Meet woman, IIT graduate who cleared UPSC exam twice, became IPS, then IAS with AIR…

The story of Garima Agrawal's perseverance and determination on her way to success is truly inspirational. She comes from a business family and did exceptionally well in school, earning impressive grades in her 10th and 12th grades, respectively, of 89% and 92%. Garima's path took a significant turn when she cracked the JEE exam and secured admission to IIT Hyderabad, where she earned an engineering degree. Subsequently, she broadened her horizons through an enriching internship in Germany.

Garima never stopped being curious about new intellectual challenges, even after achieving extraordinary success. She set her sights on the challenging UPSC Civil Services Exam, and with incredible perseverance, she achieved a score of 240 and an IPS position that she had long desired. Relentlessly driven by her first success, Garima set out on a difficult path, juggling her duties as an IPS officer with her unwavering pursuit of her ultimate ambition of being appointed to an IAS post.

Garima highlights the comprehensive approach she took and advocates for thorough preparation that covers the main exam, preliminary exam, and interview. She draws from her own experiences to highlight areas where questions from the UPSC Pre and Main Exams may overlap. Garima, who is the Assistant District Magistrate of Telangana at the moment, retook the exam in 2018 and scored a remarkable All India Rank (AIR) of 40 thanks to her unshakable dedication. Garima emphasises the need of constant practice and suggests taking mock tests on a regular basis to improve writing skills. Her incredible accomplishments were supported by her belief that success involves more than just learning; it also requires careful planning and concentrated study.