Animesh Pradhan (AIR - 2) - IAS Topper 2023

‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going.’ This quote aptly describes UPSC topper, Animesh Pradhan. Despite setbacks in his personal life, Pradhan achieved amazing success in the UPSC civil services 2023 exam. He has bagged the All India Rank 2 in CSE 2023. What’s more? Animesh Pradhan has topped the IAS exam in his very first attempt!

In this article, you can read all about the stellar success story of IAS topper Animesh Pradhan (AIR 2, CSE 2023) and get inspired to crack this exam. The UPSC announced the results of the UPSC 2023 on 16 April 2024. A total of 1016 candidates have been recommended for appointment to the Indian civil services.

Animesh Pradhan IAS Topper 2023 Background

Image source: www.hindustantimes.com

Hailing from Talcher, Odisha, Animesh Pradhan completed his B.Tech. in Computer Science from the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela. Pradhan was always an academically gifted student, securing 98.8% in Class XII. He was also the head boy of his school in 2016-17. But what makes Pradhan’s success special is that it was only in January 2024 that he lost his mother to cancer. He says, “My preparations for civil services were quite challenging for me, as my mother was going through cancer treatment. Though she wanted me to see crack UPSC, she is not there when I finally made it.” He had also lost his father, who was the principal of a college in Talcher, when he was in class XI. Despite losing both parents within a span of a few years, Animesh Pradhan remained focused on his goals and achieved them to make his parents proud.

Animesh Pradhan Exam Preparation

IAS Topper Animesh Pradhan started preparing for the CSE in 2022 and gave his first attempt in 2023. He studied for 6 – 7 hours every day. The 24-year-old is currently working with the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) refineries division in New Delhi. His hobbies include parliamentary debating, media advocacy, journalism and freestyle dancing.

Animesh Pradhan says his motivation is to work for people at the grassroots and change their lives. His advice to aspirants is to ponder over “why did they start” whenever they feel low. He urges aspirants to stay strong and keep their support system open.

IAS Topper Animesh Pradhan Details

Aspirants of UPSC 2024 can go through the following links for assistance in their preparation.