After UPSC toppers Smita Sabharwal, Tina Dabi, Shakti Dubey, UPSC AIR 6 scorecard of Komal Punia goes viral on social media, she scored highest in...

The UPSC exams are one of the toughest exams in India, with thousands of candidates taking them every year. Passing UPSC is a huge accomplishment and some individuals show exceptional determination by performing well on all exams. The UPSC annually recruits officers to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and Indian Police Service (IPS) through three phases of the civil services test: preliminary, main, and interview. In this article we will discuss Komal Punia who got the sixth rank in the UPSC exam.

Komal Punia hails from a village in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Her father is a farmer, and her mother is a homemaker. Komal Punia did her schooling from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV), Saharanpur, before enrolling for a B.Tech in Engineering Physics from IIT Roorkee and graduating in 2021.

When Komal was pursuing engineering, she decided to prepare for UPSC exam. Komal first attempted the UPSC exam in 2023 but did not succeed. But, she came back stronger. In her second attempt in 2023, she achieved an All India Rank of 474, and got into Indian Police Service (IPS). She is now training at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA). But Komal wasn’t done yet. With unwavering determination, she attempted UPSC CSE for the third time in 2024 – and this time around, she cracked UPSC exam with an AIR 6.

Komal Punia marks

Komal Punia secured AIR 6 with a total score of 1032 marks, including 856 marks in the MAINS written examination and 176 marks in the Interview round.

Her choice to forego the foundation course and devote that period to reappear for the Prelims and Mains and then start her IPS training formally. The choice reflects her commitment as well as her direction.

Komal's success is a true success story of determination and resilience. She has demonstrated that failure can be an intermediate step towards success if accompanied with strong willpower and diligent effort. By overcoming one of India's toughest examinations, she has not only proved her parents right, but also won massive pride for Saharanpur and Uttar Pradesh.