World · India Bureau
Three Sisters Balance Tea Stall with IAS Exam Preparation in Gorakhpur
Three sisters in Uttar Pradesh are pursuing their dream of joining the Indian Administrative Service while running a tea stall to support their family. After their father suffered a paralysis attack, the eldest sister started the business to make ends meet, with her younger siblings joining the effort.
LSN India ·

In Gorakhpur, three sisters have turned adversity into determination, juggling entrepreneurship with rigorous civil service exam preparation. The family's circumstances changed dramatically when their father suffered a paralysis attack, forcing the eldest sister, Vartika, to take charge of household finances. Rather than abandon their educational aspirations, she established a tea stall as a means to generate income while keeping study time available.
Both of Vartika's younger sisters have joined her in operating the stall, sharing the responsibility of managing the business during designated hours. The arrangement allows each sister to allocate remaining time to preparing for the Union Public Service Commission examination, the gateway examination for entry into India's elite civil services.
The trio shares a common ambition to become IAS officers, a goal that drives their daily routine of balancing commerce with academics. By managing the tea stall efficiently, they have carved out study schedules that permit them to pursue competitive exam preparation without abandoning their family's immediate financial needs. Their approach reflects a growing phenomenon among aspirants in smaller cities, where many combine part-time or entrepreneurial work with UPSC preparation due to financial constraints or family responsibilities.