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.

The Indian Police Service is a job like none other. An IPS Officer is mainly accountable for keeping law and order as well as to deal with...
Sreedhanya Suresh, a young woman of 26 from Kerala's district, Wayanad (one of the backward districts of the state.) Sreedhanya secured an all...
“The civil services allows you to use your knowledge and learning to do something for the nation, to give back to society. So I worked hard for...
Many candidates take the UPSC civil services exam in one of the many Indian languages. The UPSC allows candidates to take up the exam in one of...
The UPSC civil services results bring to the fore many inspiring stories of people who strive hard with dedication and determination and strike...
The UPSC 2017 results have given a lot of inspirational stories for UPSC aspirants to take a cue from and renew their own IAS preparation for the...
The UPSC civil services results bring to light many inspiring stories of success which confirm to the world that hard work coupled with a dogged...
“The journey was not easy for me.” Anudeep Durishetty, an IRS officer hailing from Telangana failed three times in his pursuit of the...
Imagine having to take anti-depressants and attend anger management sessions to deal with a personal crisis while preparing for the IAS Exams....
The UPSC Civil Services Exam is considered one of the toughest exams in India and a lot of candidates put their heart and soul into the...
Botany as an optional subject for the UPSC civil services is not highly popular unlike subjects like geography, public administration or...
There have been many success stories written after the 2016 UPSC civil services results were out, but UPSC topper Suruchi Chaudhary’s is a tad...
K Vijay Kumar IPS became a household name in 2004 when the Special Task Force led by him killed the dreaded brigand Veerappan in a carefully...
Abhimanyu Gahlaut cleared the 2015 UPSC civil services exam with an amazing rank of 38. He is the topper in the Indian Foreign Services. What...
Gaurav Singh Sogarwal’s IAS success story is inspirational. Read on for the IAS success story of Gaurav Singh Sogarwal – IAS success stories...
Komal Ganatra cleared the UPSC civil services exam in the year 2012 and secured an all-India rank of 591. However, Komal’s is not any ordinary...
Seema Pujani secured a commendable all-India rank of 37 in the 2014 UPSC civil services exam. She chose the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) over...
“This is a service, not a job.” – Shashank Jaiswal, IPS Shashank Jaiswal cleared the UPSC civil services exam in 2013 and got selected for the...
Agra native Vaishali Sharma is one of the 1209 candidates who cleared the 2016 UPSC civil services and became the IAS Topper. But what makes her...
“Stay focused on your goal and do not get deviated.” – Rahul Sharma, AIR 76, CSE 2016 Rahul Sharma, a 26-year-old engineer from Punjab cleared...