UPSC CSE 2024: Manu Garg’s determination is demonstrated by his journey from visual impairment in Class 8th to passing the UPSC CSE. Find out how he navigated the UPSC without sight.
Though it can be a devastating setback, Manu Garg used his loss of vision as a launching pad for growth. At the age of 23, he accomplished a noteworthy life milestone by passing the highly sought-after UPSC Civil Services Examination 2024 and earning an exceptional All India Rank (AIR) of 91.
The fact that he never studied Braille makes his achievement all the more remarkable. His success was largely due to his ability to use technology effectively, his perseverance, and the unwavering support of his single mother.
“I was relieved. “It was more than happiness, it was a sense of liberation — that I wouldn’t have to sit for the Prelims again,” Garg says, recalling the moment he saw his name on the list. “With this rank and my category, I knew I would get the post I wanted.”
From a setback to civil service UPSC
Garg’s desire to join the public service was not his only motivation. When I lost my vision in Class 8 due to a rare genetic condition, I was going through a period of both physical and mental change. But thanks to the encouragement I got from my friends, teachers, and society, I never felt uncomfortable. That inspired me to seek a career that would enable me to contribute,” he says
Garg began his UPSC journey while attending Delhi University’s Hindu College virtually during the COVID-19 lockdown. He claims, “I had the time and space to comprehend the test and begin preparing seriously during that phase.”
In 2023, he passed the preliminary round on his first attempt but lost in the mains. After realizing that UPSC Mains has a different format and that he needs to modify his approach accordingly, he finally succeeded in 2024. He also heeded the advice of Civilsdaily to get ready for the interview.
“She searched everywhere.”
Garg has consistently received support from his mother, Vandana Jain, who is a homemaker and single mother. “She read all of my notes, textbooks, everything — out loud to me so I could prepare,” he recalls.
“This achievement is not just mine. It’s my mother’s, too. My story is her story too.“
As soon as he was accepted to Hindu College, she went to Delhi with him. She made every effort to assist me in achieving my goal. If I can repay even ten percent of what Mom has done for me, I’ll consider my life a success,” Garg says.
Moving around in the dark
Garg acknowledges the support he received following his diagnosis from St. Xavier’s School in Jaipur, where he completed his education. Despite his reservations, he chose Computer Science over Economics in Class 11 and went on to earn a perfect score in the subject on his Class 12 board exams. He attended Hindu College before continuing his doctoral studies in international relations at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
If Manu hadn’t passed the UPSC, what would have been his backup plan? Garg claims that since he is presently enrolled in a PhD program and passed the UGC-NET with a 99.1 percentile, he would have chosen academia.
Life at JNU and DU UPSC
According to Garg, despite the cultural differences between DU and JNU, both institutions assist and incorporate people with impairments in similar ways. He emphasizes that although there are still some issues and inadequacies, neither institution discriminates. He notes, for example, that neither university has enough ramps for those with impairments.
According to Garg, JNU in particular places a high priority on offering scholarships and library services to students with disabilities, as well as dormitory accommodations. He says that while he was getting ready for the UPSC, he frequently went to the B R Ambedkar Library at JNU. He says the library helped him pay for his education by giving him access to online courses.
Preparation and the UPSC interview
In order to bridge the gap, Garg turned to technology. Making the most of the tools available to him, he used screen readers, audio PDFs, and other digital tools to transform obstacles into opportunities.
But one of the hardest things about the exam process was finding a trustworthy scribe. He acknowledges, “It’s more difficult than studying for the test itself.” “Fortunately, some friends came forward, and I am thankful for that.”
Even though he passed the preliminary exam on both of his attempts, he still views it as the most challenging part of the UPSC exam. According to him, the questions are very difficult and have unclear answers; even a small misinterpretation could result in a failing grade. The CSAT presented the biggest obstacle for him, particularly the mathematics portion. Garg turned to his maternal uncle, a doctor, for assistance in comprehending important mathematical concepts and topics as the level of difficulty increased in recent years.
Answer writing is essential for the UPSC Mains, but Garg’s visual impairment made it more difficult. Once more, his mother was very important in this situation; he would read out his responses while she noted them, pointing out errors and offering corrections. Additionally, he collaborated closely with mentors who evaluated his practice questions and provided helpful criticism to help him improve his strategy.
Since preparing for the UPSC is a difficult process, he turned to podcasts, comedy shows, and audiobooks in PDF format whenever he was feeling down.
Garg had some emotional difficulties during the exam process. He remembers being profoundly impacted by the news last year that three UPSC candidates had perished in basement flooding of the library of a tutoring center in New Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar. It made me tremble. I attempted to write a social media post. However, I had to make an appearance for the Mains, so it was a pivotal time. I came to see that in order to alter the system, I had to be a part of it rather than only criticizing it from the outside.
He remembers the date of his January 27 personality test. He was questioned about Donald Trump’s policies and their effects in a board chaired by Sheel Vardhan Singh, a former officer in the Indian Police Service (IPS). At the time, Trump’s remarks about purchasing Greenland made headlines. Singh questioned Garg about his experience in international relations and whether he would become India’s foreign secretary what advice would he give to the government about buying a territory, if it could.
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