Securing an All India Rank 5 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2024, Aakash Garg has become a source of immense inspiration for aspirants across India. He scored 1032 marks in UPSC CSE 2024. Hailing from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, and having a solid academic foundation, Aakash’s journey is a testament to disciplined preparation, smart strategy, and emotional resilience. With his eyes set on the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Aakash balanced technical precision with thoughtful introspection throughout his preparation.
Parameter |
Details |
Name |
Aakash Garg |
UPSC Rank |
AIR 5 (CSE 2024) |
Marks Obtained | 1032 |
Number of Attempts |
2 |
Successful Attempt |
2nd Attempt |
Age |
23 |
Hometown |
Meerut, Uttar Pradesh |
Educational Background |
B.Tech from IIT Delhi (Chemical Engineering) |
Optional Subject |
PSIR (Political Science and International Relations) |
Coaching Institute |
Vajiram & Ravi |
UPSC Targeted Service |
Indian Administrative Service (IAS) |
Interview Board |
Smita Nagaraj |
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Aakash Garg was born and raised in Meerut, a historic city in western Uttar Pradesh. A meritorious student from the beginning, he completed his schooling from Dewan Public School, Meerut, and went on to pursue Chemical Engineering from IIT Delhi, one of India’s top engineering institutions.
Despite having a secure and promising career path in the engineering and corporate sector, Aakash felt a deeper calling toward public service. His exposure to social inequalities and governance issues during college discussions and internships motivated him to prepare for the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
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Aakash’s UPSC journey was defined by consistency, clarity of thought, and strategic refinement. His first attempt, although not successful in securing a top rank, helped him understand the importance of answer writing practice, structured revision, and mental composure.
He used the insights from his first attempt to fine-tune his approach in the second. This time, he focused extensively on building conceptual clarity, developing a daily timetable, and mastering Current Affairs through daily newspaper analysis and Vajiram & Ravi’s resources.
Aakash’s disciplined approach, where he minimized distractions, used crisp notes, and practiced extensive mock tests, helped him tackle each stage of the exam with confidence.
Aakash Garg cleared the UPSC CSE in his 2nd attempt.
His success in the second attempt highlights the power of introspection, incremental improvement, and targeted hard work.
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Aakash chose Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) as his optional subject, despite coming from a technical background. His interest in governance, international relations, and political theory made PSIR a natural choice.
He emphasized the importance of enjoying the subject you choose as optional. His PSIR preparation included:
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Aakash’s interview was conducted by the Smita Nagaraj board. His DAF included his IIT background, academic achievements, and interests in behavioral economics and cricket.
During the interview, he was asked about:
He maintained a calm and confident demeanor throughout and approached each question with analytical depth and balanced articulation, earning high marks in the Personality Test.
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