Aditya Srivastava, UPSC AIR 1 and IIT Kanpur grad, had failed his first prelims. His journey

Aditya Srivastava has secured AIR 1 in the UPSC examination. (Image: @saintkishore/X)

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced the results for the Civil Services mains examination 2023 today, with Aditya Srivastava from Lucknow clinching the coveted All India Rank 1.

Appearing for a third time, Srivastava did not follow traditional methods to finally make it to the top.

Srivastava left behind the comforts of a high-paying job at an MNC in Bengaluru in 2020 to prepare for the civil services examination. He appeared in 2021 and in 2022, in his second attempt, secured AIR 236. Since he did not make the cut for IAS, he appeared again, and this time topped the examination.

Srivastava’s path to success was not without its challenges.

A former employee at Goldman Sachs, one of the world's leading investment banks, and an IIT Kanpur graduate, Srivastava failed his first prelims.

Speaking about his experiences, he admitted to facing numerous setbacks along the way. "I would say that there is a lot to be learned in this journey," he shared in an interview with Indian Masterminds after his second successful attempt. "Some mistakes also happened, like when I got failed in my first prelims, life taught a lesson. Leaving job for preparation was really a tough decision for me.”

Born and raised in Lucknow, Srivastava completed his schooling at CMS Lucknow, and then pursued his engineering, graduating from IIT Kanpur in 2019 with a degree in electrical engineering.

Following his graduation, Srivastava ventured into the corporate world, joining Goldman Sachs in Bengaluru, where he worked for 15 months before making the decision to pursue his dream of civil services. Returning to Lucknow, he devoted himself entirely to his preparation, eschewing traditional coaching methods in favour of a personalised approach focused on rigorous self-study and practice. He would only take test series and mock interviews.

Central to his strategy was a meticulous analysis of previous years' question papers and a thorough understanding of the exam syllabus. “In my first attempt I was collecting information only. I did not analyse PYQ’S that how UPSC designs the statement to test one’s analytical skills. How UPSC mixes wrong statements with correct ones to confuse candidates and how one should analyse that? I was doing more hard work rather than smart work. This is what I learnt from first attempt.”

His UPSC interview in 2022 was a blend of personal interests and current affairs. From discussions on evolutionary theories to unexpected inquiries about the existence of ghosts, Srivastava answered the questions, even if surprising, with ease.

He had an advice for future aspirants too. "Following your nose every time is not good. Take suggestions from seniors and expert. Do smart work than hard work. Consider PYQ’S your God in this preparation. Make your strategy according to that and analyse your syllabus well.”

His father is an assistant audit officer in the CAG and his mother is a homemaker.

A total of 1016 candidates have received recommendations for appointment, with the UPSC releasing the roll numbers of the qualified candidates. However, the candidature of 355 recommended candidates remains provisional pending further verification.

Animesh Pradhan and Donuru Ananya Reddy secured the second and third ranks respectively, UPSC said.

Conducted in subjective mode over two shifts from September 15 to September 24, the CSE main exam spanned for three hours in each shift and commenced in the morning at 9 am and resumed in the afternoon at 2 pm.

The successful candidates are set to fill crucial positions in various government services, including the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Foreign Service, Indian Police Service, and Central Services Group A and Group B.

Aspirants wanting to check their standings can access the merit list on the official UPSC website – upsc.gov.in.