https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

No Mock Interviews, Test Series, Or Coaching, Yet Kerala UPSC Topper Gahana Navya James Got AIR-6

• Gahana Navya James cracked Civil Services Examwith AIR 5 • Her uncle is the Indian Ambassador to Japan • She dreams of becoming India’s face in foreign soil, and will choose Indian Foreign Services (IFS)
Indian Masterminds Stories

Talent is not dependant on anything. It can shine without any aid. Meet Gahana Navya James from Kerala, whose hobby since childhood has been to be “the topper”. She cracked UPSC CSE-2022 in her own style with AIR 6, without any coaching or giving test series or mock interviews.

It may be surprising, but that’s what Navya did. She loves to do things her own way rather than joining the herd. She prefers IFS over IAS as she is all for geopolitics.

Speaking with Indian Masterminds, she said, “This has been a much exciting journey and I enjoyed every phase of my UPSC journey. I always relied on my own methods.”

SECOND CHARM

It was her second attempt and she was not expecting such high rank. But becoming topper is in her genes perhaps.

Despite hailing from Kerala’s coaching hub, Pala town in Kottayam district, she never set foot at any coaching centre.

In her first attempt, she couldn’t crack even prelims. She said, “It was a big lesson as I learnt how to effectively prepare for the exam.”

Gahana celebrating with her family (Credit: Navya James)

IFS UNCLE

Coming from a highly educated background, Navya, 25, grew up under the keen eyes of her father Dr C K Jame, now a retired professor from Thomas College. Her mother Dr Deepa George is a former professor too.

It is her uncle Sibi George an IFS officer of 1993 batch and Indian Ambassador to Japan, who has been her inspiration and motivation for the civil services since childhood.

GOLD MEDALIST

Navya completed her schooling from Chavara Public School, Kottyam and did her 12th from St. Mary’s School.

She did her BA in History from Alphonsa College, Pala and was the University topper. She held on to the top position even with her post graduation in Political Science from St. Thomas College.

She also got Junior Research Fellowship in UGC NET exam and is currently pursuing PhD in International Relations from Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala.

Gahana Navya James, AIR-6, UPSC CSE-2022 (Credit: Navya James)

CIVIL SERVICES

How did she come from research to UPSC? She said, “I love this job since childhood. In high school, once I was asked about my ambitions, I replied Civil Service. But on joining college, I also developed an interest in research.”

In her journey of self-study for UPSC she chose Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) as her optional. She read English and Malayalam newspapers thoroughly as it helped to many things and prompted her to explore deeper.

CUSTOMISED STRATEGY

Talking about her strategy, she said, “I believed that I would be able to customize my strategy if I choose self-study. Therefore, I had very specific timetable. It was not very rigid and but flexible and regular according to my interest and day to day activity.”

For interview, her younger brother Gaurav Amar James helped her A lot. She loves sitting alone to study “as it helps me develop my own method”, she shared.

Gahana Navya James (Credit: Navya James)

INTERVIEW

Most of the questions asked were from her domain, International relations and economics. She was also asked quizzed in scienceand technology, Artificial intelligence (AI) and economics.

Asked “How would AI be related to the changes in the job market and its impact on employment scenario?

In hind sight, she says, “It was very diverse and very interesting Interview. It was one of the most exciting parts of my journey.”

NAVYA’S TIP

Giving suggestion to UPSC aspirants, Navya suggests that aspirants must be multi-dimensional in their approach while writing or answering questions.

“Be confidant about your skills and keep updating yourself what’s happening around you and in the world. Current affairs should be your cup of tea every day.”


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Indian Police Services IPS Officer
Champaran to Get 6 SPs: Bihar Govt Approves New IPS Posts to Ease Police Workload - Details Inside
IAS IPS
Marriage Brings Top Bureaucrats to Rajasthan: 6 IAS-IPS Officers, Including 4 Women, Shift Cadres in 5 Months - Full Details Inside
IFS Dhananjay Mohan
Uttarakhand’s Top Forest Officer IFS Dhananjay Mohan Takes Sudden VRS Amid Sapling Procurement Row; Samir Sinha Gets Addl Charg
IFS Kshitij Saxena
Who Is IFS Kshitij Saxena, Appointed as the New DFO (Territorial) of Gangtok, Sikkim?
CM Vishnu Deo Sai - resized
Chhattisgarh: CM Vishnu Deo Sai Launches Chief Minister Bus Service Scheme; Push for Connectivity and Development in Bastar and Surguja
CM Pushkar Dhami-resized
Uttarakhand: CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Unveils First Yoga Policy; Bhararisain to Emerge as Global Yoga Capital
IPS Laxmi Singh
UP: IPS Laxmi Singh, Commissioner of Gautam Budh Nagar Police, Cracks Down on Laxity, Suspends Officers over Crime Control Failures
Uttar Pradesh UP Government
Uttar Pradesh to Relocate Forest Dwellers to Curb Human-Wildlife Conflict, Rs. 22 Crore Compensation Package Drafted - All Details Inside
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Inderjit Singh Interview Plane Crash
What ill-fated pilots of AI171 may have gone through in those 40 seconds before the crash? Intro:
IRAS Ananth Rupanagudi
IRAS Ananth Rupanagudi’s 27-Year Odyssey with Indian Railways | Exclusive Interview
Monika Singh
The Civil Servant Who Finds Peace in Poetry
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Raju Wagh
When the Battlefield Became a Study Room and a Dream Took Flight
Amid IED blasts and anti-Maoist operations in Bastar, CRPF Commando Raju Wagh taught village kids, studied...
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-18 at 10.31
"I Just Wanted to Breathe Again": The Man Who Fought Death and Made It to UPSC
Struck by COVID at the peak of his UPSC prep, Devanand Telgote spent months on ECMO, unsure he'd live,...
Ravinder Nandal IDES
IDES Ravinder Nandal's Story of Self-Made Success
Balancing fatherhood, full-time jobs, and six UPSC attempts, Ravinder Nandal’s story is one of perseverance,...
Social Media
Tigress Arrowhead
The End of an Era: A Queen Falls - Ranthambore’s Iconic Tigress Arrowhead (T-84) Passes Away at 14, Hours After Daughter’s Relocation
Ranthambore mourns the loss of one of its fiercest and most beloved tigers, Arrowhead, the granddaughter...
Screenshot 2025-06-13 194001
Wild Elephant Disrupts Riverside Picnic, Sparks Debate on Human Encroachment; IFS Parveen Kumar Shares the Video - Watch Here!
Mr. Kaswan used the viral video, which has garnered over 1.5 lakh views, to highlight the risks of human...
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...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Vishwajit Singh
From Bureaucrat to Ironman: Vishwajit Singh Sheoran, Haryana’s First HCS Officer to Complete the Ironman, Redefines Greatness
Indian Police Services IPS Officer
Champaran to Get 6 SPs: Bihar Govt Approves New IPS Posts to Ease Police Workload - Details Inside
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Inderjit Singh Interview Plane Crash
IRAS Ananth Rupanagudi
Monika Singh
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT