Journey of Kshitij Aditya Sharma: AIR 58 in UPSC CSE

In an in-depth conversation with Aditya Tiwari Sir, Kshitij Aditya Sharma — who secured an outstanding AIR 58 in UPSC CSE 2024 with Law Optional UPSC — shared his detailed preparation journey, strategies, mindset shifts, and advice for aspirants. He is graduate of NALSAR and After securing AIR 358 in his previous attempt, Kshitij worked on minor but powerful improvements that ultimately led to his remarkable success.

This conversation dives deep into every aspect of his journey — from Prelims, Mains, Law Optional preparation, to interview experience. His Law optional Copy can be downloaded from here

Aditya Tiwari Sir: Congratulations again, Kshitij! It's great to have you back. This time we’ll go into even more detail. We'll talk a little about Prelims, Mains, and especially your Law optional. So, first of all, when did you start thinking about UPSC, and how long was your entire journey?

Kshitij: Thank you so much, sir. Actually, from 2019 to 2021 Diwali, I was working at TriLegal in Mumbai. During COVID, a couple of things changed — primarily intrinsic motivation. I wanted more out of a job than just financial compensation. By New Year's, I had decided to start preparing, and I began in early 2022. 2022 was my first attempt, and this was my third.

Aditya Tiwari Sir: Did you clear Prelims all three times?

Kshitij: Yes sir, all three times.

Aditya Tiwari Sir: Coaching — any structured programs?

Kshitij: No sir, I didn’t take any regular classroom coaching. For Prelims, I didn't even take a test series — just open mocks. For Mains, I took a few test series, and for interviews, some guidance sessions.

Aditya Tiwari Sir: Coming to Law optional — how did you start your preparation? What were your primary sources?

Kshitij: For Constitutional Law, initially I picked up V.N. Shukla. But since I started late, the first time around, I was underprepared. I compiled PYQs topic-wise and made answer-based notes from them. V.N. Shukla was used only as a secondary reference, more like an encyclopedia.

For Administrative Law, I used D.D. Basu, and that was sufficient. For International Law, I used Shaw and S.K. Kapoor. In Paper II, for Crimes, I supplemented my college notes with Dukki. For Contracts, it was a mix — Avtar Singh, internet, Dukki. For Torts, almost entirely Dukki.

In CLD (Comparative Law & Development), because it is so dynamic, I banked more on topics where questions were repetitive, especially Environment Law's philosophy and principles.

Aditya Tiwari Sir: About Mains preparation — did you integrate GS2 and Law optional or keep them separate?

Kshitij: Due to time constraints, I heavily relied on Law optional for GS2, especially for polity. It overlapped well. Around 80% content was legalistic, and about 20% I kept generalistic to not make it look too dry.

Aditya Tiwari Sir: What about Prelims? Many students struggle with it despite being brilliant. How did you manage?

Kshitij: My focus was always on core book revision, not excessive mocks. About 35–40 questions always come from basics. If you master those, you can sail through. I gave around 10–12 mocks per attempt after the first attempt.

Aditya Tiwari Sir: That's impressive. A lot of people advise writing 30–40 mocks!

Kshitij: Yes sir, but I think more than mocks, it is about temperament and revising basic books deeply.

Aditya Tiwari Sir: Now on Law optional — many students wonder if judiciary vs UPSC is a choice they need to make. How did you choose?

Kshitij: I was clear I wanted a more diverse role, especially in policy formulation, which civil services provide. Judiciary is more about rote learning. Law optional preparation is enriching and enjoyable compared to judiciary exam prep.

Aditya Tiwari Sir: Your interview this year was with Suman Sharma ma’am. How did it go?

Kshitij: Yes sir. I had prepared current affairs, IRS-related, IAS motivation-type questions — but ma’am didn’t ask any of those. Instead, she asked about stale laws like the Electricity Amendment Bill and Telecom reforms from 2-3 years ago. I stumbled a bit because I had deleted those notes thinking they were outdated.

Later, other panelists asked questions on Constitution comparison (India-UK-US-China), child begging solutions, India’s foreign relations (Bangladesh focus), COVID-era work conflicts, etc. Questions were a bit out-of-the-box.

Aditya Tiwari Sir: In your last attempt, your interview score was 200. How do you think it went this time?

Kshitij: I am expecting a little lower because I said "I don't know" a few times. But overall, I regained momentum midway through.

Aditya Tiwari Sir: Now coming to your improvement — from Rank 358 to Rank 58 — what changed?

Kshitij: Honestly, sir, I gave my all last attempt too. This time, I focused on minor quality improvements: adding diagrams, better introductions, balancing essay writing. Last time my essay marks fell from 142 to 120 — so this time I worked hard there.

Aditya Tiwari Sir: Also, in Law papers — you mentioned you wrote both IPC and BNS references?

Kshitij: Yes sir, everywhere I wrote both IPC and BNS — because examiners themselves are still adjusting to the change.

Aditya Tiwari Sir: Students often ask whether Law optional is only for NLU grads. What’s your take?

Kshitij: I strongly disagree with that myth. UPSC Law papers are very factual and direct. They're not case law-heavy like NLU pedagogy. Even Tier 2 and Tier 3 college students, if well-prepared, have no disadvantage.

Aditya Tiwari Sir: One last thing — if a 4th/5th-year law student wants to start UPSC prep, what’s your advice?

Kshitij: It’s a very good idea. Fourth and fifth years can be lean periods — if utilized well, by compiling notes, PYQs, consolidating topics — they can finish 70–80% of Law optional by graduation itself.