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Profile Snapshot

Meghna Chakravorty, AIR 79 (UPSC CSE 2024)

  • Rank: AIR 79, Civil Services Examination 2024
  • Service: IAS
  • Interview Score: 215/275 (Second highest in the country)
  • Attempt: Second Attempt
  • Education: B.A. (Hons) History — St. Stephen’s College, Delhi;
    M.A. Politics & International Relations — JNU;
    Schooling: Modern High School, Kolkata
  • Hobbies: Reading, Painting, Debate
  • Interview Mocks: Educrat IAS Academy

The Journey of Comeback: From CSAT Setback to AIR 79

Meghna’s journey is a powerful example of learning from failure and returning stronger.
1
First Attempt – The Setback
She could not clear Prelims in her first attempt, missing the CSAT cutoff by just 3 marks. Instead of feeling defeated, she used this as a diagnostic moment to understand her weak areas.
2
The Strategy Overhaul
She shifted to a pattern-based preparation approach, focusing on:
  • Deep analysis of the UPSC syllabus
  • Thorough practice of PYQs (Previous Year Questions)
  • Understanding the trend and demand of the exam rather than just covering content
  • Special focus on CSAT.
3
The Second Attempt – Total Turnaround
In her second attempt, she cleared all three stages of the exam with strong performance, especially in the Personality Test, where she scored 215 marks — the second-highest interview score in India, just one mark below the highest (216).

The Winning Strategy : Clear, Analytical & Revision-Focused

Core Philosophy: Meghna’s UPSC Mantra

Minimum Sources, Maximum Revision

She avoided resource overload and focused on revising core material multiple times.

Syllabus-Centric Preparation

Every topic was studied with direct linkage to the UPSC syllabus.

PYQ-Driven Understanding

Previous year questions helped her decode how UPSC frames and expects answers.

Continuous Self-Improvement

After every mock and test, she actively worked on improving weak areas.

Mock Practice for Real Exam Temperament

Regular mocks from Educrat IAS Academy helped her refine structure, confidence and analyse DAF with analytical depth.

UPSC Topper Meghna Chakraborty

Stage-wise Action Plan

Prelims

  • Strong focus on CSAT after first-attempt setback
  • Repeated revision of static subjects
  • PYQ-based concept building
  • Regular mock tests with post-test analysis

Mains

  • Analytical and multidimensional answer writing
  • Linking theory (History, IR, Polity) with current affairs
  • Structured answers with clarity and relevance
  • Strong command over syllabus themes

Interview (Personality Test)

  • Honest and clear articulation of views
  • Balanced opinions in debates and issues
  • Use of academic background (History + IR) in answers
  • Result: 215/275 — among the top interview scores in the country.

Interview Experience Highlights

The board tested her personality depth, academic grounding, and awareness.

International Relations & Politics

Questions linked to her JNU background and global issues

History & Society

Analytical perspective from her History degree

Opinion-Based & Situational Questions

Debate skills and clarity of thought stood out

DAF-Based Questions

Hobbies like reading, painting, and debate shaped engaging discussions

UPSC Topper Meghna Chakraborty

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