Aditya Srivastava, hailing from the city of Nawabs, Lucknow, has emerged as the all-India topper in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Mains Examination 2023. Srivastava’s journey from the corporate corridors of Goldman Sachs to the forefront of India’s civil service is a remarkable one.
Srivastava is an IIT Kanpur graduate with a degree in electrical engineering. In 2019, he began his professional journey with Goldman Sachs, one of the world’s leading investment banks, based in Bengaluru. However, driven by a desire to serve the nation through the civil services, Srivastava left his high-paying investment banking job after 15 months to prepare for the UPSC exams.
Srivastava did not rely on traditional preparatory methods but instead banked heavily on previous years’ questions, taking up mock tests and interviews. He emphasized the importance of strategic preparation, which means making a distinction between smart work and hard work. Despite setbacks, including failure during the preliminary stage in 2021, Srivastava’s perseverance paid off when he secured 236th rank in his second attempt in 2022. He applied again in 2023 and clinched the top rank.
Animesh Pradhan and Donuru Ananya Reddy secured the second and third ranks, respectively. The UPSC exam qualifiers will occupy crucial positions in various government services, including the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Foreign Service, Indian Police Service, and Central Services Group A and Group B.
