UPSC topper Aditya Srivastava quit lucrative Goldman Sachs job in Bengaluru for civil services

Aditya Srivastava secured All India Rank 1 in the UPSC exam in his third attempt. (Image: @saintkishore/X)

Lucknow native Aditya Srivastava clinched the coveted All India Rank 1 in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services mains examination 2023, marking a remarkable journey from the corporate corridors of Goldman Sachs to the forefront of India's civil service.

A graduate from IIT Kanpur with a degree in electrical engineering, Srivastava embarked on his professional journey at one of the world's leading investment banks, Goldman Sachs, based in Bengaluru in 2019. However, his aspirations transcended corporate success as he harboured dreams of serving the nation through the civil services.

Just 15 months into the role, Srivastava quit the high-paying investment banking job and returned home to Lucknow to start preparing for UPSC.

He didn’t follow traditional coaching methods for his preparation and would only take mock tests and interviews from institutions. He relied heavily on previous years’ questions for his preparation. Despite having cleared IIT-JEE, a tough exam, a few years ago, setbacks came rushing in during his UPSC prep. He appeared for the preliminary stage in 2021 and failed and that, he said, taught him a lot.

His dedication bore fruit when he secured AIR 236 in his second attempt in 2022. As he didn’t make the cut for IAS, he decided to apply again the next year. And in 2023, he struck gold as he secured the coveted AIR 1.

Srivastava's strategy centered on a thorough analysis of previous years' question papers and a comprehensive understanding of the exam syllabus. Reflecting on his journey, he emphasized the importance of strategic preparation, distinguishing between hard work and smart work.

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.

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.