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Home / IAS Preparation / Aakash Garg AIR 5: Journey, Background, Optional & Strategy

Aakash Garg AIR 5: Journey, Background, Optional & Strategy

Last Updated on May 14, 2025
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Securing an All India Rank 5 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2024, Aakash Garg has become a source of immense inspiration for aspirants across India. He scored 1032 marks in UPSC CSE 2024. Hailing from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, and having a solid academic foundation, Aakash’s journey is a testament to disciplined preparation, smart strategy, and emotional resilience. With his eyes set on the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Aakash balanced technical precision with thoughtful introspection throughout his preparation. 

 

Parameter

Details

Name

Aakash Garg

UPSC Rank

AIR 5 (CSE 2024)
Marks Obtained 1032

Number of Attempts

2

Successful Attempt

2nd Attempt

Age

23

Hometown

Meerut, Uttar Pradesh

Educational Background

B.Tech from IIT Delhi (Chemical Engineering)

Optional Subject

PSIR (Political Science and International Relations)

Coaching Institute

Vajiram & Ravi

UPSC Targeted Service

Indian Administrative Service (IAS)

Interview Board

Smita Nagaraj

Download UPSC CSE Final Result 2024 PDF

 

Download UPSC List of Recommended Candidates With Marks PDF

 

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UPSC Topper Aakash Garg Early Life and Educational Background

Aakash Garg was born and raised in Meerut, a historic city in western Uttar Pradesh. A meritorious student from the beginning, he completed his schooling from Dewan Public School, Meerut, and went on to pursue Chemical Engineering from IIT Delhi, one of India’s top engineering institutions.

Despite having a secure and promising career path in the engineering and corporate sector, Aakash felt a deeper calling toward public service. His exposure to social inequalities and governance issues during college discussions and internships motivated him to prepare for the UPSC Civil Services Examination.

Also Read: Shakti Dubey UPSC AIR 1 2024

Aakash Garg UPSC Journey

Aakash’s UPSC journey was defined by consistency, clarity of thought, and strategic refinement. His first attempt, although not successful in securing a top rank, helped him understand the importance of answer writing practice, structured revision, and mental composure.

He used the insights from his first attempt to fine-tune his approach in the second. This time, he focused extensively on building conceptual clarity, developing a daily timetable, and mastering Current Affairs through daily newspaper analysis and Vajiram & Ravi’s resources.

Aakash’s disciplined approach, where he minimized distractions, used crisp notes, and practiced extensive mock tests, helped him tackle each stage of the exam with confidence.

Aakash Garg Number of Attempts

Aakash Garg cleared the UPSC CSE in his 2nd attempt.

  • First Attempt: Though he did not reach the final merit list, the attempt gave him practical exposure to the pattern, time pressure, and answer writing techniques.
     
  • Second Attempt (2024): He cracked all three stages—Prelims, Mains, and the Personality Test—with impressive scores, securing All India Rank 5.
     

His success in the second attempt highlights the power of introspection, incremental improvement, and targeted hard work.

Check out the Cut off list 2025!

Optional Subject – PSIR

Aakash chose Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) as his optional subject, despite coming from a technical background. His interest in governance, international relations, and political theory made PSIR a natural choice.

He emphasized the importance of enjoying the subject you choose as optional. His PSIR preparation included:

  • Referring to standard books like Andrew Heywood, OP Gauba, and IGNOU material.
     
  • Writing previous years’ Mains questions under exam-like conditions.
     
  • Developing crisp notes for thinkers and theories.
     
  • Following global developments and linking them to concepts in Paper II.
     
  • Aakash performed well in his optional, which significantly boosted his final score.

Check out UPSC 2025 Toppers List!

Aakash Garg Personality Test (Interview)

Aakash’s interview was conducted by the Smita Nagaraj board. His DAF included his IIT background, academic achievements, and interests in behavioral economics and cricket.

During the interview, he was asked about:

  • Ethical dilemmas and decision-making frameworks.
     
  • Civil service reforms.
     
  • Behavioral aspects of governance.
     
  • Opinions on international relations and India’s diplomacy.
     

He maintained a calm and confident demeanor throughout and approached each question with analytical depth and balanced articulation, earning high marks in the Personality Test.

More Articles for IAS Preparation

Aakash Garg UPSC FAQs

His first preference is the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), with a focus on governance reforms and digital administration.

He hails from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, and completed his schooling there before joining IIT Delhi.

At the time of securing AIR 5 in UPSC CSE 2024, Aakash Garg age was 23 years

The Aakash Garg number of attempts is two. He succeeded in his second attempt.

Aakash Garg optional subject was Political Science and International Relations (PSIR).
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