The UPSC exam is conducted on a national level. Hence, there are thousands of candidates who aim for a single seat. Almost 90 percent dream to become an IAS officer. The exam takes place once a year. However, the pandemic has caused some delays in the regular UPSC calendar. Hence, those who wrote the exam in 2020 have received their results in the year 2021. Moreover, the mains 2020 was shifted to January 2021. these two years were of grave lockdown. Hence, by far we only have clear data from UPSC CSE 2019. Moreover, the UPSC 2021 prelims are on their way to happen. However, there is no mains exam date out yet. Therefore, the final dates and UPSC/IAS Exam topper 2021 list awaits. Similarly, there is no declaration of the UPSC 2020 toppers list. Hence, in today’s article, we will list the UPSC/IAS exam toppers from the year 2019.
Top 10 UPSC/IAS Exam Topper List 2019
Firstly, let us look at the top 10 rankers from the civil services exam of 2019. There was a tough competition in this year among candidates. However, this brilliant ten managed to secure an outstanding score. Let us look at their names and their total/final UPSC scores.
| Rank | UPSC Toppers Name |
| 1 | Pradeep Singh |
| 2 | Jatin Kishore |
| 3 | Pratibha Verma |
| 4 | Himanshu Jain |
| 5 | Jeydev C S |
| 6 | Vishakha Yadav |
| 7 | Ganesh Kumar Baskar |
| 8 | Abhishek Saraf |
| 9 | Ravi Jain |
| 10 | Sanjita Mohapatra |
UPSC Topper’s Marks
These are the top 10 toppers from the 2019 UPSC exam. Let us now look at how much did each one of them score. After this, we will look at the UPSC Topper 2021. The UPSC exam is of a total of 1750 marks. The candidate who manages to secure the highest marks secures the AIR one. This is a very prestigious moment. Moreover, it is a dream for many and an inspiration for others. In 2019, Pradeep Singh managed to secure a score of 1072 which is the highest among all other candidates. Therefore, he was honored with the All India Rank One in UPSC 2019. To read more on Pradeep Singh: click here. The second rank holder is Jatin Kishore. This candidate secured a score of 1063. He holds the second AIR. Moreover, there is a difference of only nine marks b/w the AIR 1 and 2.
The third rank holder is Pratibha Verma. She is the female who secured a rank among the top three. This is again a very huge achievement for the female aspirant and her followers. Pratibha Verma secured the third rank by scoring a total of 1062 marks. Sadly, there is a difference of one mark only b/w the AIR 2 and AIR 3. Hence, every single mark matters in the UPSC exam. The fourth rank holder is Himanshu Jain, again a male candidate and a topper. Himanshu scored a total of 1051 marks out of 1750 in the UPSC exam. Again, here there is a huge difference in marks between the AIR 3 and AIR 4. Himanshu scored 11 marks less than Pratibha. Hence, he is fourth on the list of toppers.
AIR 5 to AIR 10
The fifth rank holder is Jeydev CS. This candidate scored a total of 1050 marks. Again there is a one mark different b/w the AIR 4 and AIR 5 candidate. AIR 6 and AIR 7 scored the same number of marks. They scored a total of 1046 marks in the UPSC CSE 2019 exam. Hence, AIR 6 was given to Visakha Yadav. AIR 7 was given to Ganesh Kumar Bhaskar. A candidate named Abhishek Saraf grabbed the AIR 8 with a final score of 1045 marks. Again a one mark difference only. Ravi Jain secured the All India Ninth Rank with a score of 1043 marks. Lastly, Sanjith Mohapatra secured the tenth All India Rank with a score of 1042. Therefore, we notice that there is only a mark’s difference to gain or lose a rank in the UPSC exam. To check the UPSC results: click here.
How to become the UPSC/IAS Exam Topper in 2021
Many aim to become the UPSC/IAS exam topper in 2021. The exams are scheduled to be held in the later months of this year. Hence, one must have a well-structured strategy to achieve their goal. The very first thing to do before preparing a strategy is to write down your goal. You have to manifest what you want. However, manifestation isn’t enough. You have to work for that All India Rank which you aim for. When you read about any of the UPSC toppers, you will realize everyone had a determination. They fail yet didn’t give up their dream. Each of us has at least six UPSC attempts. However, think like you have just one and give it your best shot. Here are some important tips on how to become the next UPSC/IAS exam topper in your 2021 attempt.
