Woman Jumps from Rank 186 to AIR 9 in Third UPSC Try

While most people would celebrate landing a prestigious police officer position, Aastha Jain saw it as just the beginning of her journey.

The 25-year-old from Shamli, Uttar Pradesh, just secured All-India Rank 9 in India's toughest examination, the UPSC Civil Services Exam. This wasn't beginner's luck—it was her third attempt, and each one showed her relentless determination to improve.

Aastha first cracked the exam with rank 131, earning a position in the Indian Police Service. While training in Hyderabad for that role, she took the exam again and dropped to rank 186. Instead of accepting defeat, she doubled down on her preparation.

Her father Ajay Kumar Jain runs a small confectionery shop near a temple in their hometown of Kandla. The family—three daughters and one son—pooled their resources to send Aastha to Delhi University for her BA degree. She juggled her studies with civil service preparation, relying mostly on self-study with some coaching and online resources.

Her academic brilliance showed early. In 2019, Aastha scored 496 out of 500 marks in her intermediate exams, finishing fourth in the entire country. That same drive carried her through years of preparation for one of India's most competitive exams.

The 2025 exam saw nearly 577,000 candidates attempt the preliminary round. Only 14,161 qualified for the written exam, and just 2,736 made it to the final interview stage. Aastha climbed to the top 10 among them all.

The Ripple Effect

News of Aastha's success swept through her small town like wildfire. Neighbors poured into the Jain family shop to celebrate, and her father distributed sweets throughout the market. For young people in Kandla, especially girls from modest backgrounds, Aastha became living proof that big dreams don't require big bank accounts.

Her achievement resonates beyond one town. In a country where millions compete annually for civil service positions, her journey from rank 186 to rank 9 demolishes the myth that your first result defines your potential. She showed that setbacks can be stepping stones when you refuse to give up.

From her training base in Hyderabad, Aastha credited her parents, siblings, and teachers for standing by her through three years of intense preparation. Her story reminds us that success rarely arrives on schedule, but persistence has a way of rewriting the timeline.