UPSC 2023 topper Aditya Srivastava reveals father's secret success tip to crack world's toughest exams, civil services and IIT

Aditya Srivastava clinched the top spot in the Civil Services Examination, 2023, as declared by the Union Public Service Commission on Tuesday. The written segment of the CSE 2023 was conducted by UPSC in September 2023, followed by the Personality Test interviews in January-April 2024. Animesh Pradhan secured the second position, with Donuru Ananya Reddy coming in third. Aditya Srivastava, an electrical engineering graduate from IIT Kanpur, had previously secured 236th rank in the 2022 UPSC CSE and had chosen the Indian Police Service (IPS). Presently, Srivastava, hailing from Lucknow, is undergoing training at the National Police Academy in Hyderabad.

Speaking at an event at a college at Lucknow, Aditya Srivastava shared his father's advice which always motivated him: "Today's labour will give you lifelong happiness not just to you but also to other people, not just your family."

Urging the students to work hard towards their goal, the UPSC topper had said that "if you relax now...you waste today's time...then it will be difficult to succeed in today's ultra-competitive environment. "


He urged the students to always remember the sacrifice made our parents, "who work hard to make our lives better, even sacrificing their desires. We don't realise this in our early years," he said.

"If we make the same mistake again and again we cannot make progress...we should rectify the mistakes," Aditya Srivastava said, if pointed out by our teachers or elders. Srivastava urged students to form a goal. "Your dream will provide you the energy towards your goal," told the students.



In this context, the narrated the journey of former President APJ Abdul Kalam.

"There was no end to his hardships In his childhood, even during his school days. Abdul Kalam used to distribute newspapers and even used to read newspapers while distributing them. He is not only recognized not only among India top scientists but also rose to become India's President," Srivastava told the students, urging them to draw inspiration from the life of the former President.

The UPSC topper also emphasized the need for sustained study, citing the tale of tortoise and hare. "Today the competiton is very tough. if you don't do something extra....you cannot succeed," he said.

Speaking about why he opted for civil services, Srivastava, who worked about a year working at Goldman Sachs after passing out from IIT Kanpur, said the civil services presented an opportunity to positively influence the life of others.