“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
There are stories that inspire – and then there are stories that stay with you. Stories that quietly enter your heart, sit there, and remind you of the battles fought in silence. Ashish Shukla’s journey is one such story. It is not decorated with privilege or ease; it is carved out of sleepless nights, unspoken pain, and an unbreakable will to rise.
Imagine wearing a uniform through the night, standing under the open sky while the world sleeps – and then, instead of resting, opening books with tired eyes, chasing a dream that feels both distant and urgent. Imagine carrying personal grief, family responsibilities, and the crushing weight of repeated failures – yet choosing, every single day, to continue.
This is not just a success story. This is the story of a man who refused to let life decide his limits.
Indian Masterminds interviewed Ashish Shukla to delve into his inspiring journey and his advice for aspiring candidates.
Journey So Far: From Duty to Dream
Ashish Shukla, a constable in the Uttar Pradesh Police posted in Kanpur since 2018, has achieved what many only dream of – he secured the 41st rank in the UP PCS/PSC-2024 examination and has been selected as a Commercial Tax Officer.
But behind this achievement lies a journey that cannot be measured in ranks or results.
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“This is a matter of great joy for me… but the path to reach here was never easy,” Ashish said with quiet humility.
His days and nights were never his own. While most aspirants struggle to manage study schedules, Ashish had to negotiate with exhaustion itself. He studied when he could, not when he wanted. Sometimes after duty. Sometimes before sleep. Sometimes in between moments of emotional collapse.
And yet—he continued.
His Background: Roots of Strength
Ashish comes from Gram Sabha Mawaiya Rahmat Garh in Amethi, UP, a place where dreams are often shaped by limitations. But his home carried something rare – an atmosphere of learning.
His father, a scholar from Lucknow University, had filled their home with books. Those books quietly shaped Ashish’s mind and soul.
“Reading novels, writing poetry, debating – these things were always a part of me,” he recalls.
But life soon demanded something else from him. His education was interrupted. Responsibilities arrived early. The path he might have taken effortlessly became one he had to rebuild, step by step.
Even his graduation came much later, in 2023. And today, he continues to study, pursuing post-graduation alongside everything else.
The Biggest Struggle: Battles No One Sees
If there is one word that defines Ashish’s journey, it is loneliness.
Not the kind that comes from being alone – but the kind that comes from carrying everything within.
“There were times when I felt completely broken… nights when I went to duty in tears, asking myself – when will this end?”
His father’s illness cast a long shadow over the family. His mother held everything together with quiet strength. And just six months before his success, his father passed away.
There is a kind of pain that doesn’t stop you – but changes you forever.
Ashish carried that pain into his preparation. Into his duty. Into his silence.
And still, he chose not to stop.
The Silent Discipline: Studying Against Time
There is something deeply poetic about the way Ashish prepared.
He chose night duties – not because they were easy, but because they gave him something rare: time.
After returning from duty in the early hours of the morning, when the world was still wrapped in sleep, he would sit with his books.
“That time… around 4 or 5 in the morning… it became my own,” he shares.
Sleep would come later. First came revision. Facts. Notes. Persistence.
Then a few hours of rest. Then again, in the evening, he would return to his preparation.
This was not a routine. This was endurance.
He built a small world around himself—a rented room near the Ganges in Kanpur, moments spent sitting by the river, visits to friends at IIT Kanpur—anything that could remind him that he was not alone in his journey.
“You have to surround yourself with the right environment… something that keeps telling you to keep going.”
Falling Short… Again and Again
Ashish’s UPSC journey was filled with near-misses. Three attempts. Each time falling short in Prelims – sometimes by just two or four questions.
“I would miss it by a very small margin… and that hurts the most.”
It is easy to accept failure when you are far behind. It is much harder when success slips through your fingers by inches.
But instead of giving up, he adjusted. Refined. Continued.
Because somewhere deep inside, he believed he was meant for more.
The Turning Point: Understanding the Game
There was no magical strategy, no sudden breakthrough.
Just a gradual realization—that exams are not just about knowledge, but about precision.
He began treating preparation like practice.
More test series. More focus on Previous Year Questions.
More attention to details—facts, patterns, repetition.
“Sometimes, it’s also about luck… but you must keep improving your chances.” And slowly, quietly, things began to change.
The Interview: A Test of Perspective
When Ashish finally reached the interview stage, it was not just his knowledge that was tested—but his understanding of the world.
Questions ranged from:
- The use of AI in policing
- Traffic management systems
- Global conflicts like West Asia and US-Iran relations
- India’s agricultural interests
- Historical contexts like the Non-Cooperation Movement
- Local relevance of Prayagraj
He answered not just as a candidate—but as someone who had lived through responsibility.
“It was a good experience… I felt prepared for it.”
His Voice: Honest, Unfiltered, Real
What makes Ashish’s story powerful is not just what he achieved—but how honestly he speaks about the journey.
“This journey is emotionally exhausting. You will feel broken. You will cry. You will question everything.”
“But it is a game of patience. And patience is not easy.”
“Keep a Plan B. Life doesn’t always go as planned.”
These are not motivational lines. They are truths earned through struggle.
A Family That Endured
Behind Ashish stands a family that fought its own battles.
A mother who carried the weight of the household. A father whose intellectual legacy stayed, even after he was gone. Brothers who walked their own paths of service—one a Sub-Inspector, another recently selected as a Review Officer.
Their story is not just about individual success—but collective resilience.
Message for Aspirants: The Reality No One Tells You
Ashish doesn’t offer comfort. He offers truth.
“People make excuses… but this journey demands everything from you.”
“There will be pressure—from family, from society, from within. But you must keep going.”
“Believe in yourself. Be patient. And don’t stop.”
A Victory Beyond Rank
Ashish Shukla’s success is not defined by rank 41.
It is defined by every morning he chose to study despite exhaustion.
Every night he stood on duty while carrying dreams in his heart.
Every moment he felt broken—and still moved forward.
This is not just a story of clearing an exam.
This is the story of a man who refused to surrender.
And in doing so, he reminds us of something simple, yet powerful:
No matter how slow, how painful, or how uncertain the journey is—if you keep going, you will arrive.
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