of setting high standards for oneself and not accepting anything less than what one truly deserves. Regardless of the challenges or obstacles one may face, the idea is to persevere and strive for excellence.
Q: Why is it important not to settle for less in various aspects of life?
A: According to Haritha Vijay Kumar, settling for less often means compromising on one’s dreams, potential, and overall well-being. By refusing to settle, individuals are encouraged to push their limits, overcome obstacles, and achieve their goals, leading to a more fulfilling and successful life.
Q: How can one apply the principle of not settling for less in their personal and professional life?
A: Haritha Vijay Kumar suggests that individuals should clearly define their goals, be aware of their worth, and consistently work towards achieving their aspirations. This may involve continuous learning, seeking opportunities for growth, and maintaining a mindset that refuses to accept mediocrity.
Q: What role does perseverance play in the philosophy of “no settling for less”?
A: Perseverance is a key component in Haritha Vijay Kumar’s philosophy. The journey to success is often accompanied by challenges and setbacks. By persevering through difficulties, individuals can maintain their commitment to not settling for less, ultimately reaching higher levels of achievement and personal satisfaction.
Q: Are there any potential drawbacks to the idea of not settling for less?
A: While the philosophy encourages individuals to aim high, it’s essential to strike a balance and set realistic expectations. Haritha Vijay Kumar likely advises against becoming overly fixated on perfection or success at the expense of one’s well-being. It’s crucial to recognize when adjustments are needed and when to appreciate achievements along the journey.
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