Lucknow: Along with her job, Harshita prepared for the competitive examination of UPPSC and secured sixth rank in her very first attempt. It was not an easy task, but Harshita made it happen with her dedication and perseverance. Harshita employed a study strategy that worked for her advantage. 

Who is Harshita Singh?

Harshita is a resident of Gomtinagar. She completed her schooling from Loreto Convent School, Lucknow. She holds BA and LLB degrees from National Law University. Irrespective of what Harshita set her mind to, she stood out in everything. She was a top student in her university and received 8 gold medals and has 68 merit certificates. 

Harshita’s mother, Neelam is a homemaker and a social worker. She receives immense support from her mother. Harshita’s father, Vinod Bhakuni was a senior scientist at CSIR; in 2006, he was honoured with the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award by the then Prime Minister. He passed away a few years ago. 

She has a brother, Abhyudaya, who is a software engineer and works in the USA. 

Job offer

Post the completion of her LLB degree, Harshita got an offer from one of the biggest law firms of Delhi. She was offered an annual package of Rs 27 lakh, which she gladly accepted. While doing her job, she faced the limitations it came with. She had studied law to be of help to the common people, but working for a private law firm restricted her from doing what she wanted. 

Harshita shares that she was earning more than 2 lakhs a month, but she was uneasy at heart all the time. She could not study the ground reality by sitting in her air-conditioned office; this is not what she had worked hard for. 

Then, she decided to appear for the Judiciary exams. She gave the exams for MP Judiciary in February and secured 27th rank in it. But being a resident of Lucknow, she wished to acquire a judiciary post in UP. Therefore, she appeared for UPPSC-J exam and cleared it in her first attempt. 

UPPSC interview questions

Question- What would you do as a magistrate if my land is illegally occupied, and I come to you seeking justice?

Harshita gave the following answer:

Studying the case thoroughly and keeping the facts in mind, I will give relief of injunction under the Code of Civil Procedure. One needs to give justice to the victim by indicting the perpetrator with appropriate charges. 

Harshita shares that the interviewers appreciated and praised her for her answer. The rest of the questions were related to law.

The decision to appear for UPPSC-J

Harshita prepared for all the competitive examinations while she was doing her distressful job at the law firm. She was contemplating and was uncertain about the results of the exams and feared what might happen if she fails to clear the examinations. 

But she remained firm in her determination. She wanted to spread awareness about the legal rights, to help people facing injustice. Her primary motive was to be in the service of oppressed sections of the society. 

Study strategy

Harshita was very clear about her strategies from the beginning. She did not want to enrol in coaching centres and so she developed her own study strategy. She says that she devoted 8 to 10 hours of her day to her studies. She could not afford to make any compromises with her limited time. 

She would work at her job and come back home to continue studying. She did one hour of writing practice daily as those type of questions carry significant weight in the exams. Studying the current affairs is most important for clearing the exams.

Harshita was able to achieve her dreams because of the support she received from her mother. Amidst the quiet environment at home and with the encouragement from her mother, Harshita could secure 6th rank in the exams.