Civil Services Aspirant Support Initiative

I come from Mardatu Badi, a small village in Sikar, Rajasthan, the youngest of six siblings in a humble agrarian family that worked hard just to make ends meet. Resources were scarce, but dreams were not rationed in our home. Among the many aspirations I carried, one stayed with me the longest — to serve through the Civil Services.

The road there was not one I walked alone.

Grameen Yuva Kendra became more than a coaching space for me; it became a foundation on which I could stand. The guidance I received there shaped not just my preparation, but my understanding of what discipline and purpose truly mean. Alongside this, the Atulya Foundation and DLF Foundation extended monetary support that lifted a real burden off my shoulders and my peers' — support that made it possible to simply keep going when giving up would have been easier.

I owe deep gratitude to Karnal Singh sir and Sachin Ahlawat sir, whose mentorship went far beyond textbooks and syllabi. They believed in a boy from a small village long before the results did, and that belief carried me through my hardest days. In Delhi, far from home, Captain Hawa Singh sir became my guardian in every sense — a steady presence that made an unfamiliar city feel a little less daunting.

Today, I look back at AIR 72 in CAPF 2024 and AIR 642 in CSE 2026 not as personal triumphs alone, but as the sum of everyone who held a piece of this journey with me — my family who sacrificed quietly, my mentors who guided patiently, and the organisations who gave without expecting anything back.

God has been kinder to me than I ever imagined, and I say this with all humility — none of this was mine alone to achieve. I look forward to many more endeavours ahead, carrying this same gratitude, and hoping to one day be for someone else what these people were for me.

My name is Vinod Kundu, and I was born in Khairi village in Hisar district, Haryana. I come from a humble farming family where hard work, honesty, and perseverance are a way of life. Growing up in the fields taught me the values of discipline, patience, and resilience long before I understood what success truly meant.

I studied in my village school and later completed my B.Sc. (Hons.) in Agriculture from Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University. During my college years, I developed a dream—to serve the nation by joining the Indian Forest Service.

To pursue this dream, I moved to Delhi to prepare for the UPSC Indian Forest Service (IFoS) Examination. The beginning was full of challenges. Coming from a modest farming family, paying high rent in Delhi was difficult. I had very little guidance, limited resources, and often struggled with self-doubt. There were many moments when the journey seemed uncertain.

A turning point in my life came when I became a part of Grammen Yuva Kendra (GYK). It became much more than a place to study—it became a family that believed in me.

I am deeply grateful to Sachin Sir, whose guidance, strategy, and constant motivation helped me stay focused and improve my preparation.

My heartfelt thanks to Karnail Sir for his exceptional interview guidance. His mentorship helped me build confidence, refine my personality, and perform well in the interview.

I also express my sincere gratitude to Hawa Singh Sir, whose encouragement and unwavering emotional support gave me strength during the most difficult phases of my preparation.

I am equally thankful to Atulya Foundation and DLF Foundation for their invaluable support. They provided accommodation, scholarship support, library facilities, and a peaceful environment where I could focus entirely on my studies without worrying about financial difficulties.

I was also fortunate to have wonderful friends who shared knowledge, encouraged me, and stood by me throughout this journey. Their support made every challenge easier.

After years of dedication, perseverance, and continuous learning, my efforts finally bore fruit. In 2025, I secured All India Rank 97 in the UPSC Indian Forest Service (IFoS) Examination.

This achievement is not mine. It belongs to my parents, whose sacrifices made my education possible; my mentors, who guided me; my friends, who stood by me; and every organization that believed in me when I needed it the most.

I offer my heartfelt gratitude to Grammen Yuva Kendra (GYK), Karnail Sir, Sachin Sir, Hawa Singh Sir, Atulya Foundation, DLF Foundation, my friends, and my family. Your support transformed my dream into reality, and I will always remain grateful.

My journey is proof that no dream is too big for someone from a small village. With hard work, the right guidance, and people who believe in you, even the biggest dreams can come true.

The soil of Khairi shaped my dreams, but the support of many kind hearts helped those dreams take flights. I hope my journey inspires many more young people from villages to believe in themselves and never stop chasing their dreams.

My name is Piyush Choudhary, and I belong to the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan. My father is a retired Executive Engineer from AVVNL, and my mother is a government school teacher.

My journey into competitive examinations began when my elder sister secured admission to IIT Bombay, inspiring me to pursue the same path. I later cracked JEE and graduated from IIT (ISM) Dhanbad with a B.Tech. in Electrical Engineering.

My years at IIT were the most transformative phase of my life, shaping my personality and resilience. After graduation, I worked for one and a half years as a Machine Learning Engineer at a Mumbai-based startup. My years at IIT were instrumental in shaping my personality and resilience.

Interestingly, I never imagined that I would one day prepare for Civil Services. In fact, academics were never a smooth journey for me—I failed in Class 4, Class 5, and even in my 3rd and 4th semesters of engineering, clearing each of them only through grace marks. During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, I witnessed the crucial role played by public institutions and civil servants. That experience changed my perspective and inspired me to dedicate myself to public service. In 2021, I resigned from my job and returned home to prepare for the UPSC examination through self-study, without joining any coaching institute.

