Daijiworld Media Network – Haryana
Haryana, Sep 8: For many UPSC aspirants, success does not come in the first attempt. For Geetika Arora of Ballabhgarh, Haryana, the journey to securing All India Rank (AIR) 22 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025 was marked by repeated setbacks, emotional challenges and financial pressures. After four attempts, she finally achieved her dream of entering the civil services.
Geetika’s journey began after she graduated in 2021. She completed her schooling at Rawal Public School in Ballabhgarh and later pursued BCom (Honours) from Indraprastha College for Women, Delhi University, graduating in 2021. She went on to complete a master’s degree in Social Sciences in 2023.
Her first UPSC attempt came in 2022. Despite considering it her best-prepared attempt, she missed the Preliminary Examination by just eight marks in Paper I. Rather than giving up, she returned to preparation with renewed determination.
Her second attempt brought her much closer to her goal. She cleared both the Preliminary and Main examinations and appeared for the personality test. However, she missed the final selection list by 12 marks and the reserve list by five marks. The setback affected her mental state, and with the next Preliminary examination only two months away, she could not clear the 2024 Prelims.
The disappointment, however, did not end her civil services dream. She prepared again and appeared for the 2025 examination. This time, her persistence finally paid off. The UPSC's official list of recommended candidates places Geetika Arora, roll number 0865516, at Rank 22. She scored 831 marks in the Main examination and 192 in the personality test, securing a final total of 1,023 marks.
Geetika's preparation was largely self-driven. After building her foundation through coaching, she relied heavily on self-study, prepared her own notes for the Main examination and used mock tests and test series for Prelims. She studied for around 10 to 12 hours a day, while ensuring that she did not put excessive pressure on herself. Sociology was her optional subject.
Her preparation journey was also supported by structured test programmes. InsightsIAS lists her among its UPSC CSE 2025 achievers, noting her participation in its Year Long Mains Test Series and Insta Secure programme. She also received guidance in Sociology through LevelUp IAS, where she used a Sociology crash course and test series and worked on answer writing and evaluation.
Financial constraints while living in Delhi and comments from relatives about her repeated attempts were among the challenges she faced. Yet, she credits her parents — her mother is a homemaker and her father runs a business — for providing unwavering support. Their encouragement helped her continue despite repeated disappointments.
Interestingly, before securing AIR 22, Geetika had already entered government service. Following her previous UPSC interview, she secured a Level 10 Group A position as a District Youth Officer under the My Bharat initiative of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports through the Pratibha Setu initiative. At the time of her 2025 success, she was undergoing training in Bhopal. She said having a job and greater life experience also helped improve her confidence during her second UPSC interview.
Her final interview went considerably better than her previous one. Questions reportedly focused largely on her Detailed Application Form, including her hobby of journaling and her association with the Satyarthi Foundation and the work of Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi.
Looking back at her journey, Geetika's message to UPSC aspirants is simple: success takes time. She believes that sincere effort, perseverance and the right approach eventually yield results. Her journey from missing Prelims by eight marks, to narrowly missing the final list, to eventually securing AIR 22 is a powerful reminder that failure can be a part of the road to success.
Her story is not merely about a rank. It is about continuing to work when the result does not go your way — and having the courage to try once more.