Shreya Gupta of Panipat brought laurels to the district by securing 114th rank in the Civil Services examination, result of which was declared by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Friday.
Twenty-two-year-old Shreya cracked the UPSC exam in her second attempt through consistent hard work for the past one year.
Talking with The Tribune, Shreya said, "It's like a dream come true. I started preparation for the UPSC exam during my last year of the college. I was not able to clear my prelims exam in the first attempt, in which I appeared just after completion of my college studies."
"Taking lessons from my shortcomings, I once again started preparations for the UPSC exam and finally succeeded in my second attempt," she said.
Shreya's further said that her father told her about the UPSC examination while she was in Class X. She was fond of reading and after clearing her Class X exams, Shreya searched about the UPSC exams.
"I passed my tenth grade with 99 per cent and twelfth with 96.7 per cent. I read every subject in full detail. I devoted approximately 10 to 12 hours a day for the preparation of the UPSC exams. My mother Poonam Gupta, who is a house-wife and other family members, always motivated me for hard work and supported me to achieve my goal," she said.
"I took online coaching and relied on self-study and also kept a distance from social media," she said.
Shreya's father Ramesh Gupta, who is an advocate, said it was a proud moment for the entire family. "This is not a result of one year, but a success which has come after hard work of many years," he said.
Shreya completed her schooling from St Mary' Convent School in Panipat, he said. She did her graduation from Lady Shri Ram College for Women in Delhi, he said. After completion of her graduation, she took one year to prepare for the Civil Services exam and finally succeeded, Ramesh Gupta said.