Within the Indian civil services, Saumya Sharma is a role model. She overcame obstacles that would have discouraged many and succeeded in passing the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam on her first try. In 2018, she achieved an All India Rank (AIR) of 9, demonstrating her remarkable abilities.
Saumya is unique not only because of her amazing accomplishment but also because of the path she took to get there. She has been deaf since the age of 16, but she disregarded the odds and didn't let it stop her from achieving her goals. In the face of such hardship, a lot of candidates might give up, but Saumya's resolve held strong.
From an early age, Saumya demonstrated her academic prowess, which earned her a place at the esteemed National Law School. She made the decision to follow her dream of joining the civil service and helping the country in 2017. In spite of having just four months to prepare for the UPSC exam, Saumya threw herself wholeheartedly into her studies.
Even more impressive than Saumya's accomplishment is her choice to forgo using special accommodations meant for people with disabilities. By choosing to compete in the general category, she showed her dedication to the meritocracy system.
There were difficulties along her path to success. Fighting a serious illness throughout the main exam, Saumya would not give in. She showed incredible fortitude by going to the UPSC exam even though she was bedridden and had a high fever.
Saumya Sharma is currently an Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer in the Maharashtra cadre. Her current position as CEO of the Nagpur Zilla Parishad serves as even more evidence of her commitment to public service. In addition to her career achievements, she has a sizable social media following—she has over 250K Instagram followers.
The fact that Saumya is married to IPS officer Archit Chandak, who is the Deputy Commissioner of Police in Nagpur at the moment, lends even more context to her tale.
