Most UPSC aspirants wait for result day with nervous anticipation, glued to their phones and laptops. Deepanshu Jindal was in the middle of a district-level review meeting in Yamuna Nagar when his result was declared.
He had already built a career for himself. He had already cleared multiple state civil services examinations. He was already serving as an officer. UPSC was not his first victory. It was the result of years of discipline, setbacks, personal loss, and a very clear idea of why he was keen to join the civil services.
When the result was announced, Deepanshu Jindal had secured All India Rank 38 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025.
“During lunch itself, the result was declared. When the meeting resumed, everyone was informed that I had cleared with a good rank,” Deepanshu shared in an exclusive interview with Indian Masterminds.
For Deepanshu, this success did not come easily.
EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION
Born in Patiala and brought up in Punjab, Deepanshu comes from a family deeply rooted in the state. His parents and relatives were all from Patiala. Later, because of his father’s job at Nestlé India Limited’s Moga factory, the family shifted to Moga.
He completed his entire schooling, from nursery to Class 12, at D.N. Model School in Moga. After that, he moved to Delhi and graduated from Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), Delhi University, with a B.Com (Honours) degree in 2022.
TWO CLOSE MISSES BEFORE THE FINAL BREAKTHROUGH
His UPSC journey was filled with close misses before he finally secured AIR 38.
In his first attempt, he missed clearing prelims by just half a mark. In his second attempt, he cleared mains and appeared for the interview but could not make it to the final list.
Many aspirants lose confidence after one failed attempt. Deepanshu faced two major disappointments but kept moving forward.
Meanwhile, he continued clearing other examinations. He secured Rank 38 in the Haryana Civil Services Examination and is currently serving as an officer in Yamuna Nagar. He also cleared the Rajasthan Civil Services prelims and mains, the UPPCS prelims, the Punjab Civil Services prelims, and the EPFO Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner examination.
“All these exams were like small parts of my UPSC preparation,” he says.
PERSONAL LOSS CHANGED EVERYTHING
However, Deepanshu’s journey was shaped by much more than competitive exams.
When he was preparing for his Class 12 board examinations, his father was diagnosed with cancer. Soon after, his mother also passed away.
Then came the COVID-19 pandemic.
“After that, I have been living alone in our house and managing everything by myself,” he says.
But even through those difficult years, he stayed focused on his larger goal.
WHY HE CHOSE CIVIL SERVICES
Deepanshu says his motivation to join the civil services came from the values his parents had given him.
“Since we were already financially stable, money was never an issue. So I thought, let’s do something through which I can also help others,” he says.
He knew he had opportunities that many young people do not.
He had access to good education, a stable home, and parents who encouraged him from an early age. Over time, he realised that many children do not get those advantages.
“At that moment, I had all options open—I could have done business, a job, or anything. But for many children, it becomes a forced choice because of their family’s financial situation,” he says.
During his college years at SRCC, he served as hostel president and actively participated in the National Service Scheme (NSS). As part of NSS, he taught underprivileged children living in slums in Delhi.
Two of the children he taught later secured admission to Delhi University colleges.
“I personally taught two children — one got admission to Kirori Mal College and the other to Daulat Ram College. That gave me a lot of satisfaction,” he says.
The idea of contributing to society was something he had seen at home as well.
Deepanshu remembers his father speaking about farmers during their morning walks near the potato fields in Punjab.
“My father used to tell me while looking at the farmers: ‘See, this potato will fill people’s stomachs. That’s why the farmer works hard. Because if he only thinks about himself, society will eventually reject him,’” he says.
That thought stayed with him and slowly shaped the way he looked at public service.
A PREPARATION STRATEGY BASED ON LIMITED RESOURCES
When it came to preparation, Deepanshu kept his strategy simple.
Unlike many aspirants who keep collecting books, notes, PDFs, coaching material, and current affairs compilations, he focused on a limited number of sources.
He took coaching only for his optional subject.
“For the rest of the subjects, I mostly used free resources available on YouTube. There are many excellent teachers,” he says.
He also believed that offline coaching classes were not always necessary.
“I mostly prepared online. I felt that going to offline classes was a waste of time. I couldn’t sit for three-hour-long classes. I needed frequent breaks to refresh my mind,” he says.
ADVICE FOR ASPIRANTS
Deepanshu’s biggest advice to UPSC aspirants is to avoid the habit of endlessly collecting study material.
“Many aspirants keep collecting material from coaching, from home, from friends — whatever they hear, they pick up. This hampers preparation,” he says.
According to him, the key is revision.
“The more limited your preparation is, the better your recall will be,” he says.
Deepanshu Jindal’s journey to AIR 38 is not just the story of a UPSC rank. It is the story of a young man who faced personal loss early in life, continued moving forward, and chose a path where he could make a difference beyond himself.
His story is a reminder that success in UPSC is not built in a few months. It is built slowly, through consistency, clarity, and the ability to stay focused when life becomes difficult.
