‘School gave me confidence early on’

Apeejay School, Charkhi Dadri alumna Deeksha Chawla cleared the Indian Statistical Service exam in her fourth attempt. She now heads a regional office of the National Statistical Service in Gujarat. 

In this interview, she looks back at how her school years quietly built the confidence that carried her through four years of exams and interviews.

Read edited excerpts:

What are some of your fondest memories of your time at the school?

One memory that stays with me is preparing for the annual functions. Those days of rehearsals and getting ready for the stage were some of the most memorable parts of my time at school.

If you had to describe your school life in three words, what would they be?

Confidence, exposure and growth. Those are the three things school gave me that I carried forward into everything I did afterward.

What did you enjoy most about being a student here?

I enjoyed the platform the school gave me to practice and put myself out there. Whether it was through events, activities or preparing for the annual functions. It wasn’t just about academics; it was about getting comfortable being seen and heard.

How would you describe the teachers who taught you, and how has their contribution played out in your professional journey?

The teachers were very helpful, and I’m still in touch with a few of them to this day. Looking back, I think the confidence that a service like mine demands — especially for something like the UPSC interview — cannot be built overnight. School gave me that confidence early on. It gave me a platform where I could practice, and it helped me work through the stage fear I used to have. That stayed with me and helped me a lot when it came to the actual interview.

Apart from academics, what important lessons did the school teach you?

The biggest lesson was around confidence and overcoming stage fear. School gave me the space to practice being in front of people, and that mattered far more in the long run than I realised at the time.

It gave me a full-time platform to practice and grow — through school events and activities like the annual function preparations. That kind of regular exposure isn’t something you can build in a short period of time, and school gave me that time.

In what ways do you think the school shaped the person you are today?

At school, I wasn’t part of any student-led leadership opportunities. I wasn’t a house captain or anything like that, and there were many students academically better than me.

The overall exposure the school gave me stayed with me. When I went on to college for my graduation, I found myself getting those chances — I became part of my department’s student union and served as vice president for a year. I think the foundation from school helped me grow into that, and it built my confidence step by step.

Where are you working currently, and what is your job role?

I’m currently posted as Assistant Director in the Indian Statistical Service — this is my first posting, based in Surendranagar, Gujarat, where I head the regional office. Our office’s role is to collect field data for the various surveys conducted by the Government of India. For instance, the monthly employment and inflation figures, along with several other surveys conducted annually or on subjects that change from year to year. My responsibility is to ensure that the data going out from my office is of good quality.

Getting here wasn’t quick — after completing my graduation in Mathematics and a master’s in Statistics from the Central University of Haryana, it took me four attempts and four years to clear the exam. I couldn’t clear the written exam in my first two attempts, and in my third, I cleared the written but didn’t score well enough in the interview. It was only in my fourth attempt that I finally made it through. My advice to anyone attempting something similar: if you’re trying hard and in the right direction, don’t give up thinking you won’t make it — you will.