When Aayush Swami looks back at his life, there is one moment that divides it into two chapters.
The first belonged to a curious boy from Bandkhedi, a small town near Pipariya and Pachmarhi in Madhya Pradesh. The second began after he walked out of a hospital bed and felt as if he had been given life all over again.
Today, that journey has culminated in a remarkable achievement: Aayush Swami has secured All India Rank 461 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025. But behind the rank is a story that travels through illness, financial constraints, scholarships, failures, philosophy, and an undying belief that service to society gives life its deepest meaning.
Also read: Vishwajeet Gupta’s Grounded, Gritty Journey to AIR 67 in UPSC CSE 2025 | Exclusive
A GOVERNMENT TEACHER’S SON WITH A BIG DREAM
Aayush comes from a modest family. His father is a government primary school teacher, while his mother is a homemaker. Growing up in Bandkhedi, opportunities were limited, but aspirations were not.
He completed his schooling in the same town and initially studied PCM in Class 12. Yet, even before college, he had already made up his mind about the future.
“I decided that if I wanted to serve society and the nation, civil services was the best path for me,” he shared in an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds.
To align his studies with that goal, he shifted from the science stream to a Bachelor of Arts programme and pursued college education in Sohagpur.
Delhi, the traditional destination for UPSC aspirants, was financially out of reach. Instead, Aayush found another route. A scholarship examination helped him secure free coaching in Indore. It seemed like the beginning of a new chapter.
Then COVID-19 arrived.
The lockdown forced him back home, where he spent nearly two years studying through a mobile phone, Google searches, and online resources. What could have become a setback became an opportunity.
THE ILLNESS THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
Years before UPSC preparation entered his life, Aayush faced a battle that nearly took everything away.
While in Class 10, he was prescribed medication that triggered severe complications. His condition deteriorated rapidly, and he spent almost the entire academic year admitted to a hospital in Bhopal.
The experience left a deep mark on him. After recovering, he had only about a month left before his board examinations. Yet, he scored 88 percent.
More importantly, he emerged with a completely different outlook on life.
“That was like being born again,” he recalls. “I started understanding how grateful we should be simply to be alive.”
The near-fatal episode pushed him towards a larger purpose. Public service was no longer a career option; it became a calling.
AN ARTIST WHO CHOSE PUBLIC SERVICE
There is another side to Aayush that most people would never guess. He is a writer. A dancer and a national-level Kho-Kho player. And remarkably, he can play between 15 and 20 musical instruments, most of which he taught himself without formal guidance!
For a young man with artistic instincts, the future could have gone in many directions. But after his illness, the choice became clear.
“Art will always remain a part of me, but I decided to pursue it as a hobby. If I wanted to prepare seriously for UPSC, I had to leave everything else behind,” he told Indian Masterminds.
And he did.
Music, sports, dance, and many personal passions were pushed aside as he committed fully to the examination.
FROM INTERVIEW SUCCESS TO PRELIMINARY FAILURE
Aayush’s UPSC journey was anything but straightforward.
In his first attempt, he moved quickly through the stages of preparation and managed to reach the interview round. His personality test score of 175 reflected his communication skills and clarity of thought.
Yet he narrowly missed the final list by around 9–10 marks. The disappointment was difficult, but what came next was even harder.
In his second attempt, he could not clear the Preliminary Examination. The contrast was brutal: from reaching the interview stage one year to missing prelims the next. Many aspirants would have struggled to recover. Aayush saw it differently.
“I treated it as a blessing in disguise,” he says.
Instead of rushing ahead, he spent an entire year analysing his mistakes. He carefully studied his previous marksheet, identified gaps, created comprehensive notes, improved time management, and took multiple tests.
The rebuilding process was slow, but it gave him something more valuable than confidence; it gave him clarity.
THE PHILOSOPHY OF A KARMAYOGI
Aayush chose Philosophy as his optional subject, but its influence extended far beyond the examination hall. He credits the subject with helping him remain calm through uncertainty and setbacks.
“I believe a person has to become a Karmayogi during preparation itself. Only then can they become a good civil servant later,” he shared with Indian Masterminds.
Financial challenges also persisted throughout the journey. Scholarships repeatedly eased the burden, while his younger brother supported him by balancing college with work.
Together, the family kept the dream alive. When the third attempt arrived, the foundation had already been laid.
This time, everything clicked.
THE INTERVIEW THAT REVEALED HIS CHARACTER
One of the most memorable moments came during his UPSC interview. The chairman began with an unexpected question inspired by The Matrix film and asked which pill he would choose.
The discussion soon shifted to bureaucracy and whether civil servants live inside their own “matrix,” disconnected from ordinary people.
Aayush’s response stood out.
“I do not seek recognition, money, or power. I just want to serve,” he told the board.
At another point, he was asked how someone from a small town and a modest educational background deserved a seat before the UPSC board when candidates from elite institutions were competing.
His answer was simple and confident.
“Your commission itself has proved that I deserve to be here by allowing me to sit in this room.”
The board listened. This year, his interview score jumped dramatically to 210. The result was AIR 461.
BEYOND THE RANK
Aayush Swami expects to join the IPS and hopes to dedicate his career to public service. But perhaps the most powerful lesson from his story is not about ranks or services.
It is about perspective.
Whenever challenges appeared during preparation, he would ask himself what qualities he expected from an ideal IAS or IPS officer: intelligence, emotional balance, leadership, the ability to handle pressure, and the capacity to learn from failure.
Then he tried to become that person long before receiving an appointment letter.
For a young man who once spent months in a hospital bed wondering what the future held, that mindset changed everything.
And today, it has carried him from a small town in Madhya Pradesh to the ranks of India’s future civil servants.
Also read: “Leave Everything Behind for a Few Years”: How Anjani Mishra Cracked UPSC With Simplicity And Self-Control
