'I failed so many times', Uma Harithi ranks 3rd in UPSC in her 5th attempt

Third ranker in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Uma Harathi N has become an inspiration for people preparing for one of the toughest exams to crack. The engineering graduate from Telangana cleared her civil services exam in the 5th attempt with flying colours.

For the aspirants she had only one mantra to share, “It’s okay to fail. I failed so many times. Just be proud of yourself.”

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Hailing from Nalgonda district of Telangana, Uma is daughter of Superintendent of Police of Narayanpet, N Venkateshwarlu. A graduate (B Tech) in Civil Engineering from IIT, Hyderabad, she stood third in the rank with anthropology as her optional subject. She had first selected geography as the subject but later changed into anthropology.

She is among the women who have attained the top four positions.

Speaking to NDTV, she said "This was my fifth attempt. This has been a long process and it was not easy. But it was a great journey. I learnt from my mistakes and discovered myself.”

Uma advised students who think of killing themselves over failure in exams not to get demotivated. "Take motivation from wherever you get. If my story is of any help, use it. I have been studying for the last five years. I have seen many failures in the process. My parents believed in me and I continued my studies, which is my duty and I saw the result."

In terms of preparation, Harathi urged aspirants to read as much as needed and practice a lot as it is a competitive exam. She also suggested that they come up with their own strategy and most importantly stick with it.

“Without sincerity and discipline, you can't crack UPSC no matter how intelligent you are,” she said.

The police officer's daughter also revealed that she did not expect the third rank. "I was hoping to get some rank but did not expect the third rank," she said.

(With agency inputs)