https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

UPSC Story Of Two Friends: Failed Together, Sailed the Exam Together

Unique story of two friends, both cleared the UPSC together, one got IAS, other became IPS. IPS Saad Miya Khan achieved the UPSC milestone in his 5th attempt, while IAS Vishal Mishra cleared the exam in his 3rd attempt. Their story exemplifies the adage – one becomes the company he keeps.
Indian Masterminds Stories

The 2018-batch IPS officer Saad Miya Khan and IAS Vishal Mishra, became friends while doing B Tech in Civil Engineering at HBTI, Kanpur. Later, they passed the UPSC CSE too together though despite living away from each other.

When the results of UPSC CSE 2017 came, Mr. Khan secured 25th rank in his fifth attempt. But even after having such a good rank, Mr Saad chose IPS instead of IAS to change the perception of Indian police. While Mr Mishra passed the exam with 49th rank in his third attempt and became IAS.

Mr Saad is currently serving as DCP, Greater Noida on Addl. SP rank in UP cadre. Mr. Vishal is presently posted as Chief Development Officer, Udhampur Nagar in Uttarakhand cadre.

Speaking with Indian Masterminds, Mr.Khan said, “Both of us had the same branch at HBTI, so we developed a good bond and helped each other in studying. We exactly did not prepared together for UPSC as I started my preparation much earlier than Vishal. But we did take help from other.”

IPS Saad Miya Khan (in center) being felicitated by senior officers

B. TECH STORY

Hailing from Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh, Saad, wanted to join Civil Services from his school days itself. After graduation, he went to Delhi to prepare for the UPSC exam. But Vishal, stayed back in IIT Kanpur to do a postgraduate after qualifying GATE. He completed his M. Tech in water resource engineering. It was here that Vishal developed interest in UPSC. After engineering, he too moved to Delhi for UPSC preparation. In this journey, he already had Saad to help him. 

Speaking with Indian Masterminds, Vishal said, “Saad guided me a lot. This way then his preparation also improved. He was preparing by staying at home. But we both remained connected through WhatsApp.”

IAS Vishal Mishra at a seminar (Photo Credit: Social Media)

UPSC JOURNEY

Saad appeared in UPSC CSE four times from 2013 to 2017 and qualified in his fifth attempt in 2017. While Vishal reached the Interview stage in his all 3 attempts, but failed to clear it in his earlier two attempts. Saad’s optional was Geography and Vishal’s option subject was sociology.

Vishal said, “I was confident of clearing the exam in my second attempt. But, when result came, I kept crying for an hour. I was even thinking of leaving my preparation, but my brother persuaded me for another attempt. This time my prelims was not up to the mark. But I still started preparing for mains. Rest is history.”

IPS Saad Miya Khan (Photo Credit: Social Media)

Saad said, “In previous 4 attempts, General Studies score used to be below average but in CSE 2017 I did fairly well scoring in all GS papers.Both of us got selected together in UPSC CSE. It was great moment for us.”

Phone was the lifeline that connected the two friends during Interview preparation. Vishal said, “We used to discuss many things. We had formed a group to prepare. There used to be conversations on notes, topics and study book etc between us. We benefited a lot from that. We met in Delhi at the time of the interview only.”

IAS Vishal Mishra (Photo Credit: Social Media)

SUGGESTIONS

Both friends are agreed that 8 to 10 hours regular focussed study is enough for a good preparation. They said that aspirants should be focused on their goal and avoid any deviation. Mr Vishal said, “A healthy discussion on any topic with your fellow aspirants can be helpful for you lot. Proper notes is also necessary for mains exam.”


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Image Yoga Day NBCC
Yoga Mahakumbh & Meditation Workshop: NBCC Commemorates 11th International Day of Yoga with Holistic Wellness Initiatives
IAS Prasanth N
Controversy Deepens Over IAS Officer Prasanth’s Suspension Extension Despite Panel Clearance
Indian Bureaucracy News Latest
ACC Extends Central Deputation Tenures of Ajai Kumar Verma and Kushagra Mittal
Screenshot 2025-06-21 202516
CM Yogi Leads International Yoga Day Celebrations in Gorakhpur
Indian PSUs Yoga Day 2025
Indian PSUs Lead the Way: Massive Participation Marks 11th International Yoga Day Across Public Sector
Jammu&Kashmir
Jammu & Kashmir: 27 Officers Promoted to Time Scale of JKAS; Safiya Abdullah Among Them - Check Order Here
Uttar Pradesh UP Government
Uttar Pradesh Launches ‘Urban Green Policy’ to Combat Climate Change and Promote Sustainable Development
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-21 at 8.03
Yoga for One Earth, One Health: NLC India Celebrates 11th International Yoga Day with 10,000 Participants in Neyveli
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
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,...
Shailendra Choudhary UPSC
Daily Routine, Optional, Essays & More | Shailendra Choudhary Breaks It Down
Shailendra Choudhary, AIR 362 in UPSC 2024, shares how focused preparation, self-made strategies, and...
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
Image Yoga Day NBCC
Yoga Mahakumbh & Meditation Workshop: NBCC Commemorates 11th International Day of Yoga with Holistic Wellness Initiatives
IAS Prasanth N
Controversy Deepens Over IAS Officer Prasanth’s Suspension Extension Despite Panel Clearance
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Inderjit Singh Interview Plane Crash
IRAS Ananth Rupanagudi
Monika Singh
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT