IAS Success Story of Khumanthem Diana Devi

There aren’t many candidates from the northeast who crack the UPSC exam. But those who do, become role models for the youth all over the country. A region that faces serious issues of accessibility, insurgency and development does produce some amazing UPSC success stories. In this article, you can read about IAS topper Khumanthem Diana Devi (AIR 24, CSE 2015), her background, her journey towards the success in the examination, and her choice of optional subject.

Aspirants would find this article very helpful while preparing for the IAS Exam.

IAS Topper Story – Khumanthem Diana Devi Background

1. UPSC Topper Diana Devi hails from Manipur.
2. She is the daughter of Khumanthem Chandramani Singh, an Inspector General in Manipur Police, and Khumanthem Ongbi Thounaojam Ningol Ibeyaima Devi. Her mother is a Statistical Investigator in the Department of Census Operations.
3. Diana is the fourth among five siblings.
4. She completed her schooling from Nirmalabas High School in Imphal, Manipur.
5. She topped the Board of Secondary Education Manipur (BSME) examination in 2007. After that, she did class 12 from Delhi Public School in New Delhi.
6. Post her schooling, Diana Devi graduated from Miranda House, Delhi University with a B.Sc. (Hons) in Physics.
7. After that, she also completed her M.Sc. from the same college. She was a topper in both her graduation and post-graduation.
8. She was a brilliant student throughout her school and college days and has many awards to her name.
9. After her studies, Diana Devi started a career as a guest lecturer in Miranda House.

Journey Towards the Success in IAS Exam

1. Diana Devi cracked the IAS exam in her second attempt.
2. According to her, being a diligent student helped her in her IAS pursuit.
3. She had also cracked the Indian Forest Service Exam (IFoS) and secured the 9th rank, but she chose the IAS since that was her dream.
4. Diana Devi says one must be focused on political and environmental issues and international affairs, and acquire as much knowledge possible about these subjects if one is to clear the IAS exam.
5. Diana also gives a lot of importance to the daily newspaper in IAS preparation. Current affairs are the crux of the UPSC question papers, and a planned approach must be adopted to ensure that the daily current affairs are covered comprehensively.
6. Diana also suggests subject-wise planning while preparing for the civil services exam.
7. Diana also says that solving previous years’ UPSC question papers are very important for clearing the UPSC exam.
8. Diana’s optional subject was Physics. She chose her graduation subject as her optional. Some candidates stick to their graduation subject while others choose to stray away. It depends on the individual.
9. For more on how to select your optional subject for IAS mains, click on the given link.

Khumanthem Diana Devi – Facts

1. Rank: 24
2. CSE: 2015
3. Optional Subjects: Physics
4. Native State: Manipur
5. Education: M.Sc. Physics, DU
6. Attempt: Second

For more UPSC-related preparation materials visit the linked article given in the table below. Candidates can also familiarise themselves with the general pattern of the UPSC exams by visiting the UPSC Syllabus page now.

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