Despite being advised against making the switch by peers who cautioned that such a change could be inadvisable after committing four years to Geography in his UPSC CSE preparation, Ajay felt the need for a change due to consistently low scores in the subject. He scored between 200 and 230 out of 500 in Geography, struggling with its vast syllabus and the unpredictability of the questions.

Ajay’s realisation that he was not able to score well in Geography, despite considerable effort and time invested, prompted him to consider switching his optional to Anthropology, a decision that ultimately proved to be beneficial.

It was the year 2023, and Ajay found himself standing at a crossroads in his UPSC journey. Four attempts behind him, yet success had eluded him so far. As he prepared for his fifth attempt, a persistent dilemma clouded his thoughts: “Should I change my optional subject?”

For the longest time, Geography had been his chosen path. Many found success with it, but for Ajay, it was a struggle.

“Despite my best efforts, Geography seemed like a distant land I couldn’t conquer. Every attempt in the UPSC mains ended with the same result, setbacks and a nagging sense that I was missing something essential,” he recalls.

For more than a year, Ajay wrestled with this decision. “Doubts gnawed at me, and peers discouraged any thoughts of switching my optional subject at the last moment. After all, I spent four years preparing it and changing........

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