In every competitive examination, thousands of aspirants begin their journey with dreams of serving the nation. Yet only a handful manage to transform those dreams into reality. Among them stands Shraddha Pandey, whose journey is not merely about securing the first rank in one of Bihar’s toughest examinations—it is a story of perseverance, resilience, disciplined preparation, and unwavering confidence.
Coming from the small village of Pacharas in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district, Shraddha has shown that success does not depend on expensive coaching institutes or metropolitan study hubs. Instead, it depends on dedication, clarity of purpose, and relentless hard work.
After clearing the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) examination in her very first attempt and becoming an Assistant Commissioner (GST), she once again created history by topping the BPSC 70th Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) with an outstanding 593 marks, earning the coveted Rank 1 across Bihar.
Today, Shraddha’s success is inspiring thousands of civil services aspirants across India who believe that limited resources can limit their dreams. Her journey proves exactly the opposite.
As Shraddha says, “Consistency is necessary, but what matters most is identifying your own shortcomings. Face your failures honestly, refine your strategy, and success will find you.”
A Historic Achievement: BPSC Rank 1
The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) declared the final results of the 70th Combined Competitive Examination on June 20, bringing celebrations not only to Bihar but also to Uttar Pradesh.
Among thousands of successful candidates, Shraddha emerged as the topper. With this remarkable achievement, she is expected to be appointed as a Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM).
As news of her success spread, celebrations erupted in her village. Family members distributed sweets, relatives poured in with congratulations, and the entire region celebrated the daughter who had brought immense pride to her village and district.
Journey So Far
Her civil services journey is remarkable because she consistently succeeded in highly competitive examinations.
Her first major milestone came when she appeared for the UPPSC Combined State/Upper Subordinate Services Examination.
In her very first attempt, she secured Rank 153 under the EWS category in the 2024 UPPSC examination and was selected as Assistant Commissioner (Commercial Tax/GST).
The result was declared on April 28, 2026, and she was subsequently posted in Lucknow. Most candidates would have been satisfied after achieving such a prestigious position.
Shraddha wasn’t.
She continued her preparation while working full-time as a government officer and appeared in the BPSC 70th Combined Competitive Examination.
In her second BPSC attempt, she not only cleared the examination but secured Rank 1 across Bihar, becoming the overall topper with 593 marks.
Her journey is a shining example of continuous growth and relentless ambition.
His Background
She belongs to Pachras village in Raniganj, Pratapgarh district of Uttar Pradesh. Her father, Santosh Pandey, is both a lawyer and a farmer, while her mother, Sunita Pandey, is a homemaker who has always supported her daughter’s dreams.
Shraddha also has two siblings – Tanya Pandey, who is pursuing her Master’s degree. Abhishek Pandey, who is currently an undergraduate student. Despite belonging to a modest family, education remained the family’s biggest priority.
Speaking proudly about his daughter, Santosh Pandey said, “She reached this milestone through her own hard work and dedication. She never sought help from coaching institutes and always maintained faith in herself.”
Educational Journey
Shraddha’s educational journey reflects consistent academic excellence. She completed her Class 10 from Manish Memorial School, Raniganj, and her Class 12 from Sangam International School.
She graduated in 2021 from Swami Karpatri Ji Maharaj Government College, Prayagraj, with a degree in History and English Literature. It was during her college years that she made one of the most important decisions of her life—to prepare for the Civil Services Examination.
Immediately after graduation, she devoted herself entirely to achieving this dream.
The Biggest Struggle
Like every civil services aspirant, Shraddha’s path was not free from setbacks. Before tasting success, she experienced disappointment in national-level competitive examinations.
She narrowly missed qualifying the UPSC Preliminary Examination by just four marks. She also could not clear the Uttarakhand PCS examination.
Instead of allowing these failures to define her journey, she treated them as lessons.
Recalling those moments, Shraddha says, “People feel that if they fail once or twice, success becomes too difficult and they want to quit. I failed the UPSC Prelims by four marks and missed the Uttarakhand PCS as well. Instead of giving up, I worked harder. Do not lose heart over a few marks.”
These setbacks strengthened her resolve and helped shape her future success.
Life Without Coaching: Breaking the Myth
One of the most inspiring aspects of Shraddha’s journey is that she never relied on expensive coaching institutes. She only attended mock interviews and sought guidance from mentors at a few premier institutions.
Unlike many aspirants who relocate to Delhi or Prayagraj, she prepared entirely through self-study.
