UPSC CSE-2025: Self-study, discipline key to success for achievers from UP

Six candidates trained under the UP government’s Departmental Residential Coaching and Chief Minister’s Abhyudaya Coaching schemes came up with flying colours.

Consistent study, perseverance and patience helped several candidates from Uttar Pradesh secure success in the Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination (UPSC CSE-2025), the results of which were declared on Friday. Many of the successful candidates said their key strategy was disciplined self-study rather than extensive coaching.

Astha Jain from Shamli secured 9th rank in her third attempt. (Sourced)

Astha Jain, 24, from Shamli, secured 9th rank in her third attempt. She had earlier secured 131st rank in 2023 and joined the Indian Police Service (IPS). “I took a year’s leave from my posting to prepare again. In 2024 I secured 186th rank, and this time I achieved my dream of becoming an IAS officer,” she said.

Jain completed her schooling in Shamli and graduated in arts from Miranda College, Delhi University. “My success mantra was studying consistently for five to six hours daily and spending minimal time on mobile phones,” she added. She is currently undergoing training in Hyderabad.

Shambhavi Tiwari, 25, from Tindwari in Banda district, secured 46th rank in her third attempt. She had earlier secured 445th rank in 2024 and joined the Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS). “I was not satisfied and decided to try again,” she said, crediting her parents for the achievement. Her father is a history lecturer in an Inter college and her mother Nivedita Tiwari is a professor at a degree college in Haldwani.

Vimal Kumar, 25, from Chandemau village in Rae Bareli district, secured 107th rank. He studied at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Rae Bareli and later completed BTech in mechanical engineering from IIT-Delhi. “I started preparing for UPSC in 2021 after graduation. This was my fifth attempt,” he said.

Vimal, whose father is a farmer, said growing up in a village helped him understand grassroots realities. “I used to devote eight to ten hours daily to self-study,” he added.

Another successful candidate, Vanaj Vidyan, 25, studied in Bareilly and earned a gold medal in BA-LLB from Dr Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University in Lucknow before completing LLM from Delhi University. He secured 278th rank.

“I cleared the prelims in 2023 but could not clear them in 2024. This year I succeeded,” he said. Vidyan, who briefly practised in the Supreme Court, said he studied for around seven hours daily. “It was the dream of my father, a government official, who could not clear UPSC himself,” he added.

Piyush Kapoor, 32, a software engineer with Google for the past decade, secured 402nd rank. Kapoor completed his schooling in Lucknow and engineering in Varanasi.

“Working in the corporate sector made me realise that my skills could be used for serving society. My father, a retired State Bank of India officer, and my mother played an important role,” said Kapoor, who studied for about two hours daily on weekdays and up to 13-14 hours on weekends.

Adarsh Pandey from Aliganj in Lucknow secured 347th rank. Originally from Sangrampur in Amethi district, he had earlier cleared the CSE-2024 and is currently undergoing training in the Indian Postal Service. Pandey said disciplined self-study and a structured preparation plan helped him succeed.

Six from UP’s coaching schemes shine

Six candidates trained under the UP government’s Departmental Residential Coaching and Chief Minister’s Abhyudaya Coaching schemes also came up with flying colours.

Two candidates were trained at the social welfare department’s residential coaching institute at Bhagidari Bhawan in Gomti Nagar, while four faced for mock interviews under the Abhyudaya scheme. Deputy director of social welfare department Anand Kumar Singh Anand Kumar Singh said Vimal Kumar secured 107th rank and Vipin Dev Yadav 316th. Among those who took mock interviews, Mansi secured 444th rank, Mahesh Jaiswal 590th, Aditi Singh 859th and Tanisha Singh 930th. Minister of state for social welfare (independent charge) Asim Arun congratulated all the selected candidates.