My first attempt in 2021 ended at the Preliminary stage. In 2022, I cleared the prelims but missed the Interview stage by just 12 marks. Rather than discouraging me, that narrow margin convinced me that success was within reach.

I prepared even harder for the 2023 attempt, only to fail the Preliminary Examination. It was one of the lowest points of my journey. I then shifted to Delhi to prepare for the 2024 attempt. This time, I reached the Interview stage but again narrowly missed the final selection, which severely dented my confidence.

When I was unsure whether to continue, it was my mother who gave me the courage to take one last shot. She simply said, "Ek aakhri baar aur dekh le." Those few words became the turning point of my journey.

In my 2025 attempt, I cleared the cut-off for both the Civil Services Examination and the Indian Forest Service Examination. However, when the Civil Services final results were declared on 6 March 2026, my name was not on the final list. Later, I discovered that I had missed the selection by just 1 mark. While it was heartbreaking, it also reassured me that I was closer than ever before.

Meanwhile, I appeared for the Indian Forest Service interview on 9 April 2026. After the interview, I resumed preparing for the next Civil Services attempt. But life had a pleasant surprise in the store. Before the next examination cycle began, I received the news that I had been selected into the Indian Forest Service with an All-India Rank of 103.

Looking back, I realize that this was never my journey alone. It was equally the journey of my parents, my sister, and my friends, who stood beside me through every success and every setback. Their faith in me kept me going even when I had begun to doubt myself. In the end, every disappointment became a steppingstone towards success.

Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Grameen Yuva Kendra. The institution not only guided me academically and provided accommodation but also gave me an environment that kept me motivated during the most difficult phases of my preparation. I remain deeply thankful to IRS Arun Doody Sir, and Hawa Singh Ji for their constant encouragement, mentorship, and unwavering support throughout this journey.

In the small village of Dheengpur, near the revered town of Khatushyamji in Rajasthan, Siddhant Haritwal's journey began. Though his roots lay in a rural setting, his childhood was shaped by a family that deeply valued education, discipline, and public service.

His mother served in the CRPF, dedicating her life to the service of the nation, while his father worked as a government school teacher in Rajasthan, shaping young minds every day. Growing up in such an environment, Siddhant imbibed values of integrity, hard work, and commitment from an early age.

His schooling took him beyond his village. He spent his formative years in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, before continuing his education at Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 1, Ajmer, where he studied until Class X.

Even as a school student, his aptitude for academics was evident. In 2013, he represented his school at the National-Level Mathematics Quiz, an achievement that strengthened his confidence and nurtured his analytical thinking.

His academic journey eventually led him to one of India's premier institutions—IIT Delhi, where he pursued B.Tech. in Electrical Engineering, graduating in 2021.

Like many engineering graduates, Siddhant had several career options before him. Yet, inspired by the ideals of public service and the opportunity to create meaningful impact, he chose a path known for its uncertainty—the Civil Services Examination.

It was a decision that would test every aspect of his personality.

His first attempt ended in heartbreak. After clearing multiple stages, he narrowly missed the final list by just three marks.

For many, such a setback would have been enough to move on.

But Siddhant chose to continue.

He returned stronger for the second attempt, believing that experience would bridge the remaining gap. He improved further, yet once again missed the final list—this time by 29 marks.

Two successive near misses could have easily broken his confidence.

Instead, they strengthened his resolve.

The third attempt proved even more challenging. He could not clear the Preliminary Examination, a setback that forced him to introspect deeply. Going from narrowly missing selection twice to not clearing the very first stage was emotionally difficult.

But failure became his greatest teacher.

He reassessed his preparation, refined his strategy, worked on his weaknesses, and rebuilt himself with renewed discipline.

Throughout this demanding journey, the unwavering support of his family remained his greatest source of strength.

Equally significant was the guidance of mentors who helped shape different aspects of his journey.

Then came the fourth attempt.

Years of experience, disciplined preparation, emotional resilience, and unwavering determination finally converged.

When the final result was declared, Siddhant had secured All India Rank 637 in UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025.

It was not merely the culmination of four attempts.

It was the reward for choosing perseverance over disappointment, hope over uncertainty, and purpose over comfort.

The journey reflects a simple but powerful truth:

Success is rarely defined by a single examination.

It is defined by the courage to begin again after every setback.

I am deeply grateful to my parents, whose sacrifices and values have been the foundation of my journey. I sincerely thank Grammen Yuva Kendra for providing an ecosystem of guidance and encouragement throughout my preparation. My heartfelt gratitude goes to Karnal Singh Sir for his invaluable interview mentorship, Sachin Sir for helping me strengthen my answer writing and preparation strategy, and Hawa Singh Ji, whose unwavering support and fatherly guidance gave me strength during the most challenging phases of this journey.

I am equally thankful to the Trident and Atulya Foundation for their generous support through accommodation and financial assistance in Delhi, which allowed me to focus on my preparation without many of the practical challenges that aspirants often face. I also remain grateful to my friends, well-wishers, and everyone who stood by me in ways big and small.