https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Rank 4 Was Unexpected, Says Smriti Mishra (Exclusive)

Smriti Mishra from Agra cleared UPSC CSE 2022 with AIR 4 She graduated with Zoology, which was also her optional She urges aspirants to complete their graduation before taking the UPSC train
Indian Masterminds Stories

This year UPSC results have been unprecedented for the sheer number of women success stories and one such is Smriti Mishra’s, who has been ranked 4th in the all-India chart that the candidate from Agra, Uttar Pradesh, finds unbelievable and unexpected.

After completing her schooling from Agra, she landed in the national capital and took admission in Miranda House for her graduation in B.Sc. Later enrolled in Delhi University for Law and currently she is in her final year of LLB.

Ms. Mishra had only started preparing seriously for UPSC CSE amid the Covid outbreak. However, in 2021, she failed CSAT. She scored 120 in GS and 63 in CSAT. So getting an AIR-4, in her third attempt was not even part of her dreams.

OVERWHELMED

“I didn’t actually expected rank 4, however, I knew I’ll make it but this rank actually surprised me in a good way,” she shared with Indian Masterminds. Not only this, but she also shares that as soon as the result was declared she screamed out so loud that her mother thought that something wrong has happened. “As the news broke, everyone was so overwhelmed.”

PREPARATION STRATEGY

To prepare for UPSC CSE, Smriti took regular coaching which helped her in making notes. Simultaneously, she followed standard textbooks, stayed updated with newspapers and magazines. “I made sure to make lots of notes as it helps during revision. It’s just not reading but jotting them down enhances your retention power,” she added.

OPTIONAL

Smriti’s optional subject was Zoology. She chose the subject as she stood second in the university and is pretty good at it. “I was confident enough that I will do well and I even began studying Zoology earlier than GS,” she added.

With Smriti’s background in law, the UPSC Interview panel quizzed her, “What would you choose, Life or Law?” She also faced general ones related to her Detailed Application Form (DAF).

HONEST MANTRA

Smriti advises aspirants to be honest with their efforts. She says that this is an exam which requires a lot of patience. “Do not worry about the results, this will show with time because I have been in this journey for long.”

She urges them to complete graduation before starting off with UPSC preparations. “I really want to work for the upliftment of women and society in general,” says Smriti Mishra, who is one of the 320 women who made their mark from among the total 933 successful candidates in UPSC CSE.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Union Minister Bhupendra yadav
No Immediate Plan to Regulate AC Temperatures: Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav Clarifies, Says 20–28°C Cap May Be Considered Only After 2050
Punya Salila Srivastava IAS
IAS Punya Salila Srivastava Gets Additional Charge of Health Research; IRS Pankaj Bodkhe Repatriated from KVIC
education
Gujarat Achieves 100% Textbook Distribution Before Academic Year: Over 6 Crore Books Delivered
Punjab_govt_resized
Punjab: 8 IAS & 9 PCS Transferred, Amandeep Kaur-II Posted as Addl Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar
Bihar’s Makhana
Desi Makhana Goes Global: From IIT Dreams to Entrepreneurial Reality in Bihar, as Makhana from Bihar Gains International Recognition
Thermal Power
Pirpainti Power Push: Private Power Majors Show Interest in Bihar’s Largest Thermal Project at Pirpainti
IPS Smiti Chaudhary
Obituary: Haryana's Senior IPS Smiti Chaudhary Passes Away at 48 in Nashik, Leaves Behind Legacy of Integrity & Service
Indian Railways
From Isolation to Integration: New Rail Corridor Signals Hope for Naxal-Affected Bastar, Final Survey Phase of Kothagudem–Kirandul Line Underway
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
Koya Sree Harsha IAS
When a Community Becomes a Family for Its Most Vulnerable
Union Minister Bhupendra yadav
No Immediate Plan to Regulate AC Temperatures: Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav Clarifies, Says 20–28°C Cap May Be Considered Only After 2050
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