Meet IFS Ishita Bhatia, who failed several competitive exams, later cracked UPSC with AIR...

One of the hardest exams in India is the UPSC Civil Service Exam, which frequently takes multiple tries to pass. Only a select handful pass this three-round exam and go on to become IAS, IPS, IFS, and other positions, despite millions of hopefuls devoting their lives to their studies.

Those who passed the UPSC Mains 2023 exam are eager for the interview and frequently draw inspiration from those who performed well in prior years. Ishita Bhatia's story, which began with failures in several competitive exams and ended with her realising her dream of becoming an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, is a moving example of resiliency, willpower, and the ability for setbacks to transform.

Who is Ishita Bhatia?

Ishita, a Himachal Pradesh native, started her academic career in 2015 at the National Institute of Technology and completed her studies there to earn a degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE). Her aspirations, nevertheless, went beyond the limitations of circuits and algorithms.

Ishita's goals aligned with those of the Indian Forest Service since she had a strong spiritual connection and a strong connection to nature. Ishita had a technical background, but her early years in Delhi, when she attended one of the elite schools in the capital and many of her classmates were the children of bureaucrats, inspired her to seek a job in the forest service.

Her early exposure to environmental issues and the natural world prepared her for her future pursuits. Recently, Ishita talked about her hardships and emphasised the value of tenacity in an interview with Indian Masterminds.

Her original intention was to become an officer in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), but while undergoing her training with the Indian Forest Service, she felt a strong attachment to the organisation and realised that this was her true calling.

Numerous setbacks on competitive exams, such as RBI grade B 2020, UPSC CAPF 2020, UPSC CDS 2020, ECGC PO 2021, Intelligence Bureau 2021, AAI ATC 2021, HPPSC pre-2021, and CAT 2021, hampered the route to success.

With every disappointment, Ishita had a chance to examine herself and wonder if fate had something else in store for her. Missing the cut in the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2021 by a little one mark was an extremely difficult time.

Ishita and her family went through emotional isolation for a month as a result of this setback. But rather than give up, she used her strength to start getting ready for the IFS Mains in the last two months by selecting two new optional courses and consequently, securing AIR 104.