Kanika Goyal (AIR 9) - UPSC CSE 2022 Rank Holder

Kanika Goyal from Kaithal’s Model Town in Haryana secured 9th rank in UPSC CSE 2022. Kanika had earlier attempted in 2021 for the Civil Services Exam but qualified spectacularly in her 2nd attempt in 2022. 

The Union Public Service Commission declared the UPSC CSE final results 2022 on 23rd May 2023. Out of 10 candidates in the top 10 list, six are female, and four are male.

In this article, let’s get to know more about Kanika’s background, preparation strategy, number of attempts, UPSC optional subjects, etc. 

Kanika Goyal IAS 2022 9th Rank Holder Background

Kanika Goyal, a 23-year-old female from Kaithai Model Town in Haryana, bagged the 9th rank in UPSC CSE 2022. This was her second attempt at UPSC Civil Services Exam. She was born into an ordinary family and has always dreamt of becoming an IAS officer since 7th grade. She is the only daughter of Lakhmi Chand Goyal and Neelam Goyal. She hails from a joint family, and her father runs a grocery business. Kanika has an interest in Pranayam as her hobby.

Source – https://www.hindustantimes.com/

Check IAS AIR 9 Kanika Goyal Mock Interview with BYJU’S

Educational Background

• She completed her schooling at Hindu Girls Senior Secondary School, Kaithal, and did her graduation from Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi. 
• She also took online coaching for UPSC.
•  She scored 10 CGPA in 10th std. 
• She took Humanities in 12th with the aim of appearing for Civil Services. 
• She scored 96.4% in 12th. She did her graduation from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University, with Political Science Honors.

Kanika Goyal’s Success Secret

Kanika credits her parents for always boosting her morale and motivating her to succeed in the Civil Services exam. She was very surprised to become a top rank holder in UPSC CSE 2022 and attributes this success to her family and their support. Kanika had always been a proficient student who scored excellent grades in 10th, 12th and then in Civil Services. She had been pursuing her aim of becoming an IAS officer since grade 7 and had never been distracted in her resolve.

To learn more about UPSC preparation strategies, check the linked article.

Kanika Goyal’s UPSC Strategies

Kanika Goyal wants to contribute to the development of India. Achieving this dream of hers was tough, but she aimed for it, worked towards it and achieved it finally. Candidates who want to qualify for UPSC 2023 exam must take some inspiration from Kanika’s UPSC preparation strategies.

Her preparation strategies always involved dedication, focus and smart work. She didn’t stress much about the mandatory hours to study for the exam. She had planned a routine for her studies, sleep, food and relaxation time.

Candidates must understand that there are no fixed hours to prepare for UPSC CSE 2023 exam. If you have focus and dedication, the number of hours becomes immaterial. But, as the UPSC exam has a vast syllabus to cover, candidates must plan their preparation atleast a year ahead of the Prelims exam. This helps in better planning, understanding and execution.

Check UPSC Prelims question papers at the linked article.

Check;

1. AIR 5 Mayur Hazarika success story.
2. AIR 8 Aniruddh Yadav success story.

How to choose Optional subjects?

The optional subject in the UPSC is for 500 marks in the final. This can have a significant difference in your score in the final results. Therefore, it is crucial to choose optional wisely and plan what to choose so that you do not risk your score and rank in the UPSC exam. Consider all advantages and disadvantages of the optional that you choose and think through that, and then you can go ahead with the optional subject.

Some of the factors to keep in mind before selecting an optional are:

• Interest in the subject
• Prior knowledge of the optional subject or having an academic background in it
• Choose the optional subject that is also a part of the GS papers
• Check for availability of coaching for the subject 
• Check the availability of study material

Check how to choose optional subjects in the UPSC exam.

Polity Optional for UPSC

Polity is a General study-friendly optional subject in the UPSC exam. Political Theory and Indian Politics are covered in Paper I of Political Science. Paper II is concerned with Comparative Political Analysis and International Politics. As a result, only good conceptual clarity will allow you to write precise and lucid answers for this paper, allowing you to score higher.

Political Science is majorly about the political institutions and rules that influence how businesses operate. It also helps aspirants improve their grasp of organisational dynamics and human connections, as well as their writing, communication, and statistical abilities.

Check Polity Optional syllabus for UPSC.

UPSC Exam Preparation Strategies

1. Understand the UPSC exam pattern thoroughly, and pace your IAS preparation accordingly. The UPSC exam has three stages — prelims, mains, and the interview.
2. Master your Detailed Application Form. Try to cover 100 to 120 expected questions for your UPSC interview.
3. Make a timetable for the UPSC exam preparation, as it will ease your preparation and make it more streamlined. With deadlines, you would work better and complete the syllabus faster.
4. Analyse the IAS Subjects included in the syllabus and comprehend your strengths and weaknesses.
5. Do not get worried if you cannot make it on the first attempt. This should not become a roadblock in getting up and achieving your dream. Kanika also could not qualify on her first attempt but cleared with an outstanding rank on the 2nd attempt.
6. Aspirants can get basic concepts and theories from NCERT textbooks. These books provide the information very coherently. Moreover, they are reliable, too, as the source is the government itself.
7. UPSC syllabus is very vast; it helps to keep track of the portions covered and also serves as a ready-reckoner for revision.
8. You can have separate notebooks for separate subjects. This is especially helpful in the case of adding current affairs-related news to a particular topic.
9. The IAS main exam papers are descriptive in nature. Therefore, candidates have to answer the questions quickly and effectively and in minimum words. Candidates must have thorough answer writing practice to score well in the UPSC Mains exam.
10. Self-assessment is an essential part of UPSC preparation. Therefore, candidates must take a number of mock tests to be confident about the exam pattern, type of questions and difficulty level. This also increases their chances of qualification more than their competitors.

Aspirants of UPSC 2023 can go through the following links for assistance in their preparation.