Experience, clarity of purpose, and the courage to begin again—these three traits quietly define the journey of Akash Verma, who secured AIR 20 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2023. An IIT and IIM alumnus, Verma’s path to the Indian Administrative Service was not a straight line of success, but a story of resilience shaped by failure, humility, and recalibration.
Today, as a 2024-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, Akash Verma stands as a compelling example for aspirants who believe that one missed opportunity can end a dream. His story proves otherwise.
FROM ELITE CAMPUSES TO CIVIL SERVICES
Raised in an environment where academic excellence was encouraged and supported, Akash Verma’s early journey followed a familiar high-achiever trajectory. He cracked IIT, pursued an MBA from IIM, and initially aspired to build a career in finance. Like many young professionals, the glamour of capital markets and investment banking held an allure.
However, an internship during his MBA became a turning point. Exposure to real-world corporate work made him question the depth of impact such a career could offer. The absence of a direct connection with public good left him unsettled. Encouraged consistently by his parents, Verma decided to attempt the UPSC Civil Services Examination—not as a backup, but as a conscious choice.
FAILURE, HUMILITY AND RESETTING EXPECTATIONS
Akash Verma’s UPSC journey spans four serious attempts. In 2020, he reached the interview stage. In later attempts, he faced setbacks severe enough to dismantle early confidence. One attempt did not even fetch an interview call.
Yet, instead of deterring him, failure humbled him.
By the time he appeared again, expectations were replaced with discipline. When he secured AIR 20, it came as a surprise even to him. The unpredictability of UPSC—scaling, evaluation, and performance variance—had taught him to detach effort from entitlement.
PREPARING FROM WITHIN THE SYSTEM
After clearing the exam in 2021, Verma joined the Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS), a service that allows officers to reattempt the UPSC. His training at NADFM, Pune, became an unexpected advantage.
The academy’s structured schedule—training from 9:30 am to 6 pm with free evenings and relatively light weekends—offered him precious preparation time. More importantly, he was surrounded by like-minded peers, many of whom were also reattempting UPSC. The collective environment of revision, peer learning, and fine-tuning proved decisive.
ENGINEERING MINDSET AND EXAM STRATEGY
Verma believes the success of engineering graduates in UPSC prelims is not accidental. Analytical thinking, comfort with objective questions, and risk assessment are skills ingrained through years of engineering education. Even though CSAT is now qualifying, its mindset continues to influence performance.
His optional journey was equally strategic. After initially choosing Public Administration, he switched to Electrical Engineering, despite the risks. The decision was data-driven—declining scores in humanities optionals and the potential for higher marks in technical subjects guided his choice.
ESSAY, ETHICS AND THE FINAL PUSH
One of the biggest changes between his unsuccessful and successful attempts was his focus on Essay and Ethics—two papers often underestimated by aspirants. He approached essays not as literary pieces, but as structured arguments rooted in administrative relevance.
During a conversation with Indian Masterminds, Verma emphasised the importance of authenticity in the personality test, saying, “In the interview, don’t give diplomatic answers. Take a stand, justify it logically, and show clarity of thought.”
LIFE AT LBSNAA AND BEYOND THE RANK
Training at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, further reshaped his understanding of governance. Field exposure revealed the contrast between textbook administration and ground realities—where innovation, persuasion, and local leadership often matter more than rigid procedures.
One unexpected challenge? Physical training. Despite not being in a uniformed service, the rigour of daily physical routines surprised him—adding another layer to the transformation from aspirant to administrator.
A JOURNEY ROOTED IN PERSPECTIVE
What helped him manage stress during years of uncertainty was perspective—cutting off negativity, leaning on family, and drawing strength from simple conversations with grandparents and children.
Akash Verma’s story is not about effortless brilliance. It is about patience, recalibration, and the courage to begin again—proof that UPSC rewards not just intelligence, but endurance.
