IAS officer Surabhi Gautam’s journey from a small village in Madhya Pradesh to securing an All India Rank of 50 in the UPSC exams is a powerful story of resilience and determination. Growing up in Amdara village in Satna district, Surabhi attended a Hindi-medium government school with limited resources. Her parents, a lawyer and a high school teacher, supported her education despite the challenges. Excelling early, she scored exceptionally high marks in her board exams, making it to the state merit list for both 10th and 12th grades.
Surabhi’s path was not without hurdles; during her final school year, she battled rheumatic fever, requiring bi-weekly trips with her parents to Jabalpur, nearly 150 kilometers from her village. However, her health struggles didn’t deter her. After graduating from high school, she aced the State Engineering Entrance Examination and went on to study Electronics and Communication Engineering in Bhopal.
Though she faced language barriers due to her Hindi-medium background, Surabhi was determined to overcome them. She rigorously practiced English by self-study, learning new vocabulary and speaking to herself in English. This commitment led her to excel in her college exams, where she topped her first semester and received the prestigious Chancellor’s Award.
After graduation, Surabhi initially secured a job with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) but decided to pursue a career in civil services instead. She prepared rigorously, passing numerous competitive exams, including ISRO, BARC, and MPPSC, and topping the IES exam nationally in 2013. Ultimately, in 2016, she achieved her goal, securing a position in the Indian Administrative Service with an impressive rank of 50.
Surabhi Gautam’s success story is a testament to her relentless pursuit of excellence and the power of self-belief, showing that even the biggest obstacles can be overcome with perseverance and dedication.
