https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Sticking to Psychology Against Others’ Advice Got Her AIR 16 in First Attempt!

When 2017-batch IAS officer Anuj Malik chose Psychology as her optional, she was dissuaded by many to choose some other subject, citing low rate of success in this one.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Indian Masterminds presents today the UPSC success story of Ms. Anuj Malik who not only cleared Civil Services Examination in her very first attempt, but also came in the top 20 ranks. CSE is one of the toughest competitive exams in the country and due to the vast syllabus of the examination, the preparation becomes very difficult, and many aspirants have to appear for it multiple times before they finally make it. Yet, many even give up halfway, without reaching their goal.

By acing this tough exam in the very first time, Ms. Anuj Malik proved that she is way ahead of other aspirants and had a clear vision about the examination and the service she was opting for as a career choice.

CHOOSING UPSC

Ms. Anuj Malik belongs to the capital, Delhi, and is a resident of Lajpat Nagar. She completed her schooling from Air Force Bal Bharti School and pursued engineering and got a B. Tech degree in Electronics and Communication. Her parents are government employees, father works in Delhi Development Authority (DDA) whereas, her mother is employed in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

IAS officer Anuj Malik

In the final year of a four-year engineering course, Ms. Malik knew that she had to pick the public service field and contribute her services for the nation and its people. She was a smart student all throughout and had a goal of becoming a civil servant. She started preparing for the exam in 2015 from her home in Delhi.

MOTHER’S SUPPORT

Initially when people decide to appear for the UPSC exam, they don’t know what optional subject would be best for them. It is really a hard choice and sometimes aspirants change their optional subject during preparation because of not being sure of it.

Ms. Malik chose psychology as her optional despite getting different views from other people about the subject. Most of the people objected to it as the success rate is not that high in that particular subject.

However, when her mother came to know about this, she advised her to be fearless as she was appearing for the exam the first time. She further supported her in choosing the subject of her choice and told her to continue with the same optional subject.

Who knew that this little advice from her mother would do wonders for her? Being a bright and focused student, she cleared the exam in the very first attempt and secured All India Rank 16 to make it to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).

IAS officer Anuj Malik with her husband Gaurav Singh Sogarwal

CIVIL SERVANT LIFE

Her husband Gaurav Singh Sogarwal is also an IAS officer and is posted as SDM of Sadar Tehsil in Gorakhpur. Ms. Malik is currently the Joint Magistrate and SDM in Khajni, Uttar Pradesh. She keeps making headlines because of her work. Last year, she set an example after she had provided slippers to the migrant labourers walking barefoot during the lockdown. For this gesture, she was highly praised on social media.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Bhupendra Patel CM Gujarat
Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel Champions Education at Shala Praveshotsav 2025 in Gandhinagar - Know More
Mohan Yadav CM MP
MP RISE 2025: CM Mohan Yadav Unveils Mega Investment Push and Industrial Roadmap in Ratlam - Rs. 30,402 Crores To Be Invested! Details Inside
Indian Coast Guard
ICG Gets a Tech Edge: Indian Coast Guard Inducts ‘Adamya’, First Fast Patrol Vessel Under Goa Shipyard's 8-FPV Project
Pushkar-Singh-Dhami
CM Dhami Takes Stern View on Helpline Lapses; Becomes Longest-Serving BJP CM of Uttarakhand
Rajnath Singh
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Holds Key Bilateral Talks with Belarus, Tajikistan & Kazakhstan Counterparts at SCO Meet
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Launches India's First Maritime NBFC – Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited! All Details Inside
Numaligarh Refinery
Lifeline for Majuli: Numaligarh Refinery (NRL) Signs MoU with Assam IWT for Continued Diesel Supply to Ferry Services
CM Mohan Yadav
“MP Rise 2025” Conclave Begins in Ratlam: CM Mohan Yadav Transfers Rs 3,861 Crore Aid, 21,000 Youth Get Job Offers at MP Rise 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Ex IRS C Rajendiran
Ex-IRS Officer C. Rajendiran Illuminates Thirukkural’s Timeless Wisdom in Exclusive Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-25 at 5.07
Why Has the DGCA Fined Air India Rs 5 Crore Since Privatisation?
Former Diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar
Iran Is Weakest Now, Needs a Face-Saver
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Sanish Kumar Singh
“If you want it badly enough, you’ll find a way,” Sanish Kumar Singh AIR 8, UPSC IFS 2024 
The real interview, he says, was much more humane. “The board was conversational. The chairman opened...
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,...
Social Media
Shailaja Chandra
“Nanis & Dadis Have a Brain”: Former IAS Officer Shailaja Chandra Weighs in on 1970s vs 2025 Life Debate - “This Generation Has It Better”
Responding to Viral Post on Middle-Class Struggles, Ex-Bureaucrat Offers Candid Reflection on Then and...
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...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Bhupendra Patel CM Gujarat
Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel Champions Education at Shala Praveshotsav 2025 in Gandhinagar - Know More
Mohan Yadav CM MP
MP RISE 2025: CM Mohan Yadav Unveils Mega Investment Push and Industrial Roadmap in Ratlam - Rs. 30,402 Crores To Be Invested! Details Inside
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Ex IRS C Rajendiran
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-25 at 5.07
Former Diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT