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Don't treat mental health as a taboo. Be responsible as a society.

Hi, my name is Mini Shukla, and I have secured a rank of 96 in UPSC CSE 2021. People think that toppers do not struggle academically and have a very smooth journey throughout their preparation

Don't treat mental health as a taboo. Be responsible as a society.

Hi, my name is Mini Shukla, and I have secured a rank of 96 in UPSC CSE 2021. People think that toppers do not struggle academically and have a very smooth journey throughout their preparation. But that is not true. Academically, I struggled a lot with history. It was a matter of luck and chance that I went through. From the beginning, I was never good at history or geography. Even general studies are also my weak point. So, I never thought of taking it as an optional subject. 

During my CSE preparation journey, my friends helped me a lot to cover my syllabus. My friends motivated me emotionally and also academically. In terms of essays also, I struggled a lot. As we all know, every individual has different views on different topics, so the student should understand all the aspects.

What were some of the major hurdles faced by you in the course of your preparation?

I suffered a lot from mental instability two months before the prelims examination, which turned out to be the lowest point of my life. In my opinion, the mental stability of an individual is very crucial. As a result, I would like to say that staying stable and happy is very important for all the candidates going through the exam preparation process. I was fortunate enough to have friends to overcome the situation.

What advice would you give to peers who are struggling with mental health?

Mental health is something that society doesn't take seriously despite seeing such a large number of suicides taking place. Suicide is a very extreme step, but many people are on the verge of losing their sanity at all times. My only advice to parents and society is that if someone doesn't get success in clearing the examination, don't demotivate them. Always be willing to listen to your children. In terms of mental health, it can be temporary at one time and can also be systemic. Hence, society, especially parents, should be worried about the mental health issues of their children and give them some space.

As a civil servant, what will you do in that aspect? 

What I believe is that violence inside or outside homes is the major reason for the mental health issues of an individual candidate that can stem from childhood trauma, etc., that can lead them to become criminals at some point in time. In terms of any service, I think that generating awareness is crucial. Violence inside homes is a systemic problem that nobody talks about. We need to take this problem into consideration on a very serious scale. A child being exposed to violence at home may develop a criminal mindset. In this situation, we, as a society, need to take some responsibility. 

How does KSG help me in my preparation? 

I was not very good at public speaking, and I am a very reserved kind of person. In that situation, the KSG mock interview helped me a lot. 

Nobody knows which type of question will be asked in the UPSC, it could be your background, thoughts, etc., so the questionnaire given by KSG gives the right direction for preparation. 

And the most amazing morale-boosting thing that was much needed for me at that time was Khan sir's motivational message the day before the interview. It helped me a lot and calmed my nervousness.