Each year, the UPSC Civil Services results flicker to life on computer screens, lighting up thousands of homes across India. The headlines celebrate toppers, rank-holders, and statistics. But beneath those numbers lie human stories — of relentless perseverance, quiet courage, and sacrifices that rarely make the cut.
These are not just tales of academic excellence. They are emotional blueprints of ambition stitched together with midnight oil, parental sacrifice, and the raw grit of individuals who dared to dream against the odds. Here are seven stories from UPSC 2024 that didn’t just move us — they reminded us that behind every roll number is a revolution of hope.
1. Shakti Dubey, AIR 1: A Daughter’s Discipline, A Policeman’s Pride
In the historic lanes of Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, a quiet house burst into celebration. At its heart was Shakti Dubey, the young woman who clinched All India Rank 1. But ask her father, Devendra Kumar Dubey, a police officer, and he’ll tell you it was simply a matter of providing the right support. “The rest,” he says humbly, “was her hard work and God’s grace.”
Shakti’s success wasn’t born overnight. It grew in a home anchored by discipline, sacrifice, and an unwavering motherly presence. Her journey turned a badge and baton into symbols of silent strength — a reminder that behind every achiever stands a family that never stops believing.
2. Iqbal Ahmed, AIR 998: From Tyre Punctures to Civil Services
In the small village of Nandaur, Uttar Pradesh, Iqbal Ahmed’s name is now uttered with pride and awe. The son of a bicycle puncture repairman who had to shut shop due to illness, Iqbal’s path was anything but paved.
He studied by lantern light, rose through local institutions, joined the UPPSC, and then—on his next attempt—cracked the UPSC. Grit was his currency; perseverance, his passport. In a world that often equates success with privilege, Iqbal’s story rides on sheer resolve.
3. Malavika G Nair, AIR 45: A Mother’s Sixth Attempt and a Newborn’s First Lesson
Malavika G. Nair of Kerala has long been determined — an IRS officer since 2020. But in 2024, she rewrote what resilience looks like.
Seventeen days after giving birth, she walked into the UPSC mains exam hall. “It was strenuous,” she admits. With her husband in IPS training, her parents and sister rallied behind her, even accompanying her and the newborn to the exam centre.
It was her sixth and final attempt. And this time, with her child in tow, she passed — proving that motherhood is not a pause button, but a power surge.
4. Harshita Goyal, AIR 2: After Loss, Purpose Became Her North Star
Harshita Goyal’s journey began in Rajasthan but was shaped in Gujarat, after losing her mother to cancer. Her father, seeking a better life, moved the family. Harshita, a Chartered Accountant, already had a stable future — but something bigger called her.
“I wanted to do something for society,” she says. Her father, her guiding light, encouraged her to aim higher. “She has shown that daughters are second to none,” he beamed. And Harshita, in her quiet, steady way, rose — not just to the second rank, but to a life of service.
5. Manu Garg, AIR 91: The Boy Who Lost His Sight but Not His Vision
Manu Garg from Jaipur didn’t just prepare for UPSC — he did so without his eyesight. He lost his vision in Class 9. His father left. Friends drifted. But his mother stayed. She became his reader, his scribe, his support.
Without learning Braille, Manu completed his studies at Hindu College and JNU, using assistive tech and sheer will. On his second UPSC attempt, he cracked it. In every way that matters, he never lost sight of his goal.
6. Preethi AC, AIR 263: Cooking Up Dreams Without Coaching
In Mandya, Karnataka, Preethi AC dialled her father, a part-time cook who never attended school. “You did it,” he whispered, breaking into joyous tears.
Preethi’s path was forged in the halls of government schools, through a BSc in Agriculture and an MSc from BHU. She chose Anthropology as her optional and said no to expensive coaching — choosing instead the steady, disciplined route of self-study.
“It was my father’s dream,” she says. And through her, it found wings.
7. Beerappa Doni, AIR 551: From Shepherd’s Son to Civil Servant
Nanavadi village in Karnataka had just another day — until Beerappa Doni’s phone rang. The boy who herded sheep to fund his education had cracked UPSC with AIR 551.
A BTech graduate, Beerappa worked for India Post and dreamt of wearing a uniform like his brother in the Army. “Our villagers say he’ll become a senior police officer. I know he’ll be happy,” his father says. From the fields of Maharashtra to the corridors of power, Beerappa’s journey bleeds determination.
A Nation of Dreamers
These stories are more than just tales of success. They are testaments to a larger truth — that India’s future is not just built in elite coaching centres or urban towers, but in village homes, on worn-out benches, in mothers’ quiet prayers and fathers’ midnight shifts.
UPSC 2024 has once again shown us that resilience wears many faces: a police officer’s daughter, a blind scholar, a new mother, a shepherd’s son.
So, the next time you read a UPSC rank list, remember: the real rankings are measured in courage. And India, it seems, has no shortage of toppers.