https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Meet Ashutosh Kumar, Who Topped the Interview Round of UPSC CSE 2021 with 206 Marks

Ashutosh Kumar jointly shares the first rank in the Personality Test of CSE 2021 with Kiran PB. Ashutosh’s overall rank in this exam is AIR 77 and this was his fourth attempt. He is from Lucknow and both his parents are in the teaching profession.
Indian Masterminds Stories

UPSC CSE 2021 topper Shruti Sharma did not get the highest marks in the interview round or personality test. The top scorer in this round is Ashutosh Kumar who secured AIR 77. He jointly shares the first rank in personality test with Kiran PB. Both of them got 206 out of a total of 275. Indian Masterminds presents the success story of Lucknow boy, Ashutosh Kumar.

26-year-old Ashutosh Kumar got this success in his 4th attempt. His hard work paid dividends after three successive setbacks as he finally cracked the exam in 2021 securing AIR 77 and the highest marks in interview.

BEGINNING

Ashutosh hails from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. His father Ajay Kumar Mishra is associate professor of chemistry at Shri Jai Narayan Mishra PG College (KKC). His Mother Praveena Mishra is assistant teacher in Junior High School. She has been a great source of motivation for him throughout his preparation journey.

Ashutosh passed 12th from St. Fidelis College, Indiranagar. Then he went to IIT Kanpur for his graduation. After completing B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from there, he started preparing for UPSC. He took coaching for a year, and after that, did self study. 

Ashutosh says that was preparing for the exam since 2017. He failed thrice, but did not lose his confidence and got success in the fourth attempt. “I had made up my mind to appear in the Civil Services Examination at the time of graduation itself. When I saw friends preparing for UPSC, I also got inspired to prepare.”

That is why, he did not take up any job after completing his B.Tech. Instead, he started his preparation for the UPSC exam and gave his first attempt but couldn’t pass the Prelims.

He said, “My parents supported me in this and after finishing engineering, I returned to Lucknow for preparation. I failed in three attempts, but succeeded in the fourth. During the preparation, I focussed more on the topics where I was weak.”

UPSC PREPARATION

Ashutosh’s UPSC journey is same as other aspirants who continuously experienced failures but kept on analysing and correcting their mistakes, updating themselves all the while, until they achieved success. His optional subject was Political Science and International Relations (PSIR). He believes that PSIR is a great optional for UPSC exam as most of its syllabus overlaps with the other general studies subjects, and this eventually helps in scoring better marks.

He said, “There was a time when negative thoughts used to come to my mind but I decided that I won’t lose focus. I kept motivating myself by taking inspiration from all hardworking people around me.”

INTERVIEW ROUND

Ashutosh Kumar has scored 991 marks out of 2025 marks in total, that comprises 785 marks in the Civil Services (Main) written exam and 206 marks in the Personality Test, which is the highest mark in the interview round of UPSC CSE 2021.

He said that his interview was good and most questions were asked from DAF . As his optional was PSIR, so there were questions from International Relations like the current crisis in Sri Lanka and Ukraine, India’s relations with neighbouring countries, etc. 

His suggestion for UPSC interview is to be real, analytical and positive. “Interview is to test your approach and analytical mindset, not for checking your knowledge, which was already done in prelims and mains,” he said.

Get Latest Updates on Indian Bureaucracy NewsIAS NewsIPS NewsIFS NewsIRS NewsCivil Services Excam NewsJudiciary NewsState Civil Services NewsPSU News


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Bipul-Pathak-IAS-JK
IAS Bipul Pathak Appointed Principal Secretary (Home) of Delhi in Strategic Bureaucratic Reshuffle
bihar-cm-solar
Bihar Moves Towards Energy Self-Sufficiency: Solar Power Emerges as a Game-Changer Under Nitish Kumar
bihar cabinet
69,000 Government Jobs and ₹2 Lakh for Women Entrepreneurs: Bihar’s Mega Employment Push
IAS Ayushi KBC
Who Is IAS Ayushi? The Visually Impaired Officer Whose Inspiring Journey Moved Amitabh Bachchan on KBC 17
India Post BSNL MoU
Department of Posts and BSNL Join Hands to Expand SIM Sales and Recharge Services Nationwide
Praveen Kumar ALIMCO CMD
Meet Praveen Kumar, Youngest CMD in India’s Public Sector, Driving ALIMCO’s Assistive Devices Mission
Haryana gov resized
Haryana Govt Denies Prosecution Sanction for IAS Officer Jaibir Arya in 2023 Corruption Case Due to Legal Technicality
Shah Faesal tribute to PM Modi
PM Modi’s 75th Birthday: IAS Officer Shah Faesal Credits Him for Restoring His Dignity, Calls Him a ‘Priest-King’ of Forgiveness
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr. S.K
Technology Meets Ecology: IFS Dr S K Srivastava’s Game-Changing Innovations in Forest Management | Eco Warrior Awards 2025 Interview
IFS Uttam Kumar Sharma Interview
From Extinction to Exhilaration: The Untold Story and Future Vision of Project Cheetah | Led by IFS Uttam Kumar Sharma | Eco Warrior Awards 2025
K M Abharna IFS Eco Warrior Awards 2025
Meet K. M. Abharna, the IFS Officer Behind Avni’s Case and Vidya Balan’s Sherni Role
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Ishwarlal Gurjar UPSC
10th Grade Failure to Indian Police Service: Ishwarlal Gurjar’s UPSC Success Path
Read the inspiring journey of Ishwarlal Gurjar from a small village in Rajasthan to becoming an IPS officer....
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...
Social Media
Parag Madhukar Dhakate
Relentless Rains Wreak Havoc in Dehradun: IFS officer PM Dhakate Warns Citizens Amid Flash Floods
Cloudbursts in Dehradun triggered flash floods. IFS officer Dr. PM Dhakate warned citizens to stay indoors...
Forest Guard Tiger Encounter
Tigers Clash in the Wild as Forest Guards Capture Rare Footage , Retired IFS Mohan Pargaien Posts Viral Video
Retired IFS officer Mohan Pargaien shares viral video of three tigers brawling in Ramnagar, as forest...
Tamil Nadu Gaur Rescue
Tiruchirappalli Forest Officials Risk Lives to Rescue Juvenile Gaur; Video Shared by IAS Officer Goes Viral
Trichy forest and fire teams risk lives to rescue a juvenile Indian gaur; IAS officer Supriya Sahu shares...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Bipul-Pathak-IAS-JK
IAS Bipul Pathak Appointed Principal Secretary (Home) of Delhi in Strategic Bureaucratic Reshuffle
bihar-cm-solar
Bihar Moves Towards Energy Self-Sufficiency: Solar Power Emerges as a Game-Changer Under Nitish Kumar
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr. S.K
IFS Uttam Kumar Sharma Interview
K M Abharna IFS Eco Warrior Awards 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT