U’khand aspirants shine in UPSC civil services exam

Dehradun: Several young aspirants from Uttarakhand have achieved remarkable success in the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2025, conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the results of which were announced on Friday.From Udham Singh Nagar district, Priya Singh Chauhan of Kashipur and Shambhavi Tiwari of Kichha, secured 45th and 46th ranks respectively. Priya, originally from Budaun, succeeded in her fourth attempt. She completed her BTech in Delhi and currently works as an accountant in the Union home ministry.
"In my first attempt in 2020, I could not even clear the preliminary examination. But every failure taught me something and motivated me to keep trying," she recalled. Her father, RPS Chauhan, runs a diagnostic centre in Kashipur.Shambhavi, a gold medallist from Pantnagar University, improved her rank remarkably from 445th last year to 46th, fulfilling her dream of joining the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). She was allotted the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) and continued her preparation even during training. "Hard work and consistency always pay off," she said. Her father, Sushil Tiwari, is a lecturer, while her mother, Nivedita Awasthi, is an associate professor.Rishabh Nautiyal of Sunali village in Uttarkashi's Purola secured 552nd rank in his third attempt and was selected for the IAS. Ashutosh Nautiyal, from Guladi village in Banaal Patti, secured the 398th rank in his fourth attempt and was selected for the police service.Tehri's 24-year-old Meenal Negi secured the 66th rank in her second attempt. The daughter of a public school teacher, she relied on self-study and online tutorials while preparing in Dehradun. In Champawat, Anuj Pant achieved the 69th rank, improving from 345th last year when he was selected for the Indian Police Service (IPS). His father, Dinesh Chandra Pant, works in the private sector in Ghaziabad. Pant did his BSc from Delhi University.Pithoragarh's Aditya Pathak earned the 189th rank in his fourth attempt. A graduate in economics from Delhi University, he is the son of teachers Madhavanand and Manjula Pathak.Almora sub-divisional magistrate Soumya Garbyal cleared the UPSC with the 822nd rank. A resident of Bhimtal, she had earlier secured the 10th rank in the Uttarakhand PCS exam in 2024 and joined the state administrative service. "Managing studies along with training and official responsibilities was challenging, but I remained focused on my goal," she said. Her success has been widely celebrated in Dharchula, Bhimtal and Almora.Haridwar also produced achievers. Aryan Singh, 22, secured the 104th rank in his second attempt. A resident of Trimurti Nagar, he graduated in forensic science from Mumbai before beginning UPSC preparation. Another candidate, Tushar Chauhan, secured the 216th rank. His family had moved to Delhi three decades ago, where he completed his education.Meanwhile, controversy arose over claims by 27-year-old Fairuz Fathima of Piran Kaliyar, who said that she had secured the 708th rank. Celebrations followed in her hometown, however, on Saturday, Fairuz Fathima M from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram claimed that the 708th rank belonged to her. In support of her claim, she said that her full name, Fairuz Fathima M, appears against the 708th rank in the official UPSC selection list. In support of her claim, she said that her full name is Fairuz Fathima M, which is mentioned against the rank in the official selection list. Meanwhile, family members of the local Fairuz said that the "M" mentioned in the list stands for her surname and insisted that the roll number matched. However, they were unable to produce any relevant documents. Police said they are looking into the matter. (With inputs from Aakash Ahuja in US Nagar, Prem Punetha in Pithoragarh, Sonali Mishra in Nainital, Ashish Mishra in Uttarkashi, Tanmayee Tyagi in Dehradun, Yogesh Nagarkoti in Bageshwar, MS Nawaz in Haridwar and Tapan Susheel in Roorkee)Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Women's day wishes, messages and quotes !