A young woman from Darbhanga in Bihar has secured the 10th rank in the 70th BPSC examination without attending a single coaching class, relying entirely on self study to get there.
Factual questions dominated the paper
Priya says this year's BPSC exam leaned heavily on factual questions, most of them tied to issues that had been making headlines recently. She points out that in the Mains exam, previous years' questions, referred to as PYQs, play a major role in shaping preparation strategy. Keeping that in mind, she first went through the syllabus carefully and built a topic wise study plan around it. Reading current affairs every single day and turning them into notes became part of her routine, and she paid special attention to subjects like environment and women's empowerment whenever they showed up in the news, anticipating that questions could be drawn from exactly those areas.
Interview touched on the Sabarimala issue and women's rights
Priya recalls that her interview took place in a fairly relaxed atmosphere, with the board asking her what she planned to do once she took up the officer's post. Since her background is closely tied to social issues, the panel also asked her about the Sabarimala controversy and questions concerning women. She answered every question honestly, and the board listened closely to what she had to say.
Eight to ten hours of daily study, and a break from social media
Explaining what worked for her, Priya says she studied for eight to ten hours every day while staying completely away from social media during that period. Weekly mock tests formed a core part of her routine, helping her spot mistakes and correct them along the way. She notes that girls from villages and small towns often have limited resources, but what matters more is having the courage to push forward regardless. Her parents, she says, never pressured her to study and instead simply trusted her, and that trust turned out to be her biggest strength.
Priya's message to the daughters of Mithilanchal
Priya urges every daughter of Mithilanchal to believe in herself, arguing that coaching isn't what decides success, direction is. "The syllabus is your teacher, and discipline is your friend," she said. Her advice to aspirants is to pair factual knowledge with analytical thinking and to learn how to weave current affairs into their answers, because giving up was never an option.
Darbhanga's daughter has shown that destinations belong to those whose dreams carry real conviction. Her journey from self study to a rank of officer has become a matter of pride for the entire Mithila region today.
