Latest news with #UPSCCivilServicesExamination
India.com
13 hours ago
- General
- India.com
Meet Aastha Singh, India's youngest female IAS officer, cracked UPSC exam in first attempt, secured AIR..., now posted at...
Aastha Singh is an inspiration for all students preparing for tough exams like UPSC. At just 21 years of age, she cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination, one of the most challenging exams in India. With this achievement, Aastha has earned a place among the youngest IAS officers in the country. Aastha secured All India Rank 61 in the UPSC exam. She is originally from Panchkula in Punjab, where she grew up. Her father, Brijesh Singh, works as the Quality Head in a pharmaceutical company. However, their roots trace back to Kushaha Kanaura village in Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh. Aastha was always good in studies right from her school days. She completed her schooling in her hometown and later decided to study Commerce. For higher education, she moved to Delhi, where she took admission in the prestigious Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) under Delhi University. There, she pursued her graduation in Economics (Honours). Aastha Singh's civil services preparation journey Aastha Singh shared in an interview that she decided to become a civil servant while she was still in college. She started preparing for it during her graduation itself. After finishing college, she appeared for the Haryana PCS exam, which is conducted by the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC). During an interview, Aastha said, she did not go for a foundation course because she had less than a year left till her first attempt to complete the entire sea of syllabus. 'I had a certain level of confidence that given I'm able to identify the right sources, I can finish the syllabus sooner than a full fledged course would allow. There began my UPSC CSE journey, full throttle,' she said. Aastha's dedication, clarity of goals, and disciplined preparation helped her crack the UPSC exam at such a young age. Her journey proves that with focus and hard work, success is possible even in the most competitive exams. Became a PCS officer first Aastha cleared the Haryana PCS exam in her very first attempt. She was selected as an Additional Excise and Taxation Officer in the Haryana Government. While working in this role, she continued her preparation for the UPSC Civil Services Examination. Strong performance in UPSC After clearing PCS, Aastha began her UPSC preparation without any coaching. She focused mainly on General Studies. She built her basics using NCERT books, and studied Polity from M. Laxmikanth's book, which is a popular choice among aspirants. In the UPSC exam, Aastha achieved an impressive All India Rank (AIR) of 61. She scored 795 marks in the written exams, and 200 marks in the interview, making her total score 995 marks. Because of her high rank, Aastha is expected to be allotted the IAS (Indian Administrative Service). Aastha is currently posted as Assistant Excise and Taxation Officer (AETO) in the Haryana Government.
News18
13 hours ago
- Health
- News18
From MBBS Dropout To IAS: Taruni Pandey's Journey To Crack UPSC With 6 Months Of Prep
Last Updated: Taruni Pandey, once aspiring to be a doctor, faced health issues and shifted to becoming an IAS officer. Despite challenges, she secured All India Rank 14 in UPSC CSE 2021. Ever since she was in the third grade, Taruni Pandey had dreamed of becoming a doctor. But destiny had other plans. From letting go of her childhood dream due to serious health issues to discovering a new purpose in becoming an IAS officer, Pandey's journey is nothing short of extraordinary. Born in Chittaranjan, a quiet town in West Bengal, Taruni always dreamed of becoming a doctor and even began studying for an MBBS degree, but due to health issues like dengue, typhoid, and cerebral malaria, she had to discontinue her studies midway. She then pursued her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in English Literature from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). The idea of a career in the civil service hadn't initially occurred to Pandey. The untimely death of her brother-in-law proved to be a pivotal moment. Accompanying her sister to various government offices, she came face to face with the inner workings of the system. These experiences stirred something in her. She was deeply inspired by the impact bureaucrats and politicians could make in people's lives. That was the moment Taruni discovered a new purpose, becoming a civil servant who could bring real change. She shifted her focus to the UPSC Civil Services Examination, one of the toughest and most prestigious exams in the country. She initially planned to appear for the UPSC prelims in 2020, but life threw another challenge her way. Just four days before the exam, she tested positive for COVID-19 and had to step back. But Taruni didn't lose hope. In 2021, at the age limit of 32 for general category candidates, she gave her final attempt with a fierce sense of purpose. With only four months to prepare, and without the help of any coaching institute, Taruni relied on a smart and focused strategy. She turned to online platforms like YouTube to prepare notes and revise topics, skipping bulky textbooks and choosing a more practical and time-saving method of learning. Her hard work paid off when she secured an All India Rank of 14 in the UPSC CSE 2021. Taruni Pandey's story is a powerful reminder that setbacks don't define your future your response to them does. With grit, smart planning, and the will to rise above difficulties, she turned a personal loss and a missed chance into an inspiring victory. First Published:
India.com
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
Meet This Co-Star Of Rajinikanth Who Never Got A Lead Role — His Son Cracked UPSC In 2nd Attempt To Become An IAS Officer
