Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Nov 4: For many UPSC aspirants, the journey towards the civil services is a test of patience, discipline and the ability to learn from experience. Aryan Yadav’s achievement of securing All India Rank 31 in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination 2025 demonstrates how focused preparation, consistent practice and a well-planned strategy can help turn an ambitious goal into reality.
Aryan, who completed his BTech in Computer Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, secured the prestigious rank in his second attempt. He had appeared for the Civil Services Examination for the first time in 2024 before improving his performance in the 2025 examination.
Born in New Delhi and raised in Gurugram, Haryana, Aryan developed a strong academic foundation during his school years at Delhi Public School, Gurugram. His interest in science and mathematics helped shape his academic journey, which eventually led him to IIT Roorkee, one of India's leading engineering institutions. He graduated in 2023 with a degree in Computer Science and Engineering.
His academic achievements began well before his entry into the civil services arena. Aryan secured All India Rank 388 in the JEE Advanced examination in 2019 and received the Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) Fellowship in 2017. At IIT Roorkee, he also participated in the Inter-IIT Aquatics Meet and served as vice-captain of the institute's aquatics team, gaining experience in teamwork and leadership alongside his academic pursuits.
Despite his technical background, Aryan chose to pursue the civil services, a field that demands a broad understanding of society, governance, economics, history and public affairs. His success in the examination reflects his ability to approach a different academic challenge with a structured plan and sustained effort.
During his UPSC preparation, Aryan was associated with the VisionIAS Classroom General Studies Foundation Course. The programme provided a structured framework for covering the syllabus, practising answer writing and preparing for the Preliminary Examination, Main Examination and Personality Test.
One of the important decisions in Aryan’s preparation was choosing Mathematics as his optional subject for the UPSC Main Examination. With his engineering background, the subject offered an opportunity to build on his existing analytical skills. However, the extensive syllabus required sustained practice and careful time management.
In an interview about his preparation journey, Aryan emphasised the importance of keeping study resources limited and concentrating on understanding the subjects thoroughly rather than continuously adding new material. He relied on standard sources and repeatedly solved previous years’ question papers to understand UPSC’s examination pattern. This helped him identify relevant topics and avoid unnecessary reading.
Regular revision, mock tests and answer-writing practice formed important parts of his preparation. Rather than treating the Preliminary Examination, Main Examination and interview as separate challenges, his approach focused on developing the knowledge and skills required across the different stages. His experience highlights the importance of evaluating one's preparation, identifying weaknesses and making improvements instead of following an unnecessarily complicated study plan.
The interview stage presented another opportunity to prepare through practice. Aryan attended mock interviews as part of an interview guidance programme, which helped him become familiar with the interview environment and receive feedback on areas requiring improvement. He has spoken about how nervousness before entering the interview room is natural, but answering questions can help a candidate settle into the process.
His final result was a testament to his preparation. Aryan secured 855 marks in the written examination and 165 marks in the Personality Test, taking his final score to 1,020 out of 2,025 and earning All India Rank 31 in UPSC CSE 2025.
Aryan Yadav’s journey offers an encouraging lesson to civil services aspirants: success does not necessarily depend on collecting the largest number of books or study materials. A clear understanding of the syllabus, repeated practice with previous years’ question papers, consistent revision and the willingness to learn from mistakes can make preparation more effective.
His achievement also demonstrates that an engineering education need not limit a candidate to a technical career. With determination and a disciplined approach, the analytical skills developed in one field can be applied to the wider demands of public administration.
For aspirants preparing for future examinations, Aryan’s success serves as a reminder that consistency matters more than the appearance of constant activity. Staying focused on essential resources, practising regularly and improving step by step can help candidates navigate one of India's most demanding competitive examinations.