MUSKAN SRIVASTAVA (AIR-98) UPSC Topper 2023 | Geography Optional Topper | Himanshu Sir | Pranjal Sir

Summary

Muskan Srivastava describes preparing for the UPSC while working at Microsoft and securing All India Rank 98 in her first attempt. She began preparing in 2022 and studied alongside her job before leaving it shortly before the prelims, once she felt ready to focus full-time.

Her central message is that success depends less on exceptional talent or extreme study hours than on a clear strategy, consistent execution, repeated revision, and focused practice. She recommends keeping preparation simple: choose suitable sources, learn from others’ experience, and resist the urge to keep expanding the syllabus or chasing every new resource.

Preparation Approach and Lessons

Choose an Optional Based on Fit

Muskan considered Geography and Mathematics, weighing their syllabi, her strengths, and their relevance to General Studies. She chose Geography because she enjoyed it and saw some overlap with GS.

Her advice is to assess interest and aptitude before committing. Don’t choose a subject only because it is perceived as popular or high-scoring. She also rejects the idea that Geography necessarily takes many years: focused preparation can make it manageable.

Use a Limited Set of Sources

She first reviewed the syllabus and previous toppers’ approaches, then made a list of Geography books and studied the subject independently. She advises learning from proven methods rather than trying to discover every part of the process alone.

For each topic, select a suitable source and revise it repeatedly instead of collecting excessive material. Her guiding principle was to prepare to clear the examination—not to become an expert on every subject.

Build Answer-Writing Practice Early

Before prelims, Muskan had practised roughly 300–400 GS answers. She compared her answers with toppers’ copies, paying attention to structure, examples, and the range of points covered. She also used practice questions and tests to reinforce what she had studied.

Manage Optional Classes Through Steady Weekly Work

Between prelims and mains, she followed Himanshu Sir’s Geography classes and tried to complete each week’s classes without letting them accumulate. On class days, she devoted substantial time to optional study and also worked on GS; on other days, she adjusted the balance.

She regularly revised the week’s material and completed about four revisions overall, alongside question practice. She cautions that missed work can become difficult to recover, so consistency matters.

Prioritize Continuity Over Extreme Hours

While employed, Muskan generally studied around four to five hours a day and added time on weekends. Before prelims, her study time rose to about nine hours daily. After prelims, she generally studied around 10–10.5 hours, occasionally up to 11.

She does not recommend routinely aiming for 16–18-hour days. A sustainable routine, she says, is more useful than occasional bursts of extreme effort. Her routine included morning sunlight and a walk, focused study periods with short breaks, a brief afternoon nap, some evening exercise or walking, and adequate sleep—around eight hours.

Treat Tests as Learning Tools

Test scores are not a definitive measure of eventual exam performance. Muskan says her results in tests did not always predict how she performed in the actual mains. Use tests to identify gaps and improve rather than becoming discouraged by marks.

Final-Stage Prelims Advice

• Give priority to static material and make sure to answer the straightforward questions you know.
• Avoid sacrificing static preparation by over-focusing on current affairs.
• Practise previous-year questions repeatedly; she recommends at least three or four rounds.
• Don’t let disappointing test scores alone determine your confidence or strategy.

Mindset

Muskan emphasizes execution and discipline over relying on intellect or presumed talent. She describes UPSC as an exam in which candidates from varied backgrounds can succeed.

Hard work should be paired with smart work: focus on a manageable body of material, revise it thoroughly, and practise applying it. She credits her family’s support and thanks her teacher for helping her strengthen her Geography preparation.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Muskan Srivastava — UPSC candidate who secured AIR 98 in her first attempt.
• Himanshu Sir — Geography teacher who interviews Muskan and discusses preparation strategy.
• An unnamed interviewer/co-host — Introduces the interview and participates in the discussion. The video title also names Pranjal Sir, but the subtitles do not clearly identify which speaker, if any, is Pranjal.