Last Updated:April 20, 2026, 13:01 IST

A native of Lucknow, Aditya Srivastava secured All India Rank 1 in the Civil Services Examination 2023, but the result was anything but overnight

Aditya Srivastava’s success came after a failed first attempt, a job he chose to walk away from, and a second rank that still didn’t feel like enough.

For many UPSC aspirants, the journey is long, uncertain, and often unforgiving. Aditya Srivastava’s story fits that pattern, except he pushed through it all the way to the top.

A native of Lucknow, Aditya secured All India Rank 1 in the Civil Services Examination 2023, but the result was anything but overnight. It came after a failed first attempt, a job he chose to walk away from, and a second rank that still didn’t feel like enough.

He grew up as a strong student. At City Montessori School in Aliganj, he consistently scored high — over 97% in both Class 10 and 12 Boards. That academic discipline carried forward into competitive exams. He cleared JEE Advanced in 2014 and joined IIT Kanpur, where he completed a dual degree in Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering.

Like many IIT graduates, Aditya stepped into the corporate world next. He worked in Bengaluru and earned a package of around Rs 40 lakh per annum. On paper, it was the kind of stability most people would hold on to. But the idea of civil services had been building in the background.

His father, Ajay Kumar Srivastava, an Audit Officer with the CAG, had long hoped his son would consider that path. Eventually, Aditya did. He left his job and began preparing seriously, without any guarantee it would work out.

It didn’t, at first.

“In his first attempt, Aditya could not clear the prelims,” his father recalled, underlining how even strong candidates can stumble early. But the setback didn’t derail him. He doubled down on preparation, this time with full focus.

The next year, he cleared the exam and secured Rank 236, earning a place in the Indian Police Service. He was undergoing training in Hyderabad when the next decision came up — whether to stop or try again.

He chose to try once more.

“But, Aditya was not convinced with the result… this would be the last try,” his father said, adding that the family supported his decision to take that risk again.

That final attempt changed everything.

Aditya topped the UPSC exam in 2023, securing AIR 1 and fulfilling the goal he had set out with. His father described the moment simply: “Indeed, it’s a proud moment for all of us, which is tough to describe in words.”

Those who know him say the result reflects a pattern that was always there. “He remained the focussed child always and he never deviated from his path,” his father said, calling him a “child prodigy” who had been preparing seriously even as early as Class 8.

Behind the rank, though, is a more familiar UPSC story — of switching tracks, absorbing failure, and staying with the process longer than most would. Aditya used standard resources — NCERT books, online material, and consistent revision — but what stands out is less what he studied and more how long he stayed with it.

From not clearing prelims to IPS, and then to AIR 1, the trajectory isn’t smooth. It rarely is. But it’s precisely that uneven path that makes his journey resonate with aspirants across the country.

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