How to prepare for UPSC civil services By Ansar Shaikh IAS

Ansar Shaikh a village boy from Jalna’s Shelgaon is son of an autorickshaw driver studied on his own to find his name in the merit list of Civil Services Exam conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and achieved it by attaining All India Rank 361 in his first attempt. Ansar Shaikh when landed in Pune three years ago to prepare for the Civil Services Examination faced lot of hardship and social discrimination. “While hunting for a PG accommodations and mess I faced a lot of hardship, my friends who were Hindus got rooms but I was refused the moment I uttered my name and doors to all PG were slammed shut. So the next time, I was forced to change name to ‘Shubham’, which was actually my friend’s name to secure a roof over my head. Now I don’t have to hide my real name,” says Ansar Shaikh, remarking that this social rejection was “mortifying”. “It will be my mission to promote religious equality. Having myself been a victim of discrimination, I will strive to ensure that Hindu-Muslim unity transcends tokenism,” says an earnest Ansar Shaikh. An