Meet IAS Saloni Sidana, doctor who cracked UPSC in first attempt in one year, bagged AIR...

With the UPSC ranking among the toughest examinations in India, applicants from all fields and sectors register for it. Every year, thousands of candidates apply for exams in hopes of passing them, ranging from engineers to doctors. Saloni Sidana, who is currently employed as the district collector of Mandla, Madhya Pradesh, never intended to become an IAS officer.

She graduated with her MBBS from Delhi's Lady Hardinge Medical College in 2012, making her a doctor. Saloni was given the chance to go overseas for further education before getting ready for the UPSC CSE (Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Exam). She did, however, decide to remain in India.

When talking about why she wants to work as a civil servant, she states, "I still value the occupation of a doctor. Working with people is a shared responsibility between civil servants and doctors. Being a doctor let me interact directly with people, which is something you can continue to do when you join the public service, unlike a lot of other occupations where you work at a desk."

"Additionally, UPSC enables you to increase the scope of your knowledge. I would not have studied geography, civics, or economics if I had only been a doctor. I learned a great deal about my nation during the preparation process," the 35-year-old says, adding that she chose to focus on law instead of medicine as an optional subject, The Better India reported.

Saloni's pursuit of knowledge enabled her to pass the UPSC exam on her first try. Having prepared for a year, she managed to secure an All India Rank of 74. Saloni was originally assigned to the Andhra Pradesh cadre. She married IAS Ashish Vashishta, and then she became a member of the Madhya Pradesh cadre. Saloni reported to work two days after paying a 500 rupee court fee to get married.

UPSC preparation tips from IAS Saloni Sidana

Saloni claims that her consistency was what allowed her to pass the exam on her first try. "I would spend about six to eight hours a day preparing. I never took a day off," she said. "I only had five months to show up for preliminary exams. I would isolate myself in a library," she continues. Saloni claims that in the month before taking the test, she relocated to her home, which is her comfort zone.