UPSC 2024: Daughters leading the charge – Harshita Goyal's AIR 2 and her father's heartfelt pride

Hisar, April 22 (IANS) The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has announced the final results of the Civil Services Examination 2024. This year, Shakti Dubey from Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj secured the top position with an outstanding performance, while Harshita Goyal from Hisar got the second rank, proving their exceptional talents on a national level.

A total of 1,056 candidates have cleared the examination, and the stories of those who achieved top ranks are serving as a great source of inspiration for many.

Harshita Goyal, who secured the second position, has brought pride not just to her family but to the entire nation by elevating the status of daughters everywhere. Coming from a middle-class family in Hisar, Haryana, Harshita’s remarkable achievement moved her father, Govind Goyal, to tears.

Speaking with IANS, Govind Goyal on Tuesday said, “Today is an extremely special day for us. Harshita has always been interested in studies since childhood and worked very hard to achieve her goal. She has proven that daughters are no less than anyone. We are so proud of her. In today’s times, daughters are equal to sons in every way. By securing the second rank in the UPSC exam, she has made the family proud. We always believed she would succeed, and today she has reached a great milestone. I congratulate her wholeheartedly. She prepared with full dedication, and today the result is in front of everyone.”

Similarly, Dr Ankita, a bright young woman from Mahendragarh, secured the 337th rank in the 2024 UPSC Civil Services Examination, bringing glory to both her district and state. Ankita achieved this success without any formal coaching, and in her second attempt. Her success has sparked a wave of joy across the region.

A resident of Satnali Mod in Mahendragarh and originally from Dhanasri village in Charkhi Dadri district, Dr Ankita has always been academically gifted. Coming from a family that values education, her father, Vijender Sheoran, is a retired District Education Officer, while her mother, Kamlesh Sheoran, is a teacher. Ankita credited her success to her family’s unwavering support and her own hard work. She emphasised that with dedication, determination, and proper time management, it is indeed possible to clear even a challenging exam like UPSC without coaching.

Purva Agrawal from Raipur, Chhattisgarh, created a new milestone by securing the 65th rank in her third attempt. With this remarkable achievement, she has realised her dream of becoming an IAS officer. In her previous attempt, she was selected for the Indian Police Service (IPS), but her true aspiration had always been to join the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).

In a special interview with IANS, Purva expressed her joy, saying, “I’m feeling really great today. Becoming an IAS officer has been my dream since childhood. I was happy to be selected for IPS in my second attempt, as it is also a prestigious way to serve the nation, but I wanted to pursue my true dream. So I made one more attempt and secured the 65th rank, fulfilling my journey towards becoming a District Collector.”

Purva shared her preparation strategy, noting that she never set a fixed number of study hours. She explained, “I always studied according to the exam requirements. As the exam approached, I increased my efforts. When there was time, I allowed myself to relax a bit, too.” She attributed her success to the support of her family, especially her sister and father, who motivated her at every step. “Their support was my biggest strength. It helped me face every challenge.”

Now, she is fully focused on her training and is determined to give it her best. “I want to learn all the essential skills during training. Wherever I’m posted, I will serve with full honesty and dedication,” she concluded.