Introduction
Achieving the rank of AIR 2 UPSC Topper is a huge dream for millions of students in India. Today, we will discuss the highly inspirational story of Jagrati Awasthi who made this dream come true in 2020.
She proved that hard work and clear planning can bring massive success. Therefore, her life journey serves as a perfect guide for all young civil services aspirants. In this complete blog, we will check her total marks, family background, optional subject, and self-study secrets.
- The Big Rank: She secured All India Rank 2 (AIR 2) and became the topper among all female candidates.
- The Quick Bounce Back: She failed in her very first attempt but she worked on her mistakes to win.
- The Main Goal: Today, she works proudly as an IAS officer to improve rural areas and support women empowerment.
Quick Overview of Jagrati Awasthi
