UPSC CSE 2021: Meet Shruti Sharma, DU alumna who topped civil services exam with AIR 1

A former Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University student, Shruti Sharma was announced as the topper of the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2021 on Monday. While Sharma secured the top rank, three women follow her as the next highest rankers in this year’s CSE results by the Union Public Service Commission.

UPSC declares #CivilServices 2021 Final Result.685 candidates recommended for appointment.

Shruti Sharma tops the list followed by Ankita Agarwal and Gamini Singla #upsc pic.twitter.com/9KDfaDUfNy

— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) May 30, 2022

Sharma who desires to serve the country as an officer of the Indian Administrative Services, is a student of history who originally hails from Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor. Residing in Delhi, she prepared for the civil services exam at the Jamia Milia Islamia’s residential coaching academy (RCA), which she credits for her success.

Sharma had confidence about her chances of cracking the civil services exam. But her name at the top of the merit list was surprising, she was quoted in an Indian Express report.

Before diving into her UPSC preparations, Sharma completed schooling from Delhi's Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, pursued graduation from DU’s St. Stephens College and then joined JNU for her post-graduation. But she left it to join Jamia RCA for her IAS exam preparations. Not just Sharma, 22 more aspirants who prepared at Jamia RCA have been shortlisted in result of CSE 2021.

Other toppers of UPSC CSE 2021

Ankita Agarwal, Gamini Singla and Aishwarya Verma took the next three spots in the historic 2021 civil services result where top 4 rank holders are women in a first for the coveted exam. This year’s result has brought success to 685 aspirants. The CSE 2021 main written exam was conducted in January this year followed by interview rounds in April and May.

Out of these aspirants, who will now go on to hold posts including Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS), 244 people are from general category, 73 from Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), 203 of Other Backward Classes (OBCs), 105 Scheduled Caste (SC) and 60 from the Scheduled Tribes (ST), as announced by UPSC.

READ | UPSC CSE 2021 Result declared at upsc.gov.in, 685 qualify civil services exam