Who is Ishita Kishore?

Ishita Kishore secured All India Rank 1 in UPSC CSE 2022, with results declared on May 23, 2023. What made her achievement historic is that the top four ranks in UPSC 2022 were all secured by women — Ishita Kishore (AIR 1), Garima Lohia (AIR 2), Uma Harathi N (AIR 3), and Smriti Mishra (AIR 4). This was an unprecedented milestone for women’s empowerment in India’s civil services.

Ishita is an Economics graduate from Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), University of Delhi. She is also a sportswoman who actively played football during college. Before attempting UPSC, she worked at Ernst & Young (EY) in Risk Advisory for two years. She cleared the UPSC exam on her third attempt at age 27, having failed the Preliminary exam in her first two attempts.

Ishita Kishore — Complete Profile

UPSC 2022 Top 5 Rankers

Ishita Kishore — Preparation Strategy

• PSIR Optional: Chose Political Science & IR due to overlap with Economics background and deep interest in governance and foreign policy — maximum GS overlap with Paper 2.
• Answer Writing Daily: Focused on structured answers using Introduction-Body-Conclusion format; her Mains score of 901/1750 reflects this discipline.
• Minimal Study Material: Avoided information overload — studied fewer books but revised them multiple times. Maintained subject-wise handwritten notes.
• Football & Personality: Her holistic personality — including football career — made her interview exceptional. Scored 193/275 in Personality Test.
• Failed Prelims Twice: Used first two failed attempts to completely restructure her strategy. Never gave up. Came back stronger each time.
• Current Affairs: Read The Hindu daily and maintained monthly current affairs notes from Day 1.

Who is Aditya Srivastava?

Aditya Srivastava from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, secured AIR 1 in UPSC CSE 2023 with 1099 out of 2025 marks. His story is extraordinary — he is an IIT Kanpur graduate (B.Tech + M.Tech Electrical Engineering) who left Goldman Sachs to pursue civil services, became an IPS officer in 2022 (AIR 236), and then topped the exam on his third attempt in 2023 while undergoing IPS training at SVPNPA, Hyderabad.

His interview score of 200/275 — the maximum marks — is one of the most remarkable achievements in UPSC history. Aditya is also notable for being among the first toppers to openly acknowledge using AI tools like ChatGPT for clearing doubts and deepening conceptual understanding.

Aditya Srivastava — Complete Profile

Aditya Srivastava — Winning Strategy (Detailed)

• 7-Minute Answer Rule: Trained himself to think 30 seconds and write for 6.5 minutes per answer. This mental clock discipline is what separated him from thousands of Mains candidates.
• 10-15 Answers Every Morning: Between Prelims and Mains, wrote 10–15 answers on a strict timer of 70–110 minutes every single morning without fail.
• Electrical Engineering Optional (IIT Kanpur Edge): Leveraged his deep technical background to choose EE as optional. Scored 308/500 in optional papers — a game-changing decision.
• Used ChatGPT & Google: One of the first UPSC toppers to openly use AI tools for doubt-clearing and conceptual deepening. Smart use of technology in preparation.
• Revise, Revise, Revise: Built strong content through standard books, then revised repeatedly until internalized — “Revision is the only secret,” he has said publicly.
• IPS Experience = Better Answers: His active IPS training gave him real-world administrative experience that added genuine depth to GS answers and interview.
• Perfect 200/275 Interview: Credited his IPS training, technical background, and deep current affairs knowledge for achieving the maximum interview score.

Who is Shakti Dubey?

Shakti Dubey from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, secured AIR 1 in UPSC CSE 2024 with 1043 out of 2025 marks, including a near-perfect 200/275 in the Personality Test (Interview). She is a Biochemistry postgraduate from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) who chose PSIR — a subject completely different from her academic background — as her optional.

Shakti’s journey is one of the most emotionally powerful in UPSC history. She failed the Preliminary exam three times. In her fourth attempt, she cleared all stages but missed the final recommended list by just 2 marks. In her fifth and final attempt, she emerged as the AIR 1 topper. Her story is a masterclass in persistence, resilience, and strategic revision.

Shakti Dubey — Complete Profile

Shakti Dubey — Preparation Strategy

• PSIR Despite Science Background: Despite M.Sc. Biochemistry, chose PSIR as optional due to high GS Paper 2 overlap — one choice that gave double benefit in both Mains GS and Optional papers.
• Standard Books + Multiple Revisions: Laxmikant for Polity, Spectrum for History, VisionIAS notes — studied fewer books but revised each one multiple times until internalized.
• Daily Handwritten Notes: Maintained detailed handwritten notes for every subject and revised them before every stage of the exam.
• Vajiram & Ravi Sureshot Test Series: Practiced answer writing through structured test series — focused on keyword usage, structured responses, and time management.
• Professional Interview Coaching: Enrolled in both VisionIAS and PW OnlyIAS interview programs for mock interviews and personalized feedback — resulted in 200/275 in Personality Test.
• Phone Only for Study: Used mobile phone strictly for studying — current affairs apps, government reports — and minimized all social media and distractions.
• Never Gave Up: Missing the final list by 2 marks in the 4th attempt was devastating — she self-evaluated, changed strategy, and returned stronger in her 5th attempt.

Who is Anuj Agnihotri?

Anuj Agnihotri from Rahata village, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, secured AIR 1 in UPSC CSE 2025. The result was declared on March 6, 2026 with marks released on March 10, 2026 — showing 867 in Mains and 204 in the Personality Test for a total of 1071 out of 2025. He is an MBBS doctor from AIIMS Jodhpur (2023 batch) who chose Medical Science as his optional — a decision that leveraged his medical training brilliantly.

Anuj cleared on his 3rd attempt while serving in DANICS (Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service — Group B Gazetted). His story is a powerful message: your professional degree is your greatest UPSC strength, not an obstacle. A doctor from a village in Rajasthan, son of a nuclear power plant worker in Kota — his journey represents the true spirit of India’s civil services examination.

Anuj Agnihotri — Complete Profile

UPSC 2025 Top 5 Rankers

★ Rajeshwari Suve M (AIR 2) is the UPSC CSE 2025 Female Topper. Previously a Deputy Collector and TNPSC Group I topper.

Anuj Agnihotri — Preparation Strategy

• Medical Science Optional = AIIMS Advantage: As an AIIMS Jodhpur MBBS doctor, choosing Medical Science as optional was his masterstroke. His existing deep medical knowledge gave him a massive head start.
• Started During MBBS Internship: Began UPSC preparation during his MBBS internship at AIIMS Jodhpur (2022–23) — exceptional time management while balancing clinical training.
• NEXT IAS for Current Affairs: Relied on NEXT IAS CA-VA course covering ~40–50% of UPSC syllabus — Polity, Economy, IR, Environment, Social Issues.
• DANICS Experience = Better Answers: Real-world administrative experience from serving in DANICS gave his GS answers and interview responses authentic depth and practical examples.
• PYQ Analysis: Practiced UPSC Previous Year Questions extensively to understand examiner patterns and predict high-probability topics.
• Interview Coaching — Two Programs: Took coaching from both Vajiram & Ravi and Legacy IAS Academy Bangalore for interview preparation — resulted in 204/275 in the Personality Test.
• Consistency Over Intensity: Focused on manageable, consistent daily study rather than 16-hour marathon sessions — sustained focus over months was his formula.