Clearing NEET after Class 12 had put Mansi Sonawane on a familiar path towards medicine. With a medical seat within reach, she could have gone on to pursue an MBBS degree and a career as a doctor. Instead, the Aurangabad, Maharashtra, student chose to step away from medicine and prepare for the UPSC Civil Services Examination.The decision was influenced in part by her father, Narendra Sonawane, an accountant who had himself dreamt of becoming an IAS officer. His aspirations eventually inspired Mansi to consider civil services as her own career path. She opted for a BA instead of joining medical college and began preparing for the UPSC examination.
From a NEET-qualified student to a UPSC aspirant
Mansi’s decision meant giving up a medical career after clearing the entrance examination. She began her undergraduate studies while preparing for one of India’s most competitive examinations.Her initial UPSC attempts, however, did not produce the result she was looking for. The first attempt helped her understand the examination and its demands. Her second attempt also ended without success, with gaps in preparation and mistakes preventing her from clearing the examination.Instead of abandoning the plan, Mansi went back to her preparation.
Two failures changed her preparation
The setbacks gave Mansi an opportunity to examine what had gone wrong in her earlier attempts. She worked on understanding the examination more closely and identified areas where her preparation needed improvement.She then returned for a third attempt with a revised approach. This time, she cleared all three stages of the UPSC Civil Services Examination, including the Preliminary Examination, Mains and Personality Test.
AIR 627 in UPSC CSE 2021
Mansi secured All India Rank 627 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2021. Her rank led to her selection for the Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS).Her journey took her from a student who had cleared NEET and was considering medicine to a civil services aspirant who eventually secured a place in the central government services.The shift also meant that her career path changed completely. Instead of pursuing the profession she had initially planned after Class 12, Mansi chose civil services and stayed with the decision despite two unsuccessful attempts.
Mansi’s advice to UPSC aspirants
Looking back at her journey, Mansi has emphasised the importance of persistence and confidence for aspirants facing repeated setbacks.Her message to those struggling with the examination is simple: “Hang in there… it is important to have faith and confidence in oneself.”For Mansi, the route to civil services was not a straight one. It involved changing career plans after clearing NEET, choosing a different degree, learning from two unsuccessful UPSC attempts and returning for a third attempt before securing AIR 627.This article is based on publicly available information and statements attributed to Mansi Sonawane. TOI Education does not independently verify all claims or personal accounts mentioned above.
