How 2023 UPSC topper Aditya Srivastava transitioned from high-paying Goldman Sachs job to all-India Rank 1

ADITYA Srivastava, who hails from the city of Nawabs in Lucknow, emerged as the all-India topper in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services mains examination 2023. From the corporate corridors of Goldman Sachs to the forefront of India's civil service, Aditya Srivastava's journey has been a remarkable one.

The UPSC top rank holder is a graduate of IIT Kanpur, and holds a degree in electrical engineering. 

In 2019, Srivastava began his professional journey by pursuing a career with Goldman Sachs, one of the world's leading investment banks.

The post was based in Bengaluru. Driven by a desire to serve the nation through civil services, Srivastava devoted himself entirely to preparing for the UPSC exams by quitting the high-paying investment banking job and returning to his hometown after 15 months with Goldman Sachs.

Srivastava did not rely on traditional preparatory methods but banked heavily on previous years’ questions. He also took up mock tests and interviews. Srivastava stressed the overwhelming importance of strategic preparation,  which essentially means making a distinction between smart work from hard work, Moneycontrol reported.

Despite setbacks, including failure during the preliminary stage in 2021, Srivastava put on repeated efforts to fulfil his dream. The failure taught him valuable lessons, as per the report. His perseverance bore fruit in 2022 when he managed to secure the 236th rank in his second attempt. He applied again in 2023 and clinched the top rank.

Animesh Pradhan is the second rank holder and Donuru Ananya Reddy secured the third rank.

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.