There are stories that inspire, and then there are stories that redefine perseverance itself. Stories that remind us that destiny often rewards those who refuse to surrender, even when life appears to have closed every possible door.
Deputy Commandant Anshuman Singh’s journey is one such remarkable tale of resilience, discipline, sacrifice, and unwavering determination.
Already serving the nation in one of India’s most demanding uniformed services – the Indian Coast Guard – Anshuman had achieved what many aspirants dream of: a prestigious government position, respect, stability, and the honor of wearing the uniform. But somewhere deep within him lived another dream – a dream of cracking the UPSC and serving the nation through the Indian Forest Service.
For years, he balanced the harsh realities of active service with the relentless pressure of UPSC preparation. Limited time, repeated disappointments, failed attempts, and eventually the exhaustion of all Civil Services Examination (CSE) attempts in 2024 could have ended the story there.
But Anshuman Singh chose not to stop.
Instead of accepting defeat, he searched for one final opportunity. And when he discovered that attempts for the Indian Forest Service were counted separately from UPSC CSE attempts, he gave everything he had to that last chance.
What followed was extraordinary.
In his second Indian Forest Service attempt — and his very first interview appearance — Deputy Commandant Anshuman Singh secured All India Rank 2 in UPSC IFS 2025, bringing immense pride to Kodarma, Jharkhand, Patna, and the entire nation.
His story today stands as a beacon of hope for every aspirant who has ever faced failure, exhaustion, or self-doubt.
Journey So Far: A Dream That Refused to Die
For Anshuman Singh, the UPSC journey was never easy. Unlike full-time aspirants, he carried the responsibility of active national service while preparing for one of the toughest examinations in the country.
Speaking during the interview, Anshuman reflected on his long and challenging journey:
“The journey was actually quite good and very interesting, but it took time because being in active service, I was not able to devote enough time to studies.”
Currently serving as a Deputy Commandant in the Indian Coast Guard, Anshuman had spent nearly a decade in service while simultaneously trying to pursue his UPSC dream.
His UPSC Civil Services Examination journey began in 2016. However, due to professional responsibilities and operational commitments, he struggled to dedicate consistent hours to preparation.
“Since I was preparing while remaining in active service, I simply didn’t have enough time. Earlier, I could not even clear the Prelims stage.”
For years, he continued attempting the examination despite setbacks. Finally, in 2024, he took a break from service and devoted himself fully to preparation.
That year, he managed to reach the UPSC CSE Mains stage for the first time. But fate had another difficult test waiting.
He was not selected, and with that, all his UPSC Civil Services Examination attempts were exhausted.
For many aspirants, that moment would have marked the end of the dream.
But not for Anshuman Singh.
The Turning Point: When One Door Closed, Another Opened
After exhausting all his UPSC CSE attempts in 2024, Anshuman found himself standing at a crossroads.
He had already invested years of effort, sacrifice, and emotional energy into the examination. Yet despite all his hard work, the final goal still seemed out of reach.
Then came the turning point.
Anshuman discovered that the number of attempts for the Indian Forest Service Examination was counted separately from the Civil Services Examination.
That realization changed everything.
“Since I still had some age eligibility left, I wondered what I should do next. That’s when I learned that the number of attempts allowed for the Forest Service is counted separately from those for the Civil Services.”
Instead of mourning his exhausted CSE attempts, he immediately redirected his focus toward the Indian Forest Service examination.
And this decision transformed his life forever.
“I proceeded with that path, and finally—by the grace of God and with everyone’s blessings—I made it.”
His Background: A Brilliant Student Since Childhood
Anshuman Singh’s roots trace back to Jhumri Tilaiya in Kodarma district of Jharkhand, though his family is now settled in Patna.
From an early age, excellence followed him everywhere.
He completed his schooling in Kodarma and was known for his academic brilliance throughout his student life.
In 2009, he passed Class 10 from DAV Public School, Jhumri Tilaiya. Later, in 2011, he became the district topper in Class 12 from Grizzly Vidyalaya.
His educational achievements reflected not only intelligence but also consistency and discipline.
Following school, he pursued graduation at University of Delhi under Ramjas College between 2012 and 2015.
“I studied the basics during graduation. After that, I joined the service.”
Soon after graduation, he cleared the examination process for the Indian Coast Guard and entered national service.
Interestingly, the Coast Guard recruitment process was not through UPSC but through a separate examination and interview conducted by the force itself.
By 2015–16, Anshuman had joined the service, beginning a professional journey that would continue for the next ten years.
Family Support: The Foundation Behind His Success
Behind every successful individual stands a family whose sacrifices often remain unseen.
Anshuman openly credited his parents for shaping his life and values.
He dedicated his success to his late father, Vinay Kumar Singh, and his mother, Sunita Devi.
According to him, whatever he achieved was possible only because of their sacrifices, discipline, and unwavering support.
