https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

15 Failures in Competitive Exams Later, Altap Shaikh Cracked UPSC CSE 2020

He cleared UPSC CSE 2020 with AIR 545 afther 4 failures in Prelims, and 1 failure in interview He failed 3 UPSC Assistant Commandant interviews He failed in 6 Maharashtra state services Mains and 1 UP PCS Mains
Indian Masterminds Stories

A self-confessed movie buff, Maharashtra’s Altap Shaikh likes to bring in film dialogues of his favourite cine stars while speaking about his UPSC journey. It was films that helped him cope with failures and film dialogues that made him push harder towards his goal.

Every time he failed to clear UPSC CSE, he drowned his sorrow in films and Chinese food. And, thereafter, in remembering his and is father’s favourite hero, Salman Khan, in the movie ‘Wanted’, where the actor played the character of an IPS officer. Ever since watching this movie, his father wanted him to become an officer, like the hero, and over time, it became Mr. Shaikh’s dream, too.

However, coming from a humble background, it was not easy for him to follow his dreams. His father Mahammad Mistry was a two wheeler mechanic who ran a small garage near a scrap shop. And, from this small space, his grandmother ran a tiny tea stall. These three spaces – garage, tea stall, and scrap shop – would assume great significance in Mr. Shaikh’s life as it panned out.

Speaking exclusively to Indian Masterminds, the protagonist here, Mr. Altap Mahammad Shaikh ICLS, narrated his life story, that is not lesser than any movie, with all its dramatic twists and turns.

Altap Mahammad Shaikh ICLS

THE TEA STALL

As a kid, he was often sent to deliver tea to shops, beer bars, and offices. One place he had to routinely deliver tea was a pharmacy. The owner used to lay out medicine strips or bottles in front of him and ask the child Altap to spell and read out the names aloud. These were his first English lessons.

In a 5th standard test later on, he became the class topper by securing 49 out of 50 in English, prompting the teacher to ask him his name for the first time. “Altap Mahammad Shaikh,” he said with confidence. That evening, he ran all the way home to show his father the English paper.

THE SCRAP SHOP

The scrap shop was right next to their small garage. Whenever he got time, young Altap would rummage through the heap of abandoned books – some torn, some unwanted, some intact. He would read through them hungrily – a boy eager to take in as much knowledge as he could on different subjects. He even finished a book on Ornithology, something unrelated to his school syllabus.

In Class 9, he got admission into Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, another milestone in his life. He was the only one selected from his area and neighbours trooped into his home to congratulate his family.

With his confidence boosted further, he started doing very well in studies and passed both 10th and 12th boards with very good marks. He also cleared AIEEE and got admission in NIT. However, his family had no money to pay the fees. He went with his father to banks where their application for an education loan was turned down when they got to know that the father was a mechanic.

Altap Mahammad Shaikh ICLS

His father had only INR 30,000 with him. So, Altap took admission in Biotechnology in a local college, in Islampur, the fees of which was exactly INR 30,000. He gave up the dream of becoming an engineer. But, things were aligning for him towards a different path!

In this college, while working part-time as the librarian, he came upon a study group for Maharashtra state civil services exam. One day, he went and sat down in that evening class but was asked to leave as he had not paid the fees.

He suffered another humiliation after the ‘bank incident’, but, left the coaching class quietly. And, instead, started studying in the library, a practice he had picked up at the scrap shop. He sat for the exam. When the results came, only four students had cleared from his college as there was a change in the question paper pattern that year. And Altap was one of them.

THE GARAGE

One day, while a young Altap was sitting in his father’s garage and reading a book, the district SP came in to get his old two wheeler fixed by Altap’s father. The SP noticed the young boy reading in a corner and told the father, “I am impressed that instead of placing tools in your son’s hands, you have placed books.”

He then advised Altap to study well to get further in life. An advice that both Altap and his father took to heart. The SP was Ashok Kamte, who later achieved martyrdom during the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The IPS officer’s words reminded the father-son duo of the movie of their favourite cine star Salman Khan, ‘Wanted’, where the actor played the role of an IPS officer. That his son would one day become an officer like the hero in ‘Wanted’ and real life IPS officer Ashok Kamte, became a constant wish for the father.

