For thousands of UPSC aspirants, the biggest battle isn’t against the syllabus. It is against self-doubt.
Deepak Baghel knows that feeling better than most.
Growing up in the Chambal region of Madhya Pradesh, preparing from Gwalior while watching the flood of Delhi coaching videos on social media, he often wondered whether he was missing something. Were students in Delhi learning secret strategies? Were better resources available only there? Was he already at a disadvantage?
Those questions stayed with him for years.
Yet in 2025, the same young man from Chambal secured All India Rank 602 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination. His journey was not defined by expensive coaching or shortcuts. It was shaped by honest self-analysis, learning from repeated disappointments, and discovering that sometimes the best answers are the simplest ones.
A DREAM THAT ARRIVED UNEXPECTEDLY
Deepak was born in Bhind, in Madhya Pradesh’s Chambal region, and completed his schooling in Gwalior. He later pursued a Bachelor of Arts from Jiwaji University, Gwalior, graduating in 2022.
Interestingly, civil services were never part of his childhood ambitions.
Soon after Class 12, he cleared the Services Selection Board (SSB), opening the door to a career as a Navy officer. However, circumstances prevented him from joining.
The idea of preparing for UPSC developed gradually rather than overnight. He began his preparation in 2022, the same year he completed graduation.
AN INTERVIEW IN THE FIRST ATTEMPT BUT NO FINAL SELECTION
Many aspirants spend years trying to clear even the preliminary examination. Deepak reached the UPSC interview in his very first attempt.
But despite making it to the personality test, his name did not appear in the final list. Instead of rushing into another attempt, he made a different choice.
Following the 2023 result, he connected with Abhijeet Chaudhary, an IPS officer who had appeared for the UPSC interview five times before entering the police service. That meeting proved to be a turning point.
Deepak shifted to Baramati for focused preparation under his guidance and deliberately skipped the 2023 examination to rebuild his strategy instead of chasing another attempt without reflection.
His second interview followed in 2024. Again, he missed the final list. Two interviews. Two disappointments.
Many would have questioned whether another attempt was worth it. Deepak did not. His third attempt brought the breakthrough he had been waiting for: AIR 602.
THE BIGGEST LESSON WAS TO STOP MAKING PREPARATION COMPLICATED
Unlike many successful candidates, Deepak did not rely heavily on coaching classes. His preparation revolved around self-study, consistent practice and understanding what UPSC actually demanded.
For prelims, he solved nearly 80 mock test papers during his first attempt, building speed and accuracy through repetition.
But his biggest learning came after the 2024 result. He realised he had started making his answers unnecessarily complicated.
“I simplified my preparation. I stopped using unnecessary jargon and focused on keeping my originality intact,” he shared in an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds.
According to him, trying too hard to sound sophisticated had actually reduced the effectiveness of his answers.
Instead, he shifted towards writing in simple language, linking static subjects with current affairs, and answering exactly what the examination demanded.
That change transformed his Mains performance.
His interview score this year was only 132, lower than he had expected. But his strong Mains marks ensured that he remained comfortably within the final merit list.
As Deepak himself admitted,
“Had my Mains marks not been good, I would have been out of the list.”
AN INTERVIEW FILLED WITH CHAMBAL AND TANKS
The UPSC interview turned out to be both familiar and surprising. Several questions came directly from his Detailed Application Form (DAF).
The board asked him about the formation of the Chambal ravines, the region’s gun culture, and his hometown.
Since his father served in the Indian Army’s Armoured Corps, the discussion soon moved towards military equipment.
One member unexpectedly asked him to explain the difference between the T-90 tank and India’s Arjun Main Battle Tank, including their operational capabilities and range.
Fortunately, Deepak had anticipated questions from his background and had prepared accordingly.
THE BATTLE WAS MORE EMOTIONAL THAN ACADEMIC
Deepak says he did not face major financial or academic hurdles. His biggest challenge was psychological.
Preparing from Gwalior often made him question whether he was missing opportunities available to students studying in Delhi.
He constantly battled the fear that coaching institutes elsewhere were offering something beyond his reach.
“I kept wondering what students in Delhi were doing differently. That feeling of missing out became one of my biggest challenges,” he told Indian Masterminds.
Eventually, he realised that success depended less on location and more on clarity, consistency and honest preparation. Finding the right mentor also helped remove many of his doubts and gave structure to his approach.
KNOW WHY YOU ARE PREPARING
Even after securing AIR 602, Deepak’s larger goal remains the Indian Administrative Service.
For now, he expects to join the Indian Revenue Service while preparing once again for the examination. His advice to future aspirants goes beyond books and strategy.
He believes candidates must first understand why they want to enter the civil services. Social media excitement, motivational videos or public attention should never become the reason to choose UPSC.
Instead, aspirants should understand the examination’s demands, analyse their strengths and weaknesses honestly, and prepare with realistic expectations.
As he puts it, “Your ‘why’ should be very big because this journey is unpredictable. Know why you are here before you begin.”
That clarity, perhaps more than any coaching material or study plan, became the foundation of Deepak Baghel’s journey from the Chambal region to the UPSC merit list.
