Meet IAS Ankita Choudhary, daughter of a sugar mill worker, cracked UPSC with AIR-14

From being the daughter of a sugar mill worker to becoming an IAS officer, the journey of Ankita Choudhary is full of inspiration. Ankita is a living example of hard work despite facing tragedy in life and has proved that with persistence and determination, one can achieve anything in life.

Born in a modest, lower-middle-class family in Meham district of Haryana’s Rohtak, Ankita has been a brilliant student since her school days. Ankita’s mother passed away following a tragic car accident that left her broken from within. However, her father who worked as an accountant at a sugar mill always encouraged her to study well and be independent and self-sufficient.

Watch @Ankita25_ias, SDM Gurugram, talk about the "Anaemia Mukt Mahilayein Parivar ko Bachayein” initiative, a collaboration between Deloitte India and the district administration of Gurugram, Haryana.

Join us in this movement towards an #AnaemiaFreeIndia #WomenEmpowerment pic.twitter.com/R1pjnDy8jC

— Deloitte India (@DeloitteIndia) August 23, 2022

After completing her schooling, she went on to do her graduation from Hindu College, Delhi University with a degree in Chemistry. However, it was her childhood dream to become an IAS officer. Although she joined IIT Delhi for her post-graduation, she began her comprehensive preparation for UPSC.

Her father was her only support who inspired her to dream big in life. After the death of her mother, Ankita was heartbroken but chose not to let it break her. Instead, she decided to become an IAS officer as a way to honour her late mother.

With her father’s unwavering support, Ankita diligently prepared for UPSC and appeared for her first attempt in 2017. However, she failed, leaving her with two options: to quit or learn from her mistake and bounce back.

She decided to learn from her mistakes and bounce back in her second attempt. She studied more diligently and her hard work paid off in her second attempt. Her strong plan and commitment helped her secure an All India Rank (AIR-14) in UPSC CSE 2018.