New 24

Aastha Singh’s UPSC CSE 2024 Success Story: AIR 61 at Age 21 in Her First Attempt

Published on May 15, 2025 by Gurukul Academy

At Gurukul Academy, we are dedicated to empowering UPSC aspirants with inspiration, guidance, and resources to achieve their dreams. Today, we are thrilled to share the remarkable journey of Aastha Singh, the youngest IAS officer of the 2025 batch (as far as we know), who secured an impressive All India Rank (AIR) 61 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2024 at the tender age of 21—in her very first attempt! Aastha’s story is a testament to determination, strategic planning, and unwavering focus. Below, Aastha shares her detailed journey and preparation strategy, offering invaluable insights for aspirants aiming to crack one of India’s toughest exams.

---

Aastha Singh’s UPSC Journey: From Aspiration to AIR 61

By Aastha Singh

A Little About Me

Hi everyone, I am Aastha Singh, and I am honored to share that I secured AIR 61 in the UPSC CSE 2024. At 21 years old, this was my first attempt at the examination. Hailing from Zirakpur, Punjab, I completed my schooling in Bhopal and Panchkula and graduated with a BA (Hons.) Economics from Shri Ram College of Commerce in 2023. Alongside my UPSC journey, I also cleared the HPSC HCS examination 2024 with AIR 31 and am currently training as an Assistant Excise and Taxation Officer in the Haryana government.

You can connect with me on Instagram for more insights and updates.

My Journey to UPSC Success

Ever since my school days, I was academically inclined, consistently topping my classes (with a slight hiccup in 10th grade, haha!). However, clarity about my career path wasn’t immediate. I oscillated between dreams of becoming an astronaut, scientist, psychiatrist, and more. The seed for the UPSC CSE was planted by my grandfather, who, like many from Eastern UP (my roots are in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh), dreamed I’d become a “collector.” This aspiration lingered at the back of my mind, but it wasn’t until after my 12th boards that I firmly decided to pursue the Civil Services Examination.

I chose to pursue a degree in Economics, aligning it with my optional subject for the UPSC. After graduating in June 2023, I moved back home to Zirakpur to focus on my preparation. The idea of managing life in Delhi while preparing for the exam felt overwhelming, so I opted for the comfort of home. I also decided against enrolling in a full-fledged foundation course, confident that with the right resources, I could cover the syllabus efficiently. Thus began my UPSC CSE journey, full throttle.

Coming from a commerce background, I had never faced a competitive exam, which initially sparked some fear. To gain experience, I signed up for the HPSC HCS examination, which I cleared, including prelims, mains, and the interview. However, the UPSC CSE 2024 prelims results came out by July 1, 2024, and my HCS training began in August, leaving me with limited time for mains preparation—only about 6-7 hours daily. This phase taught me the importance of strategic smart work.

The personality test stage was one of the most enriching periods of my life. I spent 4-5 hours daily reading newspapers, engaging in discussions with family and friends, and reflecting on my thoughts to form well-rounded opinions. Despite the ups and downs every aspirant faces, consistency remained my anchor. As I share my strategy, I encourage you to adapt only what aligns with your unique preparation style.

Coaching or Self-Study? Delhi or Home?

1. Coaching Decision: Choosing whether to join a coaching institute is deeply personal. I opted out of full-time coaching for General Studies (GS), believing I could cover the syllabus faster independently, especially with the abundance of online resources. However, I enrolled in recorded lectures for my optional subject (Economics) to bridge gaps in my understanding. I also took crash courses from institutes as needed.
2. Home vs. Delhi: I chose to prepare from home in Zirakpur to minimize distractions like managing food, laundry, and accommodation. This allowed me to focus on studying. Factors like a conducive study environment, resource availability, and financial considerations should guide this decision. If you prepare from home, don’t let FOMO about places like Old Rajinder Nagar (ORN) or Mukherjee Nagar deter you—digital resources can make your preparation just as comprehensive.

My Daily Schedule

1. Initial Phase: Without streamlined course material, I spent time shortlisting resources by consulting seniors, watching YouTube videos, and reading toppers’ blogs. I aimed for 8-10 hours of study daily, transitioning from a night owl to a morning person, starting my day at 7:30 AM and studying by 8:30-9:00 AM. My schedule remained flexible to accommodate other tasks.
2. Time Division (GS vs. Optional): For the first three months, I dedicated 6-7 hours daily to my optional (Economics), with the remaining time on one GS subject, taking about 15 days per GS subject. From January to June 2024, during the prelims phase, I studied 12 hours daily, reserving time for hobbies like watching TV shows and spending time with family.
3. Mains Phase: My HCS training overlapped with mains preparation, reducing study time to 6-8 hours daily in July and August. In the last 20 days before the exam, with leave sanctioned, I studied 12-13 hours daily, balancing it with hobbies to stay calm.
4. Personality Test: Hours mattered less here. I spent 5 hours daily reading 2-3 newspapers, researching hot topics, and preparing my Detailed Application Form (DAF). Evenings were for discussions with my uncle, and I gave mock interviews to refine my approach.

