An IAS, a fine youth icon and a lady of iron will, Ms. Ira Singhal needs no introduction. She is an inspiring story for millions of people in the county. The All India Rank 1 in Civil Services Examination 2014 has markedly made her way to people’s hearts and achieved more than any of us even can imagine in a single lifetime, even after her 62% locomotor disability.
Carrying a will of steel, Ira is currently posted as the SDM of Saket, Delhi government. A Computer Engineering graduate from NSIT, Delhi and an MBA in marketing and finance from Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi. She has interned with Coca-Cola and Cadbury in past.
Ms. Singhal shared few stories from her corporate days in an interaction with our team at TEDxNSIT. Through these stories, we intend to give you an exposure to the life of Ms. Ira Singhal away from her role as an IAS. In this following piece,
‘you will be exposed to a human who believes in not giving any excuses and strive for perfection despite all odds’.
As an Area Sales Officer with Cadbury India, Ira was posted in Mumbai for three months in June, July, and August. The monsoon during these months is at peak and manhole ‘management’ by the authorities is world renowned. Before this, the maximum rainfall she witnessed was the downpour in Delhi which hardly stretched to hours.
In her words, “If you have lived in Delhi, you cannot imagine these rains in Bombay. Delhi me moosladhaar baarish bhi aadhe ghante ke liye padti hai. Yahan? It rained for three days! It is I-N-S-A-N-E“.
Now, as a part of a project one day, she was supposed to go to the King Circle, a low-lying slum area of the city, to sell the chocolates. The salesman accompanying Ira was reluctant of her joining him since he feared that madam may float in the water which accumulated as high as the height of a person.
Followed by a light laugh, Ira mentioned, “My salesman was very worried that madam float ho kar chali jaengi!“
Scared of the consequences, he urged Ms. Singhal to not to come. But what happened next is a sheer display of sincerity by this Indian Administrative Officer. She joined her salesman, completed her assignment in the same rain—only to return home drenched in Mumbai’s monsoon water with a new set of experiences.
No matter what happens in your day or which adversity stops your flow—you need to come out and must finish the task. That’s the way to success.
The 30-year old also shared some tips for the aspirants who are looking for an insight from her. Here are some tips from Ira Singhal;
- Always focus on what you should study on a particular day, rather than, the number of hours.
- Actively engage yourself in debates and discussions with peers and faculties to polish your analytical abilities.
- If you need help, do join a coaching center for an effective guidance and a strategy but, I would recommend self-study and effective note making over everything else.
- Study the same topics from various sources to further retain it, and broaden your perspective on the same topic.
- NCERTs are must, the basicity of NCERTs are unmatchable. Revising them multiple times is one the best tips I could give to anyone.
- Do not be too acute about your preparation, have several hobbies and most importantly, consistently, enjoy your life, every day.
What’s your view on Ira Singhal’s outlook on life? Your comments are our oxygen, do let us know what you think.
Contributed by: Stories Worth Sharing
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