UPSC Topper Without Coaching: Secured AIR 13 in first attempt but rejected IAS and IPS for this dream role...

UPSC Topper at 21 Without Coaching

In 2022, as thousands of UPSC aspirants awaited their results, a 21-year-old from Ayodhya was about to make history. Vidushi Singh had not only cleared one of the world's toughest exams in her very first attempt, securing an incredible All India Rank of 13, but she was about to make an even more remarkable choice.

When her result was declared, Vidushi had her pick of India's most prestigious services – she could have become an IAS or IPS officer. But she chose differently. She selected the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), a decision that reflected a young woman with her eyes set on the global stage.

What makes her achievement even more extraordinary is how she did it. At a time when coaching institutes have become almost synonymous with UPSC preparation, Vidushi proved that self-discipline and smart work can achieve the impossible. While studying Economics at Delhi University's prestigious Sri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), she began preparing for the civil services, balancing her college studies with her UPSC dreams.

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Born into a family where education was valued, her father an engineer and her mother a government school headmistress, Vidushi understood the importance of learning early. But it was her own clarity of purpose that set her apart. While still an undergraduate student, she mapped out her preparation strategy, choosing Economics as her optional subject – the same subject she was mastering in college.

Her success wasn't built in crowded coaching classrooms but in the quiet corners of libraries and her study room. With 855 marks in the written examination and 184 in the personality test, her total of 1039 marks stood as testimony to her comprehensive preparation and sharp intellect.

At just 21, Vidushi Singh not only became one of India's youngest women to clear the UPSC examination, but she also became an inspiration for every young person who dreams of representing India on the world stage. Her story teaches us three powerful lessons: that age is no barrier to achievement, that coaching isn't mandatory for success, and that sometimes, the most conventional path to success can be challenged by those with clear vision and extraordinary determination.