“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
For many UPSC aspirants, failure can feel like a crushing defeat – a signal to give up. But for Kanika Anabh, this quote was a guiding light through her darkest moments. After three attempts at the Civil Services Examination ended in disappointment, she faced the crossroads where most would quit. Instead, Kanika summoned the courage to persevere, channeling every setback into fuel for her ambition.
Her relentless spirit and unshakeable patience ultimately led her to claim the top rank in the Indian Forest Service Examination, proving that success truly belongs to those who keep moving forward, no matter the odds. Her inspiring story is not just about academic excellence but about resilience, hope, and the relentless pursuit of one’s dreams against all odds.
Failed in CSE
Interestingly, Just a month ago, Kanika faced disappointment when the Civil Services Examination results were declared, and she was not among the successful candidates. It was her third unsuccessful attempt, and the setback left her disheartened. Yet, within weeks, she emerged as the topper in the IFS exam, an achievement she describes as an “immensely joyful and emotional moment”.
A Rigorous Daily Study Routine
Kanika shared insights into her preparation strategy, noting that she studied 8 to 9 hours each day, extending to 12 hours during exam periods, beginning her day at 7:00 am. For the Mains, she placed special emphasis on government publications such as Kurukshetra and Yojana, and kept detailed, concise notes from The Hindu newspaper to stay current with affairs.
Focused And Methodical Preparation
For the preliminary exams, she relied heavily on NCERT textbooks, especially for Geography and History, revisiting them multiple times to strengthen her fundamentals. For Polity, she turned to Laxmikanth, a standard text among aspirants. To boost her confidence and practice, she solved at least 50 mock test papers before the prelims.
Academic Background And Family Support
Kanika completed her schooling up to Class 12 at JVM Shamli, Ranchi, before moving to Delhi for further studies. She graduated from Miranda House College and pursued higher education at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
She currently resides in Bariatu, Ranchi, with her family. Her father, Abhay Kumar Sinha, is a retired Principal District Judge (Khunti), and her mother, Anita Sinha, is a homemaker.
Kanika has a powerful message for aspiring candidates: “Do not be disheartened by failure. Analyse your mistakes, adjust your strategy, and stay consistent. This exam tests your patience as much as your knowledge.”
She began her UPSC journey in 2021 and tasted success after four years of determined effort.
UPSC Journey
She began preparing in 2021 after leaving a PhD program. In her first attempt, she cleared the Civil Services interview but didn’t make it to the final list. She couldn’t even clear the Forest Service prelims that year – the cutoff is higher.
In her second attempt, she didn’t clear prelims at all. This third attempt, she cleared both Civil and Forest prelims and mains. She didn’t make the final Civil list, but cracked the IFS-2024 exam with AIR 1.
Choosing the Right Subjects
For both Civil and Forest Services, Kanika’s optional subject was Zoology. For Forest, she added Forestry as the second optional – a common choice for science students since the service is technical in nature. she chose these based on my academic background; it aligned well with the exam pattern.
In her early attempts, she focused heavily – about 70 to 80 percent – on prelims. But by her third attempt, her strategy had evolved: she concentrated on mains preparation until December, then shifted to prelims prep from January to May, working through questions, current affairs, and revision. After completing Civil Services mains in September, she faced just six weeks to prepare for Forest Services mains, starting Forestry from scratch. It was an intense period, but she stayed disciplined and focused throughout.
Smart Preparation and Mentorship
Studying Forestry in only six weeks was difficult but manageable for her. She didn’t rely solely on textbooks, knowing that would take too long, so she enrolled in an online course to quickly grasp key concepts. She also used topper notes and previous year questions, focusing on working smart rather than hard. Throughout her journey, she didn’t attend traditional coaching but made full use of online resources, YouTube, and test series for prelims. For mains, she sought targeted help through value-added notes, mentorship, and focused test series. Having a mentor was a turning point—someone who could help cut through the noise of overwhelming information and offer precise guidance.
Routine, Resilience, and Reflection
Her daily routine wasn’t about waking up before dawn; she usually started around 7 or 8 am and studied for 8 to 9 hours on productive days, balancing subject study with newspapers and practicing MCQs. Because math wasn’t her strong suit, she dedicated 30 to 40 minutes daily to CSAT preparation in the last few months before the exam. She also made a conscious effort to stay away from social media, deactivating Instagram and Facebook for most of the year to avoid distractions.
Despite facing disappointment after each setback – whether it was an interview failure or missing the prelims cut-off – she never seriously thought about quitting. Instead, she reflected on what she could improve and kept rebuilding her strategy. Her journey shows that persistence, clarity, and resilience matter far more than the number of hours studied.
A Triumph That Inspires
Kanika Anabh’s journey from repeated failures to topping the Indian Forest Service examination is a shining example of determination and strategic preparation. Her story encourages every aspirant to believe that setbacks are not permanent roadblocks but stepping stones to success.
With her rank and remarkable journey, Kanika has made her city, state, and nation proud — inspiring many to keep pushing forward, no matter how tough the journey gets.