New Delhi: One of Rajinikanth's co-stars, who was never seen in a major role, now has a son serving the nation as an IAS officer. In this feature, we're talking about an actor who shared screen space with the Thalaiva but remained in supporting roles throughout his career. While many might assume that his son followed in his cinematic footsteps to become a superstar, he chose a completely different path, one of public service. He cracked one of the toughest exams in India: the UPSC Civil Services Examination. UPSC is conducted in three rigorous stages- Prelims, Mains, and Interview. Not only did he clear all three, but he also secured an All India Rank of 75. Who Is This Actor? We are talking about Tamil actor Chinni Jayanth, whose real name is Krishnamurthy Narayanan. He has appeared alongside Rajinikanth in popular films such as Raja Chinna Roja, Adhisaya Piravi, and Petta. Despite his extensive work, Chinni was never cast in lead roles. His son, however, made headlines not in cinema, but in civil service. Srutanjay Narayanan chose to stay away from the limelight and forge his own path. Srutanjay's Educational Journey Srutanjay completed his engineering degree before beginning his UPSC preparation in 2015. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Geographic Information Science and Cartography. Later, he pursued a Master's degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies from Ashoka University. His Professional Experience Unlike many UPSC aspirants who focus solely on academics, Srutanjay gained valuable work experience alongside his studies. He worked as a marketing intern at a startup, co-founded an event company called Ayamara Events, and served as a Project Manager at NASSCOM Foundation. He consistently studied 5–6 hours a day to stay on track. Srutanjay's UPSC Journey Srutanjay appeared for his first UPSC attempt in 2018, which did not result in success. However, he didn't give up. On his second attempt in 2019, he secured an impressive All India Rank (AIR) of 75. He initially worked as the Sub-Collector of Tiruppur district and is currently serving as the Sub-Collector of Villupuram district. This IAS officer's journey is a testament to the fact that failures and setbacks should not pull you down- but instead motivate you to push harder. From being the son of a supporting actor to achieving national service, Srutanjay Narayanan's story is one of perseverance, grit, and quiet determination.
India.com
3 days ago
- India.com
Meet IAS officer Vibhor Bhardwaj, used AI for preparation, cleared UPSC twice, his AIR was..., he is from...
IAS Vibhor Bhardwaj (File) UPSC Success Story: The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) is arguably one of the toughest recruitment exams in India, and aspirants use a wide range of methods to prepare for this formidable test. While some rely on coaching classes, others find self-study to be a more sturdy option. However, IAS Vibhor Bhardwaj, a young IAS officer from Uttar Pradesh, used a completely different approach to prepare for UPSC CSE, he made use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to enhance his subject knowledge, and prepare for the final interview. Who is IAS Vibhor Bhardwaj? Born in Uttarawali, a small village in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh, Vibhor Bhardwaj earned his MSc degree in Physics from the Hansraj College, Delhi University, and afterwards began preparations to clear the UPSC CSE and realize his lifelong dream of becoming a civil servant. Vibhor Bhardwaj chose Physics as his optional subject for the UPSC exam, and relied on online coaching classes and self-made notes to prepare for the tough recruitment test. His efficient preparation strategy enabled him to quickly prepare for UPSC CSE prelims, and cover the entire UPSC Mains syllabus with a span of just seven months. In an interview, Vibhor revealed that carefully studied previous UPSC CSE question papers, and used these as a guide to strategize his preparation. He also focused on daily news and current affairs, in addition to regular mock tests, which further sharpened his knowledge. How Vibhor Bhardwaj used AI to crack UPSC? Interestingly, a key part of Vibhor Bhardwaj's UPSC preparation was the use of AI tools like Google's Gemini, which he used for mock interviews. Vibhor revealed that these AI chatbots acted like teachers for him, helping him identify his strengths and weaknesses. The AI mock interviews faced him with a wide-range of questions, which sharpened and strengthened his preparation for the actual interview. IAS Vibhor Bhardwaj AIR Ultimately, Vibhor Bhardwaj's hard work and dedication paid off when he cracked the UPSC CSE in 2022 with an All India Rank of 743. However, this rank could not ensure him an IAS post, so he tried again in 2024; this time jumping 724 ranks to secure AIR 19 and achieve his dreaming of becoming an IAS officer.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
50% of Bengal's UPSC final candidates hail from government-run study centre
The West Bengal government-run Satyendra Nath Tagore Civil Services Study Centre (SNTCSSC) has helped multiple State students crack the top civil service exams in 2024. The candidates were felicitated by the study centre on Friday (May 30, 2025) after the lists were published in May 2025. 50% of the candidates who have cracked the UPSC Civil Services Examination from West Bengal hail from this centre. The government-run study centre candidates who have made it to the final list are Meghna Chakravorty, Sahars Kumar, Paramita Malakar, Rajdeep Ghosh, and Praveen Kumar. 'We are also happy to share that 54 students of SNTCSSC had cleared UPSC CSE 2024 Prelims. 17 candidates from SNTCSSC had appeared for the UPSC CSE 2024 Personality Test and ultimately 5 of them have made it to the final list of UPSC CSE 2024,' an official statement from the study centre said. Manoj Pant, IAS, Chief Secretary to the West Bengal government, was present at the felicitation ceremony to meet the candidates. SNTCSSC has tied up with nationally reputed institutes like Shubhra Ranjan IAS and Dhyeya IAS to offer general studies classes and comprehensive mock test series for both general studies and optional subjects. Previously, the centre had collaborated with top academies such as Khan Study Group (KSG) and Shankar IAS Academy (SIA).
