UPSC Success Story: The journey of Muskan Srivastava, a native of Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, into the civil services serves as an inspiration for the youth. In her very first attempt at the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2023, she secured the 98th All India Rank and earned a place in the Indian Police Service (IPS). Subsequently, she continued her preparations and achieved the 36th rank in the UPSC 2024 examination, thereby securing a position in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
Muskan Srivastava was raised in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh. She is the daughter of Dr. Sudhir Kumar Srivastava, a resident of the Awas Vikas Colony in Gonda. Her family originally hails from the village of Gulramau in the Mahmudabad area of Sitapur.
Job as a Software Engineer at Microsoft
After completing her B.Tech degree, Muskan began working as a Software Engineer at Microsoft. According to her, she did not have a specific goal of joining the civil services during her childhood. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she had the opportunity to work from home, she began reading newspapers regularly and watching motivational videos on YouTube.
It was during this period that she developed an interest in the UPSC Civil Services Examination and decided to pursue a career in the administrative services.
Secured 98th Rank in UPSC 2023
Muskan began her UPSC preparations in 2022. She appeared for the Civil Services Examination for the first time in 2023 and secured the 98th All India Rank in her debut attempt. Based on this rank, she was selected for the Indian Police Service (IPS).
However, Muskan’s ultimate goal was to join the administrative service. Therefore, even after being selected for the IPS, she continued her preparations.
Secured 36th Rank in UPSC 2024
Muskan appeared for the UPSC Civil Services Examination again in 2024. This time, she made a significant leap in her ranking, securing the 36th All India Rank. With this achievement, she was selected for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). In this manner, she achieved the feat of becoming an IPS officer first, followed by an IAS officer—succeeding in the UPSC examinations in two consecutive attempts.
Became an IAS Officer at 26
Muskan Srivastava was born on September 22, 1998. She succeeded in becoming an IPS officer at the age of 25 and an IAS officer at 26. Currently, she is an IAS officer of the 2025 batch, allotted to the Haryana cadre.
Reflecting on her UPSC journey, Muskan conveys a message to the youth that the UPSC exam is merely a part of life, not one’s entire existence. Her story also demonstrates that there is no set age limit for changing one’s career path or making a fresh attempt to pursue a new goal.
