We have often read about success stories of UPSC aspirants who overcame various obstacles in life to achieve great feats. But how many of us know the stories of failure of innumerous aspirants who later go on to achieve more than they ever imagined. Often these stories of failure give us the biggest inspiration to think beyond the impossible.
Today we bring before you the story of Akand Sitra, an Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IITM) alumnus who has inspired thousands with his missed attempts to crack the Civil Services Exam (CSE). Not getting demoralised by missing the mark in UPSC exams by a thin margin, the 27-year-old managed to establish his career in the government services.
And how beautifully he sums up this failure story quoting his father, "An exam is just a qualifier, not a judge of your merit or the measure of your dreams." Today he is guiding and inspiring thousands of CSE aspirants in their path to serving the nation.
Akand Sitra's journey
Akand Sitra took the Civil Services Exam (CSE) in 2013, 2014, and 2015 but missed all three attempts by only a few marks.
Despite this failure, he ended up finding himself working with the Ministry of Home Affairs, only a couple of months later, in 2016.
After graduating with a BTech in Biotechnology from IIT-Madras, Akand found a place in a prominent software company in Bengaluru.
Not satisfied, he decided to apply for Civil Services Exam again and after a few months of preparation, managed to clear the prelims.
Akand managed to give the Mains successfully. While waiting for his results he started sharing his knowledge on the website Quora.
In April 2014, after the Civil Services Exam interview, the results arrived and Akand could not make the cut by just 10-15 marks.
Refusing to give up, Akand Sitra decided to give another attempt, while continuing his practice on the question-and-answer website.
Besides UPSC exams, in 2015, he sat for the Reserve Bank of India Exam and also took the test to join the Intelligence Bureau of India.
Once again, he cleared the UPSC Prelims and Mains as well as the RBI exam but saw failure again in the Civil Services Exam Interview.
He then cracked the Intelligence Bureau recruitment with flying colours and became an Assistant Central Intelligence Officer (ACIO).
He joined the Intelligence Bureau in May 2016 and was trained at the IB training centre, Shivpuri and National Intelligence Academy, Delhi.
He was then posted in Bihar for a few months, before giving independent posting in Bairgania, a small village on the Indo-Nepal border.
Known to be a sensitive Naxal area, the work experience there was challenging and enriching. He also served during the 2017 floods.
Akand Sitra later quit his IB job and joined the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad in April 2019, to pursue MBA.
