What Does It Take To Clear IIT, IIM And UPSC? IAS Officer Shares Secret

What does it take to crack the toughest entrance exams in the country? Indian Administrative Services (IAS) Officer Divya Mittal shared her secrets of getting through the Institutes of Technology (IIT), Indian Institutes of Management (IIM), before finally cracking the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Divya, who is currently serving as the District Magistrate (DM) of Uttar Pradesh’s Mirzapur achieved the 68th All India Rank (AIR) in the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2012.

Divya Mittal completed her engineering degree from IIT Delhi and also went on to earn an MBA degree from IIM Bangalore. The IAS officer recounted her difficulty to focus during her preparation in a Twitter thread. She admitted that she was distracted while studying for all of the exams she passed.

“Check your phone usage and apps you spent time on every week. Many times you don’t even know how much time you are wasting on mobile apps,” Divya Mittal wrote.

She advised measuring mobile usage and finding time-consuming apps. Divya suggested adopting apps such as “Blackout” to prevent internet access for extended periods of time, allowing for focused study time free of digital distractions.

Divya Mittal further highlighted her own method of placing the alarm away from her, compelling her to wake up and start studying right away, emphasising the need of early morning study sessions. “Early morning study is the best these days especially as it has lesser distractions,” she added.

The IAS official recommended short, concentrated study sessions of 90 to 120 minutes, followed by a 15-minute break, to improve attention. This strategy was found to be successful in maintaining peak attention levels, Divya said.

She also advocated Tratak, a unique meditation practice that includes concentrating one’s gaze on one object, such as a candle flame or a pencil, to improve focus. The IAS officer suggested using Binaural beats, 40 Hz sound vibrations available from platforms such as YouTube, to boost concentration and shorten the time it takes to attain a concentrated state.

Recognising the need for a good body-mind balance, She emphasised the value of frequent exercise, preferably outside.

Divya Mittal highlighted the need of nutrition during hard study times. She stressed on how healthy nutrition not only improves focus but also reduces the need for continual nibbling, boosting better concentration.

Divya Mittal concluded her post by stating that, while her suggestions may appear basic, persistent application can make a significant difference in reaching academic goals and beyond.

This year, the UPSC CSE Mains exam is scheduled to be held on September 15.