Prelims Strategy

The UPSC prelims were my biggest fear due to their unpredictability. My mantra was to control the controllables:

• Master the static portion: I focused on core subjects like Polity, History, and Geography.
• Follow one current affairs source: I stuck to Vision IAS monthly magazines and PT365.
• Multiple revisions: I revised the syllabus 3-4 times, using Dr. Shivin’s prelims planner to track progress.
• Limited sources: I relied on one or two core sources per subject to avoid overwhelm.
• Mock tests: I practiced enough mocks to determine my attempt range, minimize negatives, and develop a paper-solving flow (I started from the end of the paper).
• Previous Year Questions (PYQs): I analyzed 25 years of PYQs at least thrice, understanding UPSC’s question patterns, favorite topics, and elimination techniques (e.g., extreme statements are often incorrect). PYQs boosted my confidence significantly.

By sticking to my chosen sources and avoiding the FOMO of new materials, I built confidence in my static knowledge, enabling intelligent guesses even for uncertain questions.

Mains Strategy

Time constraints made mains preparation challenging, but strategic planning helped:

1. Pre-Prelims Notes: I had mains-oriented notes for some GS subjects prepared by December 2023, which I revisited post-prelims. I also borrowed friends’ notes for uncovered topics.
2. Data Bank: I created 3-4 page databanks for GS-1, GS-2, and GS-3, including data points, committees, quotations, and schemes. For GS-4, I followed Mudit Jain Sir’s strategy, compiling keywords, examples, and definitions.
3. Test Series: Due to time constraints, I skipped formal test series. Instead, I practiced PYQ answer writing, self-analyzed my answers, and wrote one test per GS paper, reviewed by friends. This helped me improve weak areas like introductions and conclusions.
4. Essay: I wrote only one essay during preparation but relied on friends’ notes for fodder (anecdotes, quotes, philosophies) and Mudit Jain Sir’s essay structures for the exam.

Optional Strategy: Economics (Paper 1: 131; Paper 2: 133)

Choosing Economics as my optional was logical given my graduation background, despite myths about its vastness and low-scoring potential. With guidance from Rohit Sehrawat Sir’s recorded lectures (Genuine IAS), I covered the syllabus effectively:

1. Initial Focus: I spent 3.5 months completing one reading of both Paper 1 and Paper 2, writing answers to all PYQs to test my understanding.
2. Paper 1: This was tougher due to complex models. I followed a video lectures → class notes → self-notes approach, including graphs and PYQs. Closer to mains, I made concise notes with definitions and graphs for quick revision.
3. Paper 2: I used the same approach, adding a database of statistics, growth rates, and economists’ observations (e.g., Ashok Gulati for agricultural reforms).
4. Test Series: I joined Rohit Sehrawat Sir’s test series, practicing 4-5 daily answer-writing questions and completing three tests per paper. I revised these tests before the exam.

Note-Making

• Prelims: I avoided extensive note-making, as sources like Laxmikant and NCERTs required cover-to-cover reading. I made cheat sheets for tricky topics like polity committees, history, and environment COPs.
• Mains: I created paper-wise notes for GS-1, GS-2, and GS-3, covering syllabus topics and PYQs (1-2 pages per topic).
• Current Affairs: I relied on monthly magazines and Mains365/PT365, avoiding separate notes for prelims and mains. For interviews, I made short notes on hot topics.

Recommended Sources

Prelims

• Polity: Laxmikant, NCERTs (Class XI & XII)
• Ancient & Medieval History: Poonam Dahiya, New NCERTs, Lucent GK
• Modern History: Mahipal Singh Rathore’s YouTube, Spectrum
• Art & Culture: Nitin Singhania
• Geography: NCERTs (Class XI & XII), GC Leong, PMF IAS Physical Geography
• Economy: Vivek Singh’s Indian Economy
• Science & Tech/Environment: Shivin Chaudhary’s YouTube, PMF IAS Species PDF
• Current Affairs: Vision IAS monthly magazines, PT365

Mains

• Society/World History: Dr. Shivin Chaudhary’s notes, Mahipal Singh Rathore’s videos
• Governance: Prahaar (PWOnlyIAS)
• Ethics/Essay: Mudit Jain Sir’s course
• Current Affairs: Mains365, PT365

My Final Two Cents

Consistency and strategic planning are key to cracking the UPSC CSE. Focus on limited, high-quality resources, revise diligently, and adapt strategies to your strengths. Stay calm, trust your preparation, and don’t let FOMO derail your focus.