Altap Mahammad Shaikh ICLS (right) calling on the President of India

UPSC SUCCESS

However, like every aspirant finds out during the course of this journey, Altap, too, found out that UPSC is an arduous one. But, even after going through failure after failure in USC CSE, he never considered giving up. Yes, there were times when he felt extremely low, enough to make him feel like giving up on life. Yet, he always bounced back after remembering the last promise he had made to his father when he was lying in his grave – “I promise to fulfill your dream of seeing me as a civil servant.”

He had a stable job in Intelligence Bureau now, but, he kept on giving UPSC Civil Services exams. Five times, he failed, but, on the sixth attempt, he passed. He had secured AIR 545 and was allotted Indian Corporate Law Service (ICLS).

Today, Mr. Altap Mahammad Shaikh ICLS is Assistant Director (OT) in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, New Delhi. Sitting on his official chair, he had just one simple advice for all UPSC aspirants: “Whenever you fail, just go back to the basics.”


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC on Implementation of Safeguards for Scheduled Tribe Employees
MP CM Collector Award Niti Aayog
Sampurnata Abhiyan: Madhya Pradesh Leads NITI Aayog Campaign; Collectors from 8 Districts Win Gold
Mohan Yadav
MP CM Mohan Yadav Pushes for Sustainable, Community-Driven Rural Water Policy; Targets 100% Tap Coverage by March 2027
Ajay Bhadoo IAS
IAS Ajay Bhadoo Gets Extended Term as DGFT - What It Means & His Career Journey
THDCIL_Receives_ABMS_Certification_for_Integrity_and_Transparency
THDC India (THDCIL) Awarded ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Certification by BIS - Details Inside
Ministry of Environment
Environment Ministry Clarifies Petrol Vehicle Tender, Cites E-Vehicle Flexibility
Bokaro Steel Plant
PESB Selects Priya Ranjan to Head Bokaro Steel Plant, SAIL’s Key Production Unit
REC Limited wins ‘Best Design Thinking Award’ at 5th Distinguished NBFC (DNA) Awards
REC Limited Bags ‘Best Design Thinking Award’ at 5th Distinguished NBFC Awards
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
Resisted Flawed Schemes, Transferred Thrice In Three Months, Found Solace In Writing
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
IAS SVR Srinivas on Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Tough Calls, and the Real Power of IAS Officers | Video Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
Dharavi Redevelopment: IAS Minds Turning 100-Year-Old Slum into a Modern City | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Minnu P M
“Lazy, Sleepy, Yet Determined”: Minnu P M’s Honest Take on Cracking UPSC
Minnu PM, once a clerk in Kerala Police, cleared UPSC with AIR 150 after five years of struggle. Her...
IPS Ashish Tiwari
From IIT and Investment Banking to Public Service, Meet IPS Ashish Tiwari 
Ashish Tiwari, IIT graduate and former investment banker, chose public service over global finance. As...
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-12 at 7.27
First Attempt IRS, Fourth Attempt IPS: The Relentless Pursuit of Jitendra Kumar Yadav Who Cracked UPSC 3 Times
IPS Yadav is originally from Chhattisgarh. He was first selected for the IRS through UPSC and later for...
Social Media
Masahiro Hara
From Go Board to Global Use, How QR Codes Changed the World: IRAS Officer Ananth Rupanagudi Spotlights Masahiro Hara’s Vision
IRAS officer Ananth Rupanagudi shared a video on Masahiro Hara, the inventor of QR codes, highlighting...
IFS Susanta Nanda Video
A Mother’s Duty: Tigress Watches Over Cubs Splashing in Waterhole — Heartwarming Video Shared By Retd. IFS Officer Susanta Nanda
A tender wildlife video shared by Retd. IFS officer Susanta Nanda shows a tigress keeping watch over...
Mohanmala
Kaziranga Mourns: Beloved Elephant Mohanmala Passes Away After Five Decades of Service
Kaziranga National Park mourns the loss of Mohanmala, a beloved elephant who served over 50 years as...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC on Implementation of Safeguards for Scheduled Tribe Employees
MP CM Collector Award Niti Aayog
Sampurnata Abhiyan: Madhya Pradesh Leads NITI Aayog Campaign; Collectors from 8 Districts Win Gold
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT