How Childhood Inspiration Led Subhankar Bala To Crack UPSC On His Second Attempt

Subhankar Bala grew up in Jhargram, West Bengal, a region that, during his school years, was deeply impacted by Maoist unrest. He still vividly remembers seeing a Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) visiting remote villages, engaging directly with the locals, and working tirelessly to restore peace and bring development to the troubled area.

At the time, Subhankar didn't know much about the civil services or the UPSC exam. However, that powerful image of one officer making a visible and meaningful difference in the lives of people stayed with him for years. It planted a quiet but strong seed in his mind, the belief that one dedicated individual could truly change the course of a community's future. This early experience eventually inspired him to pursue a career in public service and make a positive impact himself.

From Circuits to Civil Services

After school, Subhankar pursued engineering at NIT Warangal and later joined Texas Instruments in Bengaluru as a chip designer. His professional life was on track, but the thought of contributing to public service never really left him.

In 2018, he began preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Examination alongside his job. Without joining any coaching institute, he relied on standard books and online lectures. Studying for a few hours each evening, he cleared the prelims in his first attempt - a clear sign that his approach had potential.

Learning From Failure

However, the main exam told a different story. His performance, especially in the optional subject (Electrical Engineering), pulled his overall score down. In an interview, he said 

“I realised I had underestimated the importance of the optional paper. It carries a lot of weight, and I didn't give it enough time,” 

Determined to do better, Subhankar resigned from his job in 2019 and shifted to Delhi for full-time preparation. He focused deeply on concept clarity, revised thoroughly, and joined a test series for answer writing - something he had skipped earlier.

A post shared by Subhankar Bala (@subhankar_bala_ias)

Success Through Discipline

By early 2020, his marks in the optional subject had improved significantly - going from 170 to 290 - a jump that helped him secure All India Rank 79 in the UPSC exam.

“I learned to slow down and study smarter. I gave each subject the time it deserved,” he says.

Now a 2021-batch IAS officer, Subhankar is posted as the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) in Domkal, Murshidabad. His days are spent listening to citizens, solving local issues, and coordinating development work - far from the engineering lab, but much closer to the purpose he once envisioned.

Looking back, he simply says,“It feels good to be doing something that matters - to be useful.”

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