Daijiworld Media Network - Balaghat
Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh), Feb 26: When she was in Ccass 8, a young girl in Balaghat sat watching television as district collector B Chandrasekharan appeared on a local channel. For many, it was just another news segment. For Farkhanda Qureshi, it was a turning point. In that moment, a dream quietly took root — she would one day become a civil servant.
Years later, that dream has turned into reality.
Farkhanda Qureshi, a determined young woman from the small town of Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh, has secured an impressive 67th rank in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2024. She will soon begin her training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Dehradun, stepping into the journey she once only imagined.
“I had decided that one day I would become a collector and work for society,” she recalls — a promise she made to herself as a schoolgirl.
Her success did not come easily. Farkhanda began preparing for the UPSC in 2021. The road was marked by setbacks and disappointments. Yet, she chose persistence over defeat. It was her fourth attempt that finally brought her success.
Through every failure, her parents stood firmly beside her. “My parents never let me break down. They kept telling me that I would succeed one day. Without their support, I might have given up after my first or second attempt,” she shared with media persons.
Farkhanda’s preparation strategy challenges common myths about the UPSC. She believes that marathon study sessions are not the key. “Studying 18 hours a day is not necessary. What matters is consistency and the right strategy,” she says. She dedicated 6 to 8 focused hours daily, ensuring that she studied every single day. Previous years’ question papers, standard reference books, newspapers, and current affairs formed the backbone of her preparation.
An alumna of St Mary’s School for her 10th standard and Methodist Mission for her 12th, Farkhanda believes that coming from a small town was never a disadvantage. “Balaghat has never been my weakness. If young people here get the right guidance and resources, they too can achieve national success,” she asserts.
She calls her father, Abdul Malik Qureshi, a lawyer, and her mother, Nikhat Anjum Qureshi, a homemaker, her true heroes. Their faith in her, she says, is the foundation of her achievement.
Farkhanda Qureshi’s journey is more than a rank on a list. It is a reminder that dreams born in small towns can reach the highest corridors of power — with courage, consistency, and unwavering support.