The Journey of Dr. Artika Shukla – IAS Topper
- Artika Shukla hails from the holy city of Varanasi.
- Her parents, Brijesh, a practicing physician, and Lena, a homemaker, have been her pillars of support.
- A doctor by profession, Artika was pursuing her MD in paediatrics when she decided to prepare for the IAS exam.
- A consistent performer, Artika completed her schooling from St. John School in Varanasi and her MBBS from Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi.
- She also gained practical experience as an intern at the Lok Nayak Hospital in Delhi.
- In pursuit of her dream to serve the nation, she decided to leave her MD course midway to prepare for the IAS exam.
- Artika has always looked up to Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the former President of India, as her source of inspiration.
IAS Preparation Strategies by Artika Shukla
Here, we share some invaluable tips provided by UPSC topper Artika Shukla for IAS aspirants.
UPSC Prelims Preparation Strategies
- Aim to qualify the IAS prelims rather than striving for the highest score.
- The CSAT requires just 33% marks, so don't spend excess time on it. Improve your English and Maths by solving previous years’ UPSC question papers and work on your weak areas.
- For the GS paper 1, start with topics that overlap with the mains papers. Focus on history, geography, and economics. Understand concepts but also memorize facts for the Prelims.
- Stay updated with the daily current affairs . The sections of science and technology, environment, and ecology should be sourced from the current affairs topics.
- Read the newspaper daily and don’t stop reading it prior to the prelims. Questions can come from news items that featured even a few days before the exam. This is also important for the mains exam. For a concise analysis of the daily newspaper, check our Comprehensive News Analysis every day.
- Practice at least 20 – 25 test papers for the IAS prelims exam. This is more important than reading all the textbooks. A month before the exam, practice a test daily.
UPSC Mains Preparation Strategies
For the UPSC Mains , your focus should be on improving your answers to stand out from the average candidate as your total marks will decide your final rank, which in turn decides your success in the UPSC civil services exam.
Essay paper
No special preparation plan is needed for this paper. The material can be sourced from your preparation for General Studies 1 and 2, and current affairs. Always practice writing essays within a time limit.
Memorize a few quotes about women, education, empowerment, democracy, nationalism, youth, etc. by notable personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Max Webber, Auguste Comte, etc. These can enhance your essays.
GS Paper 1
- This paper contains a lot of static material.
- World history is important.
- The topic of India after independence is not as important. Prioritise the topics according to the time left for your preparation.
GS Paper 2
- This paper is dynamic in nature. It is recommended that you finish Laxmikanth’s book on Indian Polity before the prelims. Now, your focus should be on current affairs.
- Websites like PRS, PIB and Yojana are essential resources. Check out our Gist of PIB and Gist of Yojana in the table below:
- Note that the questions on International Relations are not too in-depth. You don’t have to delve deep into the topics.
GS Paper 3
- Economic Survey is extremely important. It helps in GS paper 2, GS paper 3 and the essay paper. You can expect a question taken directly from this document.
- ARC reports are also important.
- In the science and tech and environment sections, the focus should be on current affairs. For the basics, you can refer to the NCERT textbooks. If you come across a new development in science that is important or a new initiative in science by the Indian government, always go through the basic science behind the new technology or initiative. You can download NCERT books for UPSC exam here.
- Questions can come from space technology and satellites. This is an easy and scoring topic.
Artika Shukla’s message for IAS aspirants:
Consistency is the key to success in this exam, so be regular in your studies!
Artika Shukla’s optional subject was Medical Science Optional .
Marks Scored by IAS Topper
| Paper |
Marks Scored |
| Essay |
139/250 |
| GS 1 |
88/250 |
| GS 2 |
96/250 |
| GS 3 |
112/250 |
| GS 4 |
106/250 |
| Optional 1 (Medical Science) |
144/250 |
| Optional 2 (Medical Science) |
142/250 |
| Written Total |
827/1750 |
| Interview |
173/275 |
| Total (Mains) |
1000/2025 (49.38%) |
Quick Facts About Artika Shukla
- Rank: 4
- CSE: 2015
- Home State: Uttar Pradesh
- Attempt: First
- Optional Subject: Medical Science
It's crucial for aspirants to practice answer writing on a daily basis and get their answers evaluated by mentors or experienced faculty to enhance their answer writing skills. Going through Artika Shukla's answer sheets and other toppers' answers can provide insights into:
- The demand of the questions.
- Word limit management.
- Time management.
- Covering various dimensions within a specific word limit.
For more UPSC success stories that can inspire and motivate you, check out the linked article featuring strategies of IAS Toppers .
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