“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” — Winston Churchill
The journey to India’s most prestigious civil services is rarely easy. It tests not only one’s intellect but also patience, perseverance, and the ability to rise after repeated setbacks. For Ananya Sharma, this journey was a powerful lesson in resilience.
Hailing from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, Ananya has secured All India Rank 13 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025, turning years of dedication and perseverance into a remarkable success story. What makes her achievement even more inspiring is the fact that she could not clear the preliminary examination in her first two attempts. Yet, in her third attempt, she not only cleared all stages of the exam but also secured a place among the top rankers in the country.
For Ananya, the journey was not just about clearing an exam. It was about learning resilience, building the right mindset, and continuing to believe in herself despite setbacks.
Journey So Far
Her UPSC journey spans three years of consistent preparation and self-improvement. Reflecting on her experience, she describes it as a journey that was both rewarding and deeply transformative.
She began preparing for the civil services examination around 2022–23, and the road was not smooth initially. In her first two attempts, she could not clear the preliminary examination. However, she continued to learn from her mistakes and refine her preparation strategy.
Her third attempt in 2025 proved to be the turning point. Not only did she clear the prelims, but she also successfully navigated through the Mains and the Interview stage in the same attempt, ultimately securing AIR 13.
“I had been preparing for the last three years. It has been rewarding, but it also taught me a lot about resilience,” Ananya shared while speaking about her journey to Indian Masterminds.
Her Background
She comes from an academically inclined family that values education and intellectual growth.
She belongs to Indore in Madhya Pradesh. Her father is the headmaster of Punjab Public School in Nawalgarh, while her mother is a Professor of English at Indore Christian College.
She completed her schooling from Daly College, Indore, and also studied at Punjab Public School, Nawalgarh, where she built a strong academic foundation.
For higher education, she moved to Delhi and pursued B.A. (Hons.) in Economics from Hindu College, University of Delhi. Her academic training in economics helped her develop strong analytical skills that later supported her civil services preparation.
Her optional subject in UPSC was Sociology.
A Significant Achievement Before UPSC
Before achieving success in the civil services examination, Ananya had already demonstrated her academic excellence in another competitive exam.
In CDS (I) 2024, she secured an impressive All India Rank 5 for the Officers Training Academy (OTA).
Despite this achievement, she decided not to pursue training through the CDS route because her ultimate goal was to join the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). With this aspiration in mind, she continued her preparation and appeared again for the UPSC examination in 2025.
The Biggest Struggle
For Ananya, the toughest part of the UPSC examination was the Preliminary stage.
Coming from a humanities background, she initially found the objective-style question pattern of prelims challenging, especially compared to candidates who were already familiar with such exam formats.
“In this exam, the biggest struggle for me was prelims,” she admitted.
Failing to clear the prelims in her first two attempts was discouraging, but instead of losing confidence, she used those experiences to improve her approach.
Beyond the academic challenge, she believes the exam teaches an important life lesson.
“This exam teaches you a lot about mindset. Many people face setbacks here. Even toppers can fail in this exam. It teaches humility and reminds you that everyone gets an equal chance,” she explained.
Her Preparation Strategy
Ananya followed a structured and disciplined preparation strategy, focusing on both conceptual clarity and consistent practice.
Prelims Strategy
For the preliminary stage, she emphasized the importance of analyzing previous years’ questions (PYQs).
She studied not only the PYQs of the civil services examination but also those from other UPSC exams such as NDA and CDS to better understand the question pattern.
Her strategy included –
- Extensive practice of previous years’ questions
- Attempting numerous mock tests
- Carefully identifying mistakes
- Doing multiple rounds of revision
Guidance from seniors in her college also helped her understand how to approach the exam effectively.
Mains Strategy
For the Mains examination, Ananya focused heavily on answer writing practice.
Her key principle was simple –
Write as many tests as possible in a time-bound manner.
She constantly worked on improving her answers by –
- Including examples and data points
- Adding diagrams and illustrations
- Presenting answers in a clear and structured format
She also emphasized that aspirants should focus on improving the quality of answers, so that their responses stand out among thousands of candidates.
Interview Experience
Ananya’s UPSC interview in 2025 was her first interview attempt, and she describes it as a pleasant and engaging conversation rather than an interrogation.
Most of the questions revolved around her academic background in Economics and issues related to International Relations.
Some of the topics discussed during her interview included –
- The Russia–Ukraine conflict and its implications for India
- The ongoing situation in Syria
- Broader international relations and global political developments
- Questions related to economic issues, given her academic background
She described the interview board as friendly and said the overall interaction felt like an intellectual discussion.
Message for Aspirants
After achieving such a remarkable milestone, Ananya has a heartfelt message for UPSC aspirants.
She believes that faith, perseverance, and self-belief are the most important elements in this journey.
“There are many disappointments during preparation. But when you reach the final stage and see your name in the list, everything feels very rewarding,” she said.
She also emphasized that aspirants should focus on continuous self-improvement rather than comparing themselves with others.
According to her, the sacrifices made during preparation – both by aspirants and their families – ultimately feel worthwhile when success finally arrives.
A Story of Persistence and Purpose
Ananya Sharma’s success story is a powerful reminder that failure is often just a stepping stone to success. From struggling with prelims in her first two attempts to securing AIR 13 in her third attempt, her journey reflects perseverance, discipline, and unwavering belief in her goal.
For thousands of civil services aspirants across the country, her story sends a clear message: setbacks are temporary, but determination can transform them into extraordinary achievements.
And as Ananya herself discovered, the UPSC journey is not just about clearing an exam – it is about building resilience, humility, and the mindset needed to serve the nation with dedication.
