Who is Shakti Dubey? How did she clear UPSC Civil Service examination after 5 attempts?
Shakti Dubey studied Biochemistry at the undergraduate level and chose Political Science and International Relations as her optional subjects for the examination. She initially aspired to become a doctor.
Out of 9.92 lakh people who applied for Civil Services Examinations (CSE), Shakti Dubey from Uttar Pradesh emerged as the top candidate, securing All India Rank 1. She cracked it after five unsuccessful attempts.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) said about 28% of all recommended candidates were women. Notably, three of the top five candidates were women occupying ranks of 1, 2, and 4. Among the top 25 rank holders, 11 were women.
Who is Shakti Dubey?
Shakti Dubey hails from Naini, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. She graduated from the University of Allahabad and the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) before beginning her preparation for the civil services examination around 2018. She secured first rank in CSE 2024.
She studied Biochemistry at the undergraduate level and chose Political Science and International Relations as her optional subjects for the examination.
She initially aspired to become a doctor.
Shakti Dubey on her ‘lowest point of life’
“I was a PCB (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) student in school, but based on my rank, I was allotted a seat in dental. I wasn’t interested in that path, so I chose to pursue a BSc instead,” Indian Express quoted Dubey as saying.
“I couldn’t even clear the prelims in my first three tries. In the fourth attempt, I made it to the interview stage but fell short. And last year, I missed the cut-off by just 12 marks. That was the lowest point in my life—I genuinely thought about quitting,” she added.
“I’m going to sleep peacefully tonight. For years, jo neend puri nahi hui, aaj usko pura karungi (Today, I’ll make up for the years of lost sleep)," Dubey said.
Shakti Dubey ‘continued preparations on her own’
"Shakti studied till Class 12 at the SMC Ghoorpur, just nearby, and later topped the B.Sc exam from the University of Allahabad," her father, Devendra Dubey, a sub-inspector in the Uttar Pradesh Police, said.
"After graduation, she pursued M.Sc from the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), where she also topped. Though we initially sent her to Delhi for coaching, the COVID-19 pandemic forced her to return home, and she continued her preparations on her own," he added.
The UPSC CSE Interview took place between January 7 to April 17, 2025.
Apart from Dubey, the other rankers in the top five were Harshita Goyal, Dongre Archit Parag, Shah Margi Chirag, and Akash Garg.
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