In a powerful display of academic dedication and perseverance, three women have secured spots in the top five of the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2024, with Shakti Dubey from Banaras Hindu University leading the list. A total of 1,009 candidates have successfully cleared the prestigious exam, reaffirming the competitive nature of one of India’s toughest selection processes. The results, declared on Tuesday, highlight the continued rise of women candidates in public service, echoing a similar trend from 2022.
Top Performers and Their Backgrounds
Topping the list is 28-year-old Shakti Dubey, a postgraduate from BHU and a biochemistry graduate from the University of Allahabad. She cracked the exam in her fifth attempt with political science and international relations as her optional subject. Dubey spoke candidly about her struggles, admitting moments of self-doubt but credited her parents’ encouragement for helping her persevere. She described her preparation as consistent, emphasizing that there was never a day she didn’t study.
Second rank was secured by Harshita Goyal, a 24-year-old chartered accountancy postgraduate who also opted for political science and international relations. Goyal, originally from Haryana but residing in Vadodara, Gujarat, cleared the exam in her third attempt.
Taking the third spot is Maharashtra’s Dongre Archit Parag, a 26-year-old engineering graduate from VIT, Tamil Nadu. Fourth place went to Shah Margi Chirag, who holds a degree in computer engineering from Gujarat Technological University and cleared the exam on her fifth attempt. Delhi’s Aakash Garg, 24, secured the fifth rank with sociology as his optional subject. He stressed the importance of targeted and quality-driven study sessions over long study hours.
Selection Statistics and Demographics
This year, 9,92,599 candidates applied for the exam, out of which 5,83,213 appeared. Following the preliminary test held in June 2024, 14,627 advanced to the main exam in September. From there, 2,845 candidates qualified for the personality test conducted between January and April 2025.
Out of the 1,009 recommended candidates, 725 are men and 284 are women. The top 25 list comprises 11 women and 14 men. Among the successful candidates, 335 are from the general category, 109 from EWS, 318 from OBC, 160 from SC, and 87 from ST. Additionally, 45 candidates with benchmark disabilities also made the final list. The UPSC noted that the results of one candidate are withheld, 241 are provisional, and 230 have been placed on a reserve list.
