UPSC Topper Hariram Shankar: Journey, Preparation Strategy & Tips

The Journey of an IAS Topper

• Hailing from Thrissur, Kerala, Hariram Shankar's life is a story of determination and hard work.
• His father, Venkitachalam V H, served as a Section Officer at IMG Kochi, and his mother is an Ayurveda Doctor at Vaidyaratnam Ayurveda College, Thrissur.
• He has a younger brother who pursued his studies at the prestigious IIT Bombay.
• A mechanical engineering graduate from NIT Calicut, Shankar had a strong academic background.
• He completed his primary education at St. Paul’s School in Thrissur and secondary schooling from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Vidya Mandir in Poochatty, Thrissur district.
• After an initial attempt at the civil services exam, he joined SBI as a Probationary Officer.
• However, his heart was set on the civil services, leading him to resign from his job and dedicate his time to preparing for the civil services exam .
• In his fourth attempt, he was selected for the Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IAAS) .
• Before finally being selected for the IPS, he underwent extensive training at the National Academy of Audit and Accounts at Shimla for a year and 6 months of on-the-job training at Kolkata.

Discover more about the Indian Police Service from the links in the table below:

The Inspiration Behind Shankar's Journey

Shankar found his motivation in his college senior, Gokul G.R., who secured the IAS in his very first attempt with an impressive all India rank of 19. This achievement sparked the belief in Shankar that with enough dedication and hard work, the dream of civil services was attainable.

In the same year that Shankar secured his IPS position, the top rank (AIR 1) was achieved by Nandini KR, a serving IRS officer. Read about Nandini’s inspiring UPSC journey here .

Preparation Strategy

• He extensively practiced with mock tests for both IAS prelims and mains exams.
• He maintained a strategic distance from social media.
• He prioritized his health and ensured adequate sleep.
• He made comprehensive notes for studying. You can find NCERT notes for UPSC exam at the linked article.
• He selectively studied the Economic Survey and India Year Book.
• He regularly read The Hindu, Yojana, and Kurukshetra for staying updated.

Hariram Shankar at a Glance

Rank: 145

CSE: 2016

Service allocated: IPS

Attempt: Fifth

Optional: Geography

Learn more about the Geography Optional at the linked article.

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