Daijiworld Media Network – Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh, Aug 2: Ishita Kishore’s journey to securing All India Rank 1 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2022 is nothing short of inspiring. Once a corporate professional at Ernst & Young, Ishita walked away from a high-paying job in risk advisory to chase her dream of becoming a civil servant — a decision that changed the course of her life.

Hailing from Greater Noida, Ishita comes from a disciplined and academically inclined background. Her father served in the Indian Air Force, while her mother is a schoolteacher. The youngest of two siblings, her elder brother is a lawyer. A graduate in economics from Delhi University’s prestigious Shri Ram College of Commerce (batch of 2017), Ishita also showcased her talent in sports, having played football at the national level in the 2012 Subroto Cup.

In 2019, she quit her job to focus on the UPSC exam. Despite setbacks in her first two attempts where she could not clear the prelims, Ishita stayed committed. On her third attempt, her perseverance paid off — she not only cleared the exam but topped the country. She chose political science and international relations as her optional subject and relied entirely on self-study throughout her preparation.

Her UPSC 2022 marksheet, which scored her a total of 1094 marks, quickly gained attention on social media, further cementing her status as a role model among aspirants. Speaking about her preparation strategy, Ishita emphasizes discipline and sincerity over raw intelligence. “No matter how intelligent you are, you have to put in the hours and do the hard work,” she said in an interview.

Now a serving IAS officer, Ishita’s story is a powerful reminder that determination, resilience, and self-belief can take you from the boardroom to the top of the civil services.