Rejected by UPSC for disability, Ira Singhal topped Civil Services with AIR 1 four years later

Meet IAS Ira Singhal

For most, clearing the UPSC exam once is the achievement of a lifetime. For Ira Singhal, it was just the beginning of a long and determined fight, one she would win not once, but four times.

Ira's story is not just about cracking one of the world's toughest exams. It's about challenging the system, believing in herself when few others did and rewriting the rules of what is possible.

Ira grew up in Meerut, where curfews were sometimes imposed. Like many children, she would listen to the announcements on the radio and television. But unlike others, she wasn't frightened but inspired. She was captivated by the calm authority of the District Magistrate, the one person who could bring order to chaos. Right then, a dream took root, she wanted to be that leader.

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She was brilliant in her studies, completing engineering and later an MBA. But her journey was never straightforward. Born with scoliosis, a condition that curves the spine, she faced physical challenges and social prejudice every day. People told her what she couldn't do. But Ira always focused on what she could.

In 2010, after leaving a corporate job to prepare full-time, she cleared the UPSC exam and was selected for the Indian Revenue Service (IRS). But instead of an appointment letter, she received a rejection. The reason? Her disability.

Many would have broken. Ira decided to fight.

She took the government to court, arguing that her capabilities mattered more than her physical condition. The legal battle stretched for years. But Ira didn't wait. She kept writing the UPSC exam again and again. In 2011, she cleared it. Then again in 2012. And once more in 2013.

She had cleared UPSC four times, all while fighting for her rightful place.

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In 2014, the court ruled in her favour. Not only was she allowed to join the service, but she was also recognized for her extraordinary perseverance. That same year, she sat for the exam one more time and made history.

Ira Singhal topped the UPSC exam with All India Rank 1.

She didn't just become an IAS officer, she became the first woman with a disability to achieve the top rank, inspiring lakhs with her unbreakable spirit.

Her story is a powerful reminder that obstacles don't define you, but your response to them does. Ira didn't accept "no." She believed in her dream, fought for her right to serve, and today, she stands as a symbol of resilience and grace.