Her primary learning resources included:
- Free YouTube lectures
- Online educational portals
- Digital libraries
- Standard books
- Newspapers
- Previous Year Questions
- Mock tests
Her success challenges the widespread belief that coaching is essential for clearing competitive examinations.
As her father proudly shares, “She never took coaching. She believed in herself and worked with complete dedication.”
Preparation Strategy
Shraddha’s preparation strategy was based on simplicity, discipline, and consistency.
Rather than collecting dozens of books or changing resources frequently, she focused on mastering limited but reliable material.
Her strategy revolved around five key pillars.
1. Self-Study Through Digital Resources: She extensively used free online lectures and educational platforms, proving that quality preparation is possible even without coaching.
2. Reading Newspapers Daily: Shraddha believes current affairs cannot be mastered through yearly magazines alone.
As she explains, “BPSC questions have become extremely diverse. Daily newspaper reading is essential instead of relying only on yearly compilations.”
3. Early Answer Writing Practice: One of her strongest recommendations is beginning Mains preparation early. She advises aspirants not to wait until Prelims results.
According to her, “Start answer writing from the beginning of your preparation. It develops analytical thinking and improves expression.”
4. Extensive Mock Tests: Shraddha treated mock tests as diagnostic tools. Rather than simply checking scores, she carefully analysed every mistake.
This helped her identify:
- Silly mistakes
- Weak concepts
- Memory gaps
- Time-management issues
5. Smart Prelims Strategy: She strongly discouraged blind guesswork.
Her approach was simple: Attempt only questions you know confidently. She believes difficult questions are usually left unanswered by most candidates, making unnecessary guessing risky.
Study Routine
According to her father, Shraddha maintained extraordinary discipline throughout her preparation. He revealed, “She used to study for 12 to 14 hours every day. She worked day and night to achieve her dream.”
Even while serving as an Assistant Commissioner, she continued studying with the same dedication.
Mistakes Aspirants Should Avoid
Based on her own experience, Shraddha identifies three major mistakes made by unsuccessful candidates.
Ignoring Previous Year Questions (PYQs): She considers PYQs the foundation of preparation because they reveal the actual demand of the examination.
Memorizing Instead of Understanding: Rather than trying to remember every fact, aspirants should develop conceptual clarity.
Not Practicing Tests Regularly: Without mock tests, candidates fail to identify weaknesses before the actual examination.
Interview Questions
During her 70th BPSC interview, the panel focused heavily on her active role as an Assistant Commissioner of GST in Uttar Pradesh, questioning her on tax evasion, revenue generation, and why she wanted to switch to Bihar state services.
As a candidate from Uttar Pradesh, she was grilled on how she would adapt to the unique socio-economic challenges of Bihar and how the two neighboring states could share administrative and agricultural strategies. Additionally, the board tested her academic depth using her graduation subjects – History and English Literature – and challenged her with situational administrative scenarios regarding rural women’s empowerment and handling sudden law-and-order crises as a Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM).
Message for Aspirants
Shraddha believes that success is not determined by one examination but by one’s ability to keep improving.
She advises aspirants, “Study with complete honesty and maintain your peace of mind. Go into the examination hall with a relaxed mind. If you have been consistent and put in unwavering effort, your hard work will definitely pay off.”
She further adds, “Consistency is important, but more important is identifying where you are making mistakes. Improve yourself every single day.”
Women Leading the Way
Shraddha’s achievement also symbolizes the growing participation of women in civil services.
In the BPSC 70th CCE results:
- 45 women featured among the Top 100 candidates.
- Five women secured places in the Top 10.
Her success serves as a powerful inspiration for countless young women preparing for competitive examinations.
Story of Right Direction and Hard Work
Shraddha Pandey’s story is much more than the tale of securing Rank 1 in the BPSC examination. It is a story of courage after failure, discipline without coaching, success through self-study, and unwavering faith in hard work.
From a modest village in Pratapgarh to topping one of Bihar’s most prestigious competitive examinations, her journey reflects what determination can achieve. Clearing the UPPSC examination in her first attempt, serving as an Assistant Commissioner, and then becoming the BPSC topper while relying primarily on digital resources demonstrates that success is built on consistency rather than circumstances.
For every aspirant who doubts whether limited resources can lead to extraordinary achievements, Shraddha’s journey provides a clear answer: dreams are not limited by where you come from but by how persistently you pursue them. Her story will continue to inspire thousands of young men and women to believe in themselves, embrace disciplined preparation, learn from failures, and strive for excellence in public service.