His grandfather, the late Sachchidanand Singh, also carried a legacy of education and service, having served as the Headmaster of Parsabad High School.
Meanwhile, his younger brother, Abhinav Singh — popularly known as “Marcos Sir” — trains Army aspirants in Patna through his own academy.
The family’s contribution toward education, discipline, and nation-building clearly reflects in Anshuman’s journey.
The Biggest Struggle: Balancing Uniformed Service and UPSC Preparation
One of the toughest challenges Anshuman faced was balancing active military-style service with UPSC preparation.
Unlike regular aspirants who can dedicate entire days to studies, Anshuman had to manage preparation alongside one of the country’s most demanding operational jobs.
“Being in service, I wasn’t able to devote as much time to studies.”
For years, this lack of dedicated preparation time prevented him from even clearing the Preliminary Examination.
The pressure was immense.
Professional duties. Mental fatigue. Operational responsibilities. Uncertainty. Failed attempts.
Yet he never stopped trying.
His story proves that success is not always about having ideal circumstances. Sometimes, it is about continuing despite impossible circumstances.
His Preparation Strategy: Smart Study Over Endless Resources
When Anshuman finally dedicated himself fully to preparation, he adopted a highly focused and strategic approach instead of blindly studying everything.
One major realization changed his preparation pattern:
The cutoff for the Indian Forest Service examination is significantly higher than that of the Civil Services Examination.
“The cutoff for Forest Service is usually 15 to 20 marks higher.”
To tackle this challenge, he joined Forum IAS’ SFG and Simulator programs specifically for rigorous test practice.
He revised standard textbooks repeatedly and focused deeply on limited study materials rather than collecting endless resources.
“I made a conscious effort not to diversify my study resources too much.”
He particularly relied on BYJU’S study material for strengthening his concepts.
This disciplined revision strategy significantly improved his performance.
According to his own calculations, he scored around 150–160 marks in Prelims, nearly 60 marks above the expected cutoff.
Optional Subjects Strategy: Geology and Agriculture
Anshuman chose Geology and Agriculture as his optional subjects for the Indian Forest Service examination.
For Geology, he enrolled in Planet Geology, which he described as one of the most important pillars of his preparation.
“Planet Geology proved immensely helpful throughout my preparation. They supported me at every single step.”
For Agriculture, he attended offline classes conducted by Mr. Krishna Bhokare at Vajiram & Ravi.
Most aspirants generally combine Geology with Forestry, but Anshuman took a different path by pairing Geology with Agriculture.
That unconventional combination worked brilliantly for him.
His Core Preparation Philosophy
Anshuman’s preparation strategy was rooted in clarity, repetition, and simplicity.
Rather than running behind multiple coaching notes and sources, he carefully consolidated everything into his own notebooks.
“I meticulously transcribed the content from classes into my own notebook.”
His focus was straightforward:
- Revise repeatedly
- Practice answer writing
- Analyze PYQs carefully
- Reproduce concepts exactly and effectively in the examination hall
“After analyzing previous years’ papers, my goal was to reproduce the material exactly as my instructor had taught it.”
Another surprising aspect of his strategy was his approach toward General Studies.
Since the IFS examination primarily rewards optional subjects heavily, he consciously decided not to over-invest time in GS preparation.
“I didn’t devote excessive focus to General Studies.”
Instead, he focused maximum energy on his optional subjects and test practice.
Interview Preparation and Mock Sessions
The UPSC interview stage often becomes the deciding factor between success and failure.
Interestingly, this was Anshuman Singh’s very first interview appearance.
And in that very first personality test, he secured AIR-2.
To prepare for the interview stage, he attended mock interviews at many coachings and took guidance of mentors. These mock sessions helped him improve confidence, articulation, and composure.
His years of service in the Coast Guard also played a major role in shaping his personality and leadership qualities.
What Makes His Story Truly Extraordinary
What makes Anshuman Singh’s success unique is not just the rank.
It is the timing. It is the resilience. It is the refusal to quit after exhausting all UPSC CSE attempts.
Most people would have accepted defeat after losing all Civil Services attempts in 2024.
But Anshuman Singh chose to begin again.
And that final attempt became the turning point of his life.
His story is proof that sometimes success arrives only after life tests how badly you truly want it.
Message for Aspirants: Never Let Failure Define You
Anshuman Singh’s journey carries a powerful message for every UPSC aspirant battling self-doubt and repeated failures.
Your failures do not define your destiny.
Your perseverance does.
His life teaches aspirants that:
- Consistency matters more than speed
- Focus matters more than endless resources
- Strategy matters more than panic
- And most importantly, one opportunity is enough to change your entire life
Even after years of setbacks, limited preparation time, and exhausted attempts, Anshuman Singh transformed adversity into achievement.
Today, Deputy Commandant Anshuman Singh is not just an AIR-2 holder.
He is a symbol of courage, discipline, resilience, and hope.
And perhaps that is the greatest achievement of all.
