IFS Ishita Bhatia's triumph over setbacks: A tale of resilience and success in UPSC journey

The UPSC Civil Services Exam in India is a hard nut to crack, often requiring tremendous effort and hard work. Despite its complexity, every year lakhs of aspirants appear with only a fortunate few securing positions such as IAS, IPS, and IFS after passing the tough exams. 

Today we will learn about IFS Ishita Bhatia whose UPSC journey is a testament to resilience, determination, and overcoming setbacks.

According to a News 18 report, Ishita, a resident of Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur, graduated with a degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from the National Institute of Technology.

Even though her technical background differed from her eventual goal in the Indian Forest Service (IFS), Ishita's early exposure to environmental issues and nature during her time in Delhi laid the foundation for her future pursuits.

Notably, Ishita initially wanted to become an officer in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), but while undergoing her training with the Indian Forest Service, she felt a strong attachment to the organisation and realised that this was her true calling.

Despite facing setbacks in exams like RBI grade B 2020, UPSC CAPF 2020, UPSC CDS 2020, ECGC PO 2021, Intelligence Bureau 2021, AAI ATC 2021, HPPSC pre-2021, and CAT 2021, she remained resilient and worked toward success.

However, missing the cut in the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2021 by a mere one mark led to emotional isolation for Ishita and her family. But she overcame the challenging period and focussed on excelling in the IFS Mains in the last two months. Selecting two new optional courses, she secured an impressive All India Rank (AIR) of 104.