The upper age limit for general category candidates to take the UPSC exam is 32.
Taruni Pandey wanted to appear for the UPSC prelims in 2020, but she could not do so due to COVID-19 infection just four days before the exam.
Taruni Pandey, aged 32, was born and brought up in Chittaranjan, West Bengal, and completed her education in Jamtara, Jharkhand. She pursued Bachelor’s and Master’s in English Literature from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).
Since she was in the third grade, Taruni had nurtured a childhood dream of becoming a doctor. Her career ambition remained resolute throughout the years. Despite initially pursuing an MBBS degree, Taruni had to discontinue her studies in the second year due to health problems. However, she remained determined to explore other avenues and prepared for the UPSC civil services exam.
Following the demise of her brother-in-law, Taruni had to accompany her sister to various government offices where she engaged with several bureaucrats and politicians. It was during this period that Taruni found a new calling in her life. This experience inspired her and made her realise the transformative power an individual can have within the system.
Taruni Pandey wanted to appear for the UPSC prelims in 2020. However, her plans were disrupted when she contracted COVID-19 merely four days before the exam. Undeterred, she sat for the exam in 2021, fully aware that it would be her last attempt, as she was approaching the age limit for general category candidates.
The age limit for UPSC CSE for general category candidates is 32.
She achieved an impressive rank of 14 in the UPSC CSE exam in 2021. Taruni achieved this remarkable success in the UPSC without any coaching. Instead, she relied on self-prepared study materials and utilised online platforms such as YouTube for her exam preparation.
In spite of having only four months to prepare for her UPSC prelims, Taruni devised a smart strategy to crack the civil service exam. She watched YouTube videos to create her study notes instead of solely relying on textbooks.