Daughter of a retired colonel, IFS Apala Mishra secured AIR-9 to become one of the youngest bureaucrats the country has ever produced. Her life journey is nothing short of an inspiration for those who want to achieve something big in life.
Born in 1997 in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, IFS Apala Mishra is the daughter of a retired colonel. She attended the Army College and did her BDS after which she obtained a degree in dentistry. However, UPSC was her calling, so she left the field of medical and put her life in the preparation for civil services exam.
She always wanted to do something for the society and hence decided to join the civil services. However, it wasn’t an easy journey for Apala. Her first attempt went terribly wrong with Apala not even clearing her Prelims exams. She gave her first attempt in 2018, but couldn’t even clear the Prelims.
She targeted for the second time in 2019 and was shattered after she could not make it once again. Despite studying for hours together, she could not make it again. This led her to depression. She gained a lot of weight due to her depression. However, instead of giving up, she analyzed her mistakes and improved her preparation strategy.
She put in more effort and decided to give her 3rd attempt in 2020. Her hard work and consistency finally paid off and Apala cracked the UPSC exam with All India Rank (AIR-9). However, instead of choosing to become an IAS officer, she chose to become an IFS officer.
When asked about tips for aspiring candidates, Apala revealed that throughout her UPSC preparation, she dedicated 7 to 8 hours daily to her studies. Her inspiring journey reminds us that we should never give up on our dreams, no matter whatever obstacle comes our way.