India Untold
Many people consider a job as just a means to earn money. However, some listen to their hearts and turn their passion into a career.
Apala Mishra is one such individual who left a successful medical career to prepare for the UPSC and achieved an All India Rank of 9.
Apala Mishra hails from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, and belongs to an army family. Her father, Colonel Amitabh Mishra, and brother, Major Abhishek Mishra, serve in the army.
Her mother, Dr. Alpana Mishra, is a Hindi professor at DU. The family environment has always been focused on education and national service, inspiring Apala towards social service.
Apala completed her 10th grade in Dehradun and 12th in Rohini, Delhi. She then pursued BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) and became a dentist.
Despite being a dentist, she felt she could contribute more to the nation, and this marked the beginning of her IAS journey.
Apala started preparing for UPSC in 2018 but couldn't clear the prelims in her first two attempts (2018 and 2019). Yet, she didn't give up.
Initially, she joined coaching but later focused on self-study. She started studying 7-8 hours daily, created her own strategy, and rectified her mistakes.
In her third attempt in 2020, she cracked the UPSC Civil Services Exam and secured AIR 9. Notably, her interview score (215/275) was the highest in the last 5 years.
However, she chose to represent the country by joining the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) instead of IAS.
She proved that with true dedication and hard work in the right direction, no dream is unattainable. Apala Mishra is a role model for millions of girls today.