Common Mistakes that won’t make you an UPSC/IAS Exam Topper in 2021
Firstly, let us talk about some common mistakes that candidates make during their preparation. Usually, these mistakes hold them back from securing a rank. Here are the mistakes. The prelims exam has the GS portion and the CSAT portion. The GS topics are wide, but the CSAT syllabus is limited. Hence, you can easily and tactfully crack the prelims. For prelims, you need to learn how to avoid the negative marking system and the elimination technique. Therefore, get help from the previous year’s prelims question papers practice. Moreover, the prelims pattern is simple. There are MCQ-type questions only. Thus, your first and the mini-goal towards becoming a UPSC/IAS exam topper in 2021 is to clear the prelims exam.
While you prepare for the prelims/mains GS papers, do not forget your essays and optional papers. Moreover, you should also look at the qualifying papers. Because without qualification your other paper’s marks are invalid in nature. Mainly, the GS concepts are clear in head for everyone. If the answer is conceptual/factual/static, everyone is going to write almost a similar answer. This is again a disadvantage for you. Hence, to stand out from the crowd, we recommend that you should focus on your essays very much. The essay paper is unique for you. Moreover, this paper will either make you or break you. Essays are the best way to judge your ideologies and thinking. Hence, one must develop the art of essay writing.
GS 4 and Optional Papers to make you the UPSC topper in 2021
After the essay paper, the next unique feature in your final score will be defined by GS paper 4 and your optional papers. The GS 4 paper is an important element that will make you the UPSC/IAS exam topper in 2021. GS 4 is an ethics, integrity, and aptitude paper. It contains some static questions. However, the major important type of questions is the case studies. The case study is often complex. Moreover, each candidate has a different method of handling the case. Hence, the case study is unique for every candidate. Usually, toppers with an AIR have a good score in this paper.
Lastly, your optional papers will decide your final score in the written papers. There are two optional papers. Hence, they carry a great weightage. Therefore, one has to play smart while choosing your optional subject. Firstly, choose a subject with relevant experience. Secondly, choose a subject with a limited syllabus. Additionally, you should practice the previous year’s questions for your optional subject. Over the year’s we have noticed that toppers who face difficulties with their optional tend to change their optional subject in their next attempt. Hence, you can first try and read about the optional subjects of your interest and then smartly choose.
Year-wise All India First Rankers of UPSC CSE
- AIR 1 2019 – Pradeep Singh
- IAS Topper 2018 – Kanishak Kataria
- IAS Topper 2017 – Anudeep Durishetty
- AIR 1 2016 – Nandini K.R.
- IAS Topper 2015 – Tina Dabi
- IAS Topper 2014 – Ira Singhal
FAQs
Yes. It has been noticed that every UPSC topper has stressed the need to make your own notes for revision and preparation. Hence, to become the UPSC/IAS exam topper in 2021, you need to prepare your own notes. However, you can rely on some primary as well as secondary sources to create your own notes.
Usually, the UPSC toppers are interviewed by top TV channels. Moreover, they are also invited to forums, academic institutes, and many other places. They often share their strategies with young aspirants. You can watch their speech deliveries on popular platforms like YouTube. You can also check out the Byju’s IAS section or the Unacademy IAS section to get these videos.
No. Usually, you have to mention your service preferences in your application form. Hence, based on your preference, rank, vacancy, and UPSC recommendation, you are allotted a suitable service.
Editor’s Note | UPSC Topper 2021
Here we will conclude our article. In today’s article, we spoke of many different aspects of the UPSC/IAS exam topper in 2021. However, firstly, we listed the top ten AIR holders of 2019. Hence, we realized how even a single mark can decide your fate. Furthermore, we also discussed their overall or total/final marks as per their result sheets. Moreover, we talked about how to become the UPSC/IAS exam topper in 2021. Here we shared some amazing tips. Moreover, we also gave our insights on the common mistakes that candidates make in their first attempts and how to avoid them. Lastly, we listed the year-wise toppers of UPSC CSE for your reference. We hope that this article has helped you in many ways.
