Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Jun 14: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has announced the final results of the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2025-2026, with Akansh Dhull securing an outstanding All India Rank 3 (AIR 3). Emerging as the second highest-ranked male candidate in the country, Dhull cleared the prestigious exam under the general category with roll number 3512521.
The commission has recommended a total of 958 candidates for various civil services across India this year.
Background and education
Hailing from Rohtak, Haryana, Akansh Dhull completed his schooling in Chandigarh before graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), University of Delhi. He is the son of Krishna Dhull, a BJP leader. Armed with a degree from a premier institution, Dhull had the option to sit for campus placements at SRCC but chose to opt out to pursue his childhood dream of entering the civil services.
His stellar rank comes after a journey of immense perseverance. Dhull fell short of his target in two previous attempts, where he achieved AIR 342 in 2023 and AIR 295 in 2024, before finally breaking into the top three in the 2025-2026 cycle.
Academic scorecard
Following the declaration of the final results, the commission released the official marksheet on its portal. Dhull achieved an exceptional aggregate score by performing consistently across both the written and interview stages:
Preparation and toppers' strategy
Dhull's success relied heavily on a structured and analytical preparation strategy.
Leveraging his educational background, Dhull selected Commerce and Accountancy as his optional subject, which gave him a stable and high-scoring foundation. His primary approach to the General Studies papers involved integrating dynamic current events directly into his static subject notes. For instance, he streamlined his environment notes by mapping out national parks and wildlife sanctuaries as soon as they appeared in daily news cycles to maintain conceptual clarity.
Addressing the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT), which has increasingly become a hurdle for many, Dhull focused strictly on time management. He prioritized his core strength in English comprehension to secure quick marks early in the paper before systematically moving on to the quantitative aptitude section.