Daijiworld Media Network - Katihar (Bihar)

Katihar (Bihar), June 30: Cracking the UPSC Civil Services Examination is often seen as one of the toughest challenges in India. For Anurag Kumar, the road to becoming an IAS officer was anything but smooth. Hailing from Bihar’s Katihar district, Anurag’s journey is a classic tale of resilience, grit, and second chances.

Anurag began his early education in a Hindi medium school. But things took a sharp turn when he moved to an English medium school after class 8. Struggling to adapt, he faced his first major academic failure — flunking the Maths pre-board exam in Class 12. But instead of giving up, Anurag bounced back. He pushed himself harder, aced the final board exams with over 90 percent, and proved he was far from done.

His academic struggles didn’t end there. Anurag got into Delhi University’s prestigious Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), but his college years were marred by repeated failures in several subjects. Again, he refused to let setbacks define him. He eventually completed his degree, went on to pursue post-graduation, and found new purpose: the UPSC Civil Services Examination.

With fresh determination, Anurag plunged into UPSC preparations. In 2017, he made his first attempt and secured an All India Rank of 667. Motivated to aim higher, he gave it another shot in 2018. This time, he landed an impressive AIR 48.

Today, Anurag Kumar serves as the Assistant District Officer in Bettiah, Bihar — a living testament to the power of perseverance and the fact that academic failures don’t define one’s future.