18 October 2026
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NIT Warangal Graduate Aced UPSC CSE 2021 with AIR 28 in 5th Attempt

Indian Masterminds Stories

With persistence and lots of patience, NIT Warangal graduate Mantri Mourya Bhardwaj cracked UPSC CSE 2021. Coincidentally the 28-year-old secured the 28thrank in the prestigious and one of the toughest exam. 

Mantri Mourya Bharadwaj graduated from NIT Warangal

His childhood dream finally turned into a reality after four failed attempts earlier. This was his 5th attempt and he made it to the top 50 in the coveted list. Let’s take a brief look at his background and his UPSC journey.

CHILDHOOD DREAM

For Mantri Mourya Bhardwaj, who hails from Narsipatnam in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalli district, becoming an IAS officer was a childhood dream. So, even after graduating from NIT Warangal as an electrical and communication engineer in 2014 and joining a MNC in Hyderabad, he was not at peace. Talking to media, he had revealed: “Despite the fact that I obtained a job as an engineer, I didn’t really feel fulfilled. Since childhood, I desired to become an IAS officer. So, I decided to pursue my dream and left my join to prepare for CSE. However, after failing to clear the exam in the first three attempts, I took the decision to rejoin the job and keep trying to clear the exam simultaneously.”

UPSC JOURNEY

He joined an internet studying platform called Civils Day to help him in his preparation. He also took advantage of social media platforms like YouTube and Telegram to gather resources.

Bhardwaj secured AIR 28 in UPSC CSE 2021

Speaking about his interview experience, he said: “The interview was not that intimidating for me this time as I had faced it before as well. Also, because I was a working professional, communication was not a problem for me.”

IAS GOALS

Mantri Mourya said that since he was raised in a rural setup, he is more acquainted with the hardships of the people in rural areas. So, he wants to work for the upliftment of such areas so that the people get higher alternatives to improve their situations.

He also said that the pandemic affected the education and wellness sectors a lot and he would like to work for the betterment of these sectors. “My parents are engaged in these two sectors, so I have a larger view of both the sectors. So, as an IAS officer, I would like to give precedence to these two sectors to work on.”

Mantri Mourya’s father Satya Prasad is headmaster in a government school and his mother Radha Kumar is pharmacist in a government hospital. His younger brother Abhishek is a surgeon at AIIMS Jodhpur.

MESSAGE TO ASPIRANTS

His advice to UPSC aspirants is to never shy away from hard work and believe in themselves. Hard work never goes to waste, he says, adding that confidence is very important, too. “Confidence is the largest differentiator in this exam,” he sums up.


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