From Tikamgarh to the Civil Services: Siddharth Kaushal’s Journey to Believe, Begin, and Become
In a quiet corner of Madhya Pradesh, in the heartland of Bundelkhand, lies Tikamgarh — a small city often overlooked on the map, but one that now shines a little brighter thanks to the remarkable journey of Siddharth Kaushal. With an All India Rank (AIR) of 749 in the prestigious UPSC Civil Services Examination 2024, Siddharth’s story is not just one of academic success but a testament to resilience, clarity, and courage in the face of relentless challenges.
Born to a family rooted in government service — his father an Additional Sub-Inspector and his mother a government school teacher — Siddharth was no stranger to the values of discipline and commitment. He completed his schooling from Government Excellence School in Tikamgarh, carrying in his heart the hopes of his family and a dream of contributing meaningfully to society.
But like many young minds in India, Siddharth initially got swayed by societal trends. He joined an engineering college in Bhopal, influenced more by popular opinion than personal passion. It didn’t take long for him to realize that engineering was not his calling. “I felt completely lost,” he recalls. In a brave move that few would dare, he quit the course just two months in — a decision that cost him a year but saved him a lifetime of regret.
That year, Siddharth learned one of life’s most profound lessons — to stop seeking validation from others and start trusting his own instincts. He enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts program and simultaneously began preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Examination. It was a bold new beginning, but not without its fair share of doubts and societal judgments. People used to mock him, saying, “he couldn’t even do engineering, and now he thinks he can crack the civil services?” Instead of breaking him, those words lit a fire within him.
In his first attempt in 2022, he cleared the prelims — a feat in itself — and appeared for the mains with full dedication. However, life had other plans. Just ten days after the mains, tragedy struck. Siddharth lost his closest friend to a sudden illness. A month later, the results were out — he had missed the cutoff by 14 marks. The double blow was painful, yet it did not deter him. He rose again, stronger, more focused.
But life wasn’t done testing him. In early 2023, Siddharth’s mother was diagnosed with a cancerous ovarian tumor. Days blurred into hospital visits and treatments in Delhi. For two months, he studied in hospital rooms while tending to his mother. “I just wanted her to be okay. Everything else could wait,” he says. In the middle of this storm, he appeared for the prelims — and failed. It was a breaking point. Yet, Siddharth refused to give up. With time, his mother recovered enough to avoid chemotherapy, and with a renewed sense of purpose, he geared up for one final push in 2024. This time, he cleared all the stages — prelims, mains, and interview — and finally saw his name in the “holy PDF.”
Today, Siddharth Kaushal stands tall as a symbol of what unwavering determination, faith, and hard work can achieve. He’s also a passionate painter, travel blogger, and diary writer. He hopes to inspire many through his story. He is expected to join the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) and is preparing once again for an even better rank next year.
His message to aspirants is simple but powerful: “Believe in yourself. Prepare with confidence. You may stumble, but with hope and hard work, success is never out of reach.”
In a world that often demands quick wins, Siddharth’s journey is a reminder that the strongest victories are forged in silence, in struggle, and in the strength to stand up one more time after every fall.
