Meet woman who cracked UPSC at 22 without coaching while looking after ailing father, but then lost parents, now she...

Some people conquer numerous hardships at a very young age, and end up accomplishing something extraordinary and inspiring. One such motivational life story is of IAS Ritika Jindal.

Hailing from Punjab’s Moga City, Ritika excelled in her studies during her school years. In the CBSE 12th Board exams, Ritika topped by scoring highest marks in the entire North India. Thereafter, she studied at Sri Ram College of Commerce in Delhi. Ritika began preparing for UPSC during the third year of her graduation. 

However, during her preparations, Ritika’s father got diagnosed with oral and lung cancer. Despite this, she continued with her studies while also looking after her dad at the hospital. However, she failed on her first try. In her second attempt in 2019, Ritika finally cracked UPSC at just 22 years of age with 88th rank. However, during her IAS training, both her parents passed away.

In an interview, recalling her UPSC journey, Ritika said, “Seeing my father fighting for life gave me a lot of strength and I worked hard for the exam.” 

Currently, she serves as the Resident Commissioner in Pangi, Himachal Pradesh. Pangi is popular as Himachal Pradesh's 'Kaala Paani' due to its roads and isolated villages.