With eight students from Nagpur’s Pre-IAS training centre cracking Union Public Service Commission’s examination, the centre succeeded in maintaining its good record. Of the 8 candidates, two are from outside Vidarbha while six are from the region. Rutuja Gaikwad, who secured 106 rank, is from Sangamner and Rajashree Deshmukh (754) hails from Nashik. Prajwal Nasare (677) is from Wardha, Bhagyashri Naikele (647); Chetan Thakre, who secured 762 rank; Pranali Meshram (767) and Suresh Borkar (912) are from Nagpur. Hemkrushna Pisade comes from a small village Chichewada in Gondia district.

 

The track record of the centre is constantly improving since Dr Pramod Lakhe took charge of the centre. Long ago, very few candidates from Maharashtra used to crack exams like UPSC. A committee under the chairmanship of Anil Bongirwar was constituted to find out the reasons as to why the students are failing to make it to the UPSC and recommend the ways to increase the number. His committee had given the valuable suggestions after which the per centage of students from Maharashtra increased. The then Higher and Technical Education Minister Dilip Walse Patil took special efforts in developing Nagpur’s pre-IAS centre. He had instructed the then Collector of Nagpur Pravin Darade. Walse Patil initiated the hostel to accommodate 100 girls.

 

 

 

City’s Bhagyashree Naikele has cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination for the second time, this time securing an upgraded rank of 647, a significant improvement from her previous rank of 737. What makes her achievement particularly remarkable is the adversity she overcame to get here. The daughter of an electrician and a homemaker from Nagpur, Bhagyashree faced severe financial constraints during her preparation. Unable to afford test series or coaching institutes, she relied entirely on self-study over three to four years to crack one of India’s toughest competitive examinations. Interestingly, it was her father who first ignited the spark. After seeing a civil services officer at a railway station, he returned home and encouraged his daughter to pursue the UPSC. She expects to be allotted to the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) Customs cadre following her improved performance this year. When asked what advice she would offer to aspirants, she said simply: “Whatever the circumstances, if you are willing, you can do it. Circumstances can never bar you from anything.” 

 

 

Prajwal Nasare, a native of Wardha, has secured rank 677 in the Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination, marking a significant milestone for the young aspirant and his family. “My parents still live in Wardha, and I come from a farming background. I did face difficulties initially because there was no one in my family from a civil services background who I could look to for guidance. I think that is where a lot of students lose out as well,” he said. Prajwal completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). He followed a disciplined study routine, devoting six to seven hours daily to preparation, which increased to around ten hours as the examinations approached. “Dedication and focus were extremely important during this period,” he said. Prajwal’s path was not without setbacks. He could not clear the examination in his first attempt. In the following year, he reached the interview stage but was not selected after. “Those were discouraging moments, but support from my parents and friends helped him stay motivated and continue my preparation.” Prajwal did not use any elaborate resources while preparing. He had joined a couple of online classes and rarely looked at YouTube videos for preperation, but he did lay special emphasis on Previous Year Questions (PYQs) “If you solve PYQs regularly, follow newspapers religiously, and make notes, that itself creates a strong base,” he said. For aspirants preparing for the examination, Prajwal stresses the importance of clarity of purpose. “Know your ‘why’. If your reason is strong enough, you will find a way to achieve it,” he says. 

 

 

Pranjali Meshram, daughter of Pravin Meshram, a retired ZP teacher and Mangala Meshram, a non-teaching staff, realised her dreams by achieving AIR 767 rank in the results of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Exams declared on Friday. The 23-year-old graduate from Hislop College cracked arguably one of the toughest exams in the country in just her second attempt. Instead of studying for long hours, Pranjali stressed on focussed studies that gave her results. “Instead of studying for long hours, I prioritised studying with full focus for 5 to 6 hours. I did not have a rigid study plan but one with focus,” said Pranjali while speaking with The Hitavada. Her plan also differed from many other aspirants in a sense that she first completed her studies for Mains rounds of the exams before focussing on preliminary exams. Pranjali got inspired to become a public servant as she was very good with public speaking and also because of dreams of her parents. She completed her education from St Xavier High School, and LAD College before joining a coaching institute in Law college square for preperation of UPSC exams. Currently, she is working with Union Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi. She credited her success to her family for always believing and supporting her journey that culminated in her success in UPSC exams.

 

 

Hailing from a humble agricultural background, Hemkrushna Premlal Pisade draws his work ethic from his father, a dedicated farmer who raised his family in the rural hinterlands of Gondia. This deep-rooted connection to the soil has provided him with a unique perspective on rural administration and the persistence required to overcome systemic challenges. The journey to the civil services is often a marathon of endurance, a fact personified by Hemkrushna Pisade. A resident of Chichewada in the Deori taluka of Gondia district, Pisade recently secured the 849th rank in his sixth UPSC CSE attempt, a triumph that comes after years of balancing rigorous study with professional responsibilities. Pisade’s academic foundation was laid at Fergusson College, Pune, but his pursuit of the civil services began in earnest in 2020. His career has been a steady ascent through the administrative ranks; he previously served as a Labour Officer (Group B) before qualifying as a Tehsildar. Currently undergoing his six-month training period of Tehsildar which began in April 2025, he is set to take charge at Dhamangaon Railway in Amravati in two months. The road was not without hurdles. In 2023, Pisade faced the heartbreak of missing the final selection by a mere eight marks. However, his second interview experience this time was markedly different. Over a 30-minute session, the panel grilled him on his job profile as a Labour Officer, current administrative challenges, and the geographical complexities of his native Naxalite-affected region.