Meet woman who topped class 12th, cracked UPSC at 22 without coaching, but lost parents during training, she is now…

Some people have to face obstacles at a very young age, but instead of being defeated, they bounce back strong and achieve something extraordinary in life. One such inspiring life story is of IAS Ritika Jindal.

Belonging to Punjab’s Moga City, Ritika has been bright in her studies since her school years. In the CBSE 12th Board exams, Ritika topped by scoring the highest marks in the entire North India. Thereafter, she did her graduation at Sri Ram College of Commerce in Delhi. Ritika then started preparing for UPSC during the third year of her graduation. 

However, during her preparations, Ritika’s father was diagnosed with oral and lung cancer. She looked after him and still continued to focus on her studies while studying at the hospital. 

Despite this, she failed to crack on her first attempt. In her second attempt in 2019, Ritika finally cleared UPSC at just 22 years of age, by securing 88th rank. She became one of India’s youngest IAS officers. However, during her IAS training, both her parents passed away.

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

Presently, she is posted as the Resident Commissioner in Pangi, Himachal Pradesh. Pangi is famous as Himachal Pradesh's 'Kaala Paani' due to its treacherous roads and remote villages.