For most students at IIT Kanpur, the final semesters revolve around one thing: placements. For Bhoopendra Dhakad, they became the beginning of an entirely different journey.
Coming from a small village in Sukrauli district of Uttar Pradesh, Bhoopendra grew up in a farming family where agriculture shaped everyday life. His father is a farmer, and higher education itself was a significant milestone. Yet, after earning admission to one of India’s premier engineering institutes and graduating in Civil Engineering from IIT Kanpur, he made a decision that surprised many around him.
He chose not to sit for placements.
Instead, during the seventh semester in December 2020, as India navigated the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bhoopendra decided to prepare for the Civil Services Examination.
That single decision would define the next several years of his life.
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AN IIT GRADUATE WHO WALKED AWAY FROM PLACEMENTS
Unlike many engineering graduates who secure lucrative careers immediately after college, Bhoopendra had already fixed his destination.
“It was during my seventh semester… around December 2020 during the second phase of COVID when I decided to start my preparation for civil services. Thereafter, I never became part of the placement drive,” he shared in an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds.
His engineering background naturally influenced another important decision: choosing Civil Engineering as his optional subject. The choice was practical as well as strategic.
He already possessed a strong academic foundation, and unlike many humanities optionals, Civil Engineering has a largely static syllabus.
“I had a good foundation from college, and the syllabus is largely static. Once you cover it, there isn’t a constant need to keep adding new dimensions,” he explains.
FOUR ATTEMPTS FILLED WITH HIGHS AND LOWS
The UPSC journey rarely follows a straight line, and Bhoopendra’s story reflects exactly that.
His first attempt came in 2022, where he successfully cleared the Preliminary Examination but fell short in the Mains.
In 2023, he made significant progress by clearing both Prelims and Mains before reaching the Personality Test. Despite making it to the interview stage, his name did not appear in the final selection list.
Then came perhaps the toughest setback.
In 2024, after having reached the interview a year earlier, he could not even clear the Preliminary Examination.
For many aspirants, such a reversal becomes the point where dreams end. For Bhoopendra, it became the point where preparation changed.
In 2025, he finally cleared all three stages and secured All India Rank 494.
THE CHANGES THAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE
Instead of treating another attempt as simply repeating the same routine, Bhoopendra carefully analysed where improvements were needed.
The first major change was his optional subject preparation. He devoted substantially more time to mastering Civil Engineering in greater depth, recognising that technical subjects reward conceptual clarity more than superficial coverage.
The second transformation came in General Studies answer writing. Rather than focusing only on knowledge accumulation, he worked on presenting ideas more effectively.
“This time I focused much more on my optional. I also improved my writing skills for General Studies so that I could present my ideas and views in a better way,” he says.
His interview preparation also underwent a significant shift. Drawing lessons from his previous Personality Test experience, he refined his communication, confidence and presentation.
Those incremental improvements collectively changed the final outcome.
THE LOWEST PHASE WAS NOT ACADEMIC
Interestingly, Bhoopendra does not describe his biggest challenge as academic difficulty. School was comfortable. College offered supportive seniors and an encouraging peer group.
The emotional battle began only during UPSC preparation. Watching friends and fellow IIT graduates succeed in their first, second or third attempts while his own journey stretched longer naturally created moments of self-doubt.
“There are always challenges in life. During the UPSC journey, there were low phases, especially when people around me got selected earlier. At that stage, family plays the key role. It motivates you and gives you the willpower to appear again,” he says.
That emotional support became one of the strongest pillars of his preparation.
MINIMAL COACHING, MAXIMUM SELF-PREPARATION
Unlike many aspirants who spend years in classroom programmes, Bhoopendra kept coaching limited. He did not join any foundation course.
The only formal guidance he opted for was answer-writing support during the Mains stage. The rest of the journey relied largely on self-study, continuous practice and learning from every attempt.
His UPSC interview also reflected his academic background. Most questions revolved around Civil Engineering, sewage management, urban planning, and contemporary issues rather than unusual or unexpected topics.
ADVICE FOR ASPIRANTS
Having experienced almost every stage of the examination, from failing Mains to clearing the interview, from missing the Prelims to finally securing a rank, Bhoopendra’s advice is grounded in experience rather than theory.
He urges aspirants to select their optional subject according to genuine interest and capability instead of following trends.
He also believes answer writing deserves as much attention as studying itself.
“Focus on your writing skills. Choose your optional based on your interest and capacity. During interviews, improve your speaking skills because presenting yourself well is equally important. Work hard and stay consistent, that is the mantra of success,” he told Indian Masterminds.
A JOURNEY THAT WAS NEVER ABOUT SPEED
Bhoopendra Dhakad’s story is not one of instant success.
It is about choosing an unconventional path despite graduating from IIT Kanpur, refusing to measure progress by how quickly others reached the finish line, and finding the courage to begin again after setbacks.
From a farmer’s home in Uttar Pradesh to the classrooms of IIT Kanpur, from skipping campus placements to facing four UPSC attempts, every chapter added another layer to his preparation.
In the end, AIR 494 was not earned in a single examination.
It was built across four years of learning, reflection, course correction and the belief that one more attempt could change everything.
