Get Inspired

The civil services exam is perhaps the toughest competitive exam in the country. The competition is intense since out of about 5 lakh candidates who take up the IAS exam every year, only a few hundred make the cut in the end.

Apart from that, the UPSC syllabus is very vast and contains almost every topic under the sun! All this makes clearing the UPSC exam a daunting affair. Because of this, the candidates who manage to clear this exam are given a high place in society.

IAS toppers achieve instant fame when the results are announced and everyone is keen to hear their stories.

The ‘Get Inspired’ section of this website offers a sneak peak into the struggles and background stories of UPSC toppers, some of which are truly heart-wrenching and motivating.

In this section, you can read some amazing IAS success stories and get all the inspiration you need before you take up the UPSC exam challenge.

Civil services toppers come from diverse backgrounds and from various parts of our country. They truly represent the phrase, ‘from Kashmir to Kanyakumari’. While some of them come from privileged families, others come from poor and remote areas of India.

That the UPSC exam is a level-playing field and anyone who makes the right kind of IAS preparation can achieve success in this exam is only proved by the very eclectic backgrounds and situations of the IAS toppers.

Take the case of Ummul Kher, who cleared the exam in 2016; she battled unimaginable odds to reach this position – bone disorder, parents who disowned her, etc.

Or the case of 2014 topper Ira Singhal, who despite being physically challenged, strove on and worked hard to bag the first rank, which is a record for the PH category.

Read more such truly impressive UPSC success stories under this category.