https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

How a String of Failures Led to AIR 72 in UPSC CSE 2021 for Jammu Boy Parth 

Indian Masterminds Stories

It is never too late to start working on your dreams. No matter how difficult the road to your dreams are, you can still achieve them, if you’re tenacious enough to work towards them. Parth Gupta from Jammu, who cleared UPSC CSE 2021 with AIR 72, proves it beyond any doubt. He had failed the exam four times consecutively, but cleared it twice after that. He is already working as a trainee IRS (Custom & Indirect Taxes) officer, and this time, with AIR 72, he is set to join a service of his choice. We present his journey today – how from being aimless once upon a time, he gave himself a dream and didn’t rest until he achieved it.

JOINED THE BANDWAGON 

While speaking on a media platform, Mr. Gupta described himself as the character portrayed by actor Hrithik Roshan in the movie, Lakshya. “I was good in studies but I was clueless about what to do in my life. At one point of time, I wanted to become a scientist and then I wanted to become a soldier. However, everything changed when I passed my 12th. Since I was not clear, so I did what everybody else was doing,” he said. 

He appeared for engineering entrance exams and got admission in NIT Hamirpur (Himachal Pradesh). After graduation, he took a job in Bangalore. 

“Till then I didn’t even know the difference between civil engineering and civil services,” he said.

DETERMINATION TO DO SOMETHING GOOD 

Once in Bangalore, he started enjoying his job and life there. One year passed this way and he started realising that the job doesn’t allow him to connect with people. “I was born and brought up in Jammu and used to visit my native place frequently. I was deeply connected to my roots and wanted to do something for my village and people. Secondly, my mother was a teacher and I have always thought that if you utilize the potential of teaching resource, then we can change everything for good. But, all of this were just my thought, I was not able to do it,” he said. 

After talking it over with his parents, he decided to try for civil services as it provides an opportunity to take initiatives and do good for society. 

FAILED FOUR TIMES

He gave his first attempt in 2015 but couldn’t clear Mains. After that, in consecutive attempts in 2016, 2017 and 2018, he couldn’t make it to the final list. He had already left his job and had nothing to hold onto, except his parents. “My parents were supportive. Even when I didn’t give result in the fourth attempt, they encouraged me to do it again. They also suggested me to move to Delhi from Bangalore, as it was a better place to prepare for exams like this. It was a tough decision but I did that. And, after intense preparation of one year, I cleared in 2019 with AIR 240. I was assigned IRS and was happy to do that,” he said. 

However, although the service was good, he started feeling that it was for him. “Soon I realized that this wasn’t my dream. I had to do something in the field of education and for the welfare of society. IRS was not meant for that. So I decided to go for another attempt for IAS. I am hopeful that with AIR 72, I will get the service of my choice,” he said. 

In his advice to UPSC aspirants, he says that if they want to do something in life, they have to ditch their comfort zone. Bangalore was his comfort zone, but he left it and chose what is right for him. 


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Odisha govt_resized
Odisha: 1 IPS & 1 OPS Officer Transferred, 2 Districts Get New SP, Manoj Kumar Rout Made SP, Bhadrak
Karnataka-govt-announces-state-wide-close-down-for-14-days
RCB Felicitation Stampede Fallout: 5 Senior Officers Suspended, IPS Seemanth Singh Appointed New Bengaluru Police Commissioner
NALCO
NALCO Refutes Reports of Capex Deferral, Confirms Rs 30,000 Crore Smelter Expansion is on Track - Know the Matter
Northern-Coalfields-Limited-NCL-Resized
NCL Signs MoU to Support Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities in Singrauli - All Details Inside
Ruchika Chauhan IAS
Leading By Example: Gwalior DC Ruchika Chauhan Arrives At Her Office Boarding An E-Rickshaw! Delivers A Strong Message On World Environment Day
KVIC Khadi and Village Industries
KVIC Disburses Rs. 300 Crore Margin Money Subsidy Under PMEGP to Boost Self-Employment - Details Inside
HUDCO New Logo
HUDCO Champions Green Urban Development on World Environment Day 2025
Mayur Dixit IAS
Who is IAS Mayur Dixit, the New DM of Haridwar? Uttarakhand Bureaucracy in Buzz Amid Land Scam Fallout
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Monika Singh
Monika Singh’s Life Beyond the Bureaucracy | Video Interview 
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
Modernising Governance: A Digital Transformation in Gangtok
IMG-20250523-WA0036
Abhishek Singh's SECRET: Vipassana, Anthropology & Smart Answer Writing | Video Interview 
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Divyanshu Pal Nagar IFS
5 Years, 5 Mains, 4 Interviews: How Divyanshu Pal Nagar Stumbled in CSE, Triumphed in IFS - A Lesson for Every Aspirant
Divyanshu Pal Nagar’s inspiring five-year UPSC journey shows how perseverance, disciplined self-study,...
ANUBHAV SINGH UPSC IFS 2024
9 Years, 8 Attempts, 7 Failures: How Anubhav Singh Cracked UPSC IFS 2024 with AIR 3 Against All Odds | Exclusive
Anubhav Singh’s inspiring journey to UPSC IFS Rank 3 showcases relentless perseverance, strategic preparation,...
Jogender Sihag
“I Cleared UPSC, But My Grandfather isn’t Here to Hear it,” Jogender Sihag, AIR 521, UPSC CSE 2024
"Life is short; make the most of it, whether in civil service or any other field. Just have a clear vision...
Social Media
Tiger jump Sundarban
Stunning Viral Video Shows Royal Bengal Tiger Making Spectacular 30-Foot Leap Across River in Sunderbans - See It Here
Retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Susanta Nanda shared the clip online, which quickly went...
shubham kumar ias marriage
IAS Topper Weds BPSC Topper: Shubham Kumar Marries IRS Officer Priyangi Mehta in Patna; Wedding Video Goes Viral
Topper Couple Alert: Shubham Kumar, Priyangi Mehta’s Wedding Grabs Spotlight in Bihar
parveen kaswan elephant
Elephant Outsmarts Electric Fence! IFS Parveen Kaswan Shares Incredible Video!
In the now-viral 51-second clip, the intelligent giant approaches a wooden pole supporting high-voltage...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Odisha govt_resized
Odisha: 1 IPS & 1 OPS Officer Transferred, 2 Districts Get New SP, Manoj Kumar Rout Made SP, Bhadrak
Karnataka-govt-announces-state-wide-close-down-for-14-days
RCB Felicitation Stampede Fallout: 5 Senior Officers Suspended, IPS Seemanth Singh Appointed New Bengaluru Police Commissioner
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Monika Singh
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
IMG-20250523-WA0036
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT