Meet woman who left high-paying job as NASA scientist to crack UPSC exam twice, became IRS then IPS officer with AIR…

Some people are so brave that they take risks by changing their career and they end up achieving success.

One such inspiring success story is of Anukriti Sharma, an IPS officer from the 2020 batch who is from the Rajasthani city of Ajmer. Her mother was a teacher, while her father was posted in the 20-point department. 

Anukriti did her schooling at Indo Bharat International School in Jaipur. Thereafter, she studied at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Kolkata and pursued BSMS.

Then she did her Ph.D. program at Rice University in Houston, Texas, in 2012. While pursuing her Ph.D. in America, she got a job offer. She was hired by NASA to research volcanoes for a salary package of Rs 50 lakhs. However, after some time she returned to India. Anukriti secured 23rd place in the 2014 National Eligibility Test (NET) Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) test.

Thereafter, Anukriti and her husband Vaibhav started their preparation for UPSC while residing in Banaras. 

While preparing for UPSC, Anukriti and her husband helped one another.

Anukriti and her spouse Vaibhav gave the examination for the first time in 2015. But she only cleared prelims and not the mains. On her second attempt, she did not even clear the prelims. She made it to the interview stage on her third attempt, however, she was not chosen.

In 2018, Anukriti was selected for the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) after securing the 355th rank on her fourth try. In he 5th attempt, Anukriti become IPS officer in 2020. She then served as an IPS trainee in Lucknow. 

Currently, she is posted as Assistant Superintendent of Police for Bulandshahr. While Vaibhav, Anukriti's partner, is a teacher at a Delhi coaching facility.