UPSC IAS Civil Services: Meet Young Guns Who Became IAS Officers in their early 20s

UPSC as we all know Union public service commission is the most prestigious and challenging exam of the country. And clearing it and making it to the merit list is not easy and needs persistence. It takes years for candidates to clear it. It is a tough journey of self-belief and experiences.

UPSC IAS Civil Services: Meet Young Guns Who Became IAS Officers in their early 20s

UPSC as we all know Union public service commission is the most prestigious and challenging exam of the country. And clearing it and making it to the merit list is not easy and needs persistence. It takes years for candidates to clear it. It is a tough journey of self-belief and experiences. Many candidates spend most of their youth till they make it through but there are examples who have made it and became a civil servant at a young age. Let’s look at few success stories who became IAS in their early 20s.

• Ansar Ahmad Shaikh:

  Ansar Ahmad is the youngest officer to date as he was only 21 years old when he became IAS. He is from Shelgaon village in Maharashtra’s Jalna district. He got all India rank of 361 in the year 2016 civil services exam. He is Officer on special duty (OSD) at the department of MSME and textiles, the government of West Bengal. Shaikh is the son of a rickshaw driver. Thus his story is truly inspirational for all the aspirants which makes them believe nothing replaces hard work and true aspirations. HEsaid “There is no alternative to hard work” which is indeed true.

• Roman Saini:

  He cracked the civil services exam in 2013 and he was just 22 at that time. Before Ansar Ahmad Shaikh, Raman Saini was the youngest IAS officer. He was appointed a collector of Madhya Pradesh. Though he resigned from his services in 2015 and Co-founded an educational technology company -Unacademy and listed in Forbes India 30 under 30 2018 list. In Roman Saini’s words “This is to emphasize that age is just a number, and what is needed is proper guidance and strategy.”

• Swati Meena Naik:

  Swati Meena Naik was just 22 when she became an officer in 2007. She secured all India rank of 260 and became an IAS officer. Currently, she is serving Madhya Pradesh State Cooperative Marketing Federation. Her family is originally from Sikar Rajasthan, which has given many IAS to the country.

• Amrutesh Aurangabadkar: 

  This Pune chap cleared civil services in 2011 and he was just 22 years old. He secures an all-India -rank of 10 and he is placed fourth in the list of young IAS officers. Currently, he is posted in Regional Commissioner of Municipalities, Vadodara. Amrutesh wrote a book IAS@21 to guide aspirants of UPSC. It is currently available in English and soon will be available in Marathi also. In the words of Amrutesh, “Nothing is Impossible, determined efforts and quality Work always pays off. Prepare Well, Don’t fear and Believe in yourself”. HE is a true inspiration for all the aspirants preparing for the bid day.

• Ankur Garg: 

  He topped the civil services exam in 2002. He was just 22 years old at that time and became the youngest candidate to lead the league. HE graduated from IIT-Delhi currently pursuing his master’s from the prestigious Harvard University. His message for the aspirants “Altering one’s personality for the last lap of the selection process will not help at all. While the usual etiquettes, manners, and professionalism are still crucial, one must not lie about their thoughts and beliefs”

Hopefully, you will find this article inspirational as you came to know about the success stories of young officers. These stories will help you to stay focused on your path to UPSC.