Patna youth leaves Barclays job, secures 11th rank in UPSC civil services exam

At 26, Yashaswi Raj Vardhan achieved 11th rank in UPSC exams, transitioning from a lead analyst role at Barclays to full-time civil services preparation.

Leaving behind a promising corporate career, Patna’s Yashaswi Raj Vardhan, 26, has cracked India’s prestigious civil services examination, securing the 11th rank in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025, the results of which were declared on Friday.

Vardhan completed his schooling till matriculation from Delhi Public School Patna, before moving to Modern School Delhi for his intermediate studies. (HT photo)

Vardhan, who earlier worked as a lead analyst and assistant vice president at Barclays, is the son of Rajnish Kumar Singh, currently serving as registrar of cooperative societies in Bihar, and Nilima Singh, a homemaker. He is the couple’s only child.

A computer science engineering graduate from Delhi College of Engineering (2021), Vardhan joined Barclays in Noida as a senior analyst soon after completing his degree. While working with the multinational bank, he made his first attempt at the civil services examination in 2024 but did not succeed.

“I realised that if I put in a little more effort, I could crack the civil services exams,” Vardhan said. He subsequently resigned from Barclays in September 2024 to prepare full time and made what he described as his “first serious attempt” at the examination last year, opting for public administration as his optional subject.

Unlike many aspirants, Vardhan relied largely on self-study. “I did self-study and attended some online sessions but took no formal coaching for civil services,” he said.

Vardhan completed his schooling till matriculation from Delhi Public School Patna, before moving to Modern School Delhi for his intermediate studies. He later pursued his engineering degree at Delhi College of Engineering.