Meet woman, who failed in four UPSC prelims, missed interview, got panic attack, then finally became...

Many aspire to become the top officials of the country by cracking the UPSC exam, but the reality is that success in this highly competitive exam is never guaranteed. Despite this uncertainty, staying committed to the UPSC journey is an immense challenge. One such individual who triumphed over this challenge is Girish Chaudhary from Haryana, who secured the 263rd rank in the 2023 UPSC exam.

A Family Legacy of Perseverance Girish's story is rooted in perseverance, as his family came to India from Pakistan during the 1947 partition. His grandfather worked various jobs, including laboring, driving a rickshaw, and selling ice cream, before retiring as a Patwari. Girish’s father was a manager at Punjab National Bank, and his mother also worked in a bank. Motivated to continue the family's legacy of hard work and resilience, Girish set out to achieve something significant in life. However, prior to starting college, he had no knowledge of the UPSC exam and initially aspired to be a journalist.

The Dream to Become a Journalist Born in Karnal, Haryana, Girisha (as she is sometimes called) completed her primary education in her hometown. She was an average student, but a visit to an orphanage during her 12th grade deeply impacted her. Moved by the plight of the children, she dreamt of becoming a journalist to amplify their voices. Despite her passion, Girisha received little support for this career choice, so she enrolled in a B.Tech program in Computer Science at a regular college.

Choosing UPSC Over a Job After graduation, Girisha landed a well-paying job at EY. Despite the comfortable lifestyle, she felt something was missing. After much contemplation, she decided to pursue UPSC instead. Her decision faced criticism, but Girisha remained determined.

Early Struggles and Failures Girisha began preparing for UPSC after quitting her job. Her first attempt in 2018 saw her miss the prelims cutoff by 20 marks. In 2019, she tried again and missed by just 1.5 marks. By her third attempt in 2020, anxiety began to take a toll. A sleepless night before the exam affected her performance, and she failed once more, unable to even clear the prelims stage in her first three attempts.

Panic Attacks and Setbacks In 2021, Girisha rededicated herself to clearing the exam. However, the pressure mounted, and the day before the prelims, she suffered a panic attack. After spending the night unconscious, she mustered the courage to sit for the exam but, unfortunately, failed once again.

Perseverance Pays Off In her fifth attempt in 2022, Girisha approached the exam calmly, aided by anti-anxiety medication prescribed by her doctor. This time, to her surprise, she cleared the prelims. She studied rigorously, spending long hours in the library. Although she cleared the mains, she fell short by 11 marks in the interview and missed out on making the final list.

Success in the Final Attempt In 2023, Girisha took the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) exam and successfully cleared the mains on her first attempt. This was her final chance at the UPSC exam, and she finally cleared all three stages—prelims, mains, and interview—earning a rank of 263 and securing a spot in the UPSC toppers list.

Girisha’s journey exemplifies the power of persistence and resilience in the face of repeated setbacks. Despite multiple failures, anxiety, and immense pressure, she never gave up on her dream of cracking the UPSC, proving that success can come when one refuses to quit.