Beyond the Rank List: How Two UPSC Aspirants Rewrote the Meaning of Success
Every year, over a million determined candidates across India pin their hopes on the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams — the formidable gateway to India’s most prestigious government services. For many, it’s more than just an exam; it’s a dream stitched together with years of discipline, sleepless nights, and unwavering hope.
Yet, for most, the dream ends with a result that doesn’t make the final list.
But what happens when Plan A fails? For Kajal Srivastava and Veda Gogineni, failure in UPSC wasn’t the end. It was the beginning of something even greater.
From Despair to Discipline: Kajal Srivastava’s Fight for a Second Chance at Life
On October 24, 2020, Kajal Srivastava found herself standing on the edge — emotionally and literally — after failing her sixth and final UPSC attempt. The pressure, the ridicule, and the relentless grind had taken their toll. “I was too tired to prove myself. I wanted peace instantly,” she says. That moment could’ve been her last, had it not been for her sister’s timely intervention.
But rock bottom gave Kajal the foundation to rise.
She soon discovered Kalaripayattu, an ancient Indian martial art that became her anchor. “Practising this art was healing the broken me. It was miraculous,” she recalls. What began as therapy turned into purpose. She launched the TAVASI Movement, using martial arts to help others process trauma. Over 2,000 people have found solace through her workshops.
Kajal didn’t stop there. She went on to found Swadesi Sports Wear, a brand rooted in Indian ethos, offering sustainable activewear inspired by indigenous practices.
“I am proud of myself and of the fact that I did not give up. I restarted my life, and today, I’m glad I didn’t clear the exam,” she says, with a smile that’s lived through storms.
From Bureaucrat Dreams to Business Brilliance: Veda Gogineni’s Journey of Reinvention
In 2015, Veda Gogineni walked away from a high-paying job at Deutsche Bank and a potential career in London. Her heart was set on the UPSC. What followed were years of intense preparation, a cramped 10-ft room in Delhi, and countless hours spent in libraries and coaching centres.
“I survived on savings. The living conditions were rough. I gave it everything I had,” she recalls. For over three years and four attempts, she chased the dream. One year, she missed the cutoff by just one mark.
“The cycle is brutal — prepare, fail, restart. It drains you,” she shares. When the mental toll began to outweigh the dream, her mother’s words nudged her towards healing.
That healing came in the form of entrepreneurship.
In 2020, Veda teamed up with her sister Sudha to launch Earthful, a plant-based wellness startup. What began as a passion project turned into a national success story when the duo landed a ₹75 lakh investment on Shark Tank India.
Now a thriving entrepreneur, Veda sees her UPSC journey as a stepping stone, not a setback. “You can achieve your goal in many ways. The key is to bounce back, and define success for yourself,” she affirms.
Not IAS. Not IPS. Just Incredible.
Kajal and Veda didn’t crack the UPSC. But they cracked something far more valuable — the code to their own potential. They transformed pain into purpose and failure into fuel.
As we mark National Civil Services Day, let’s celebrate not just the ones who make it to the corridors of power, but also those who rise from the shadows of rejection — resilient, reimagined, and roaring forward.
Because in the end, success isn’t always about the prefix before your name. Sometimes, it’s about the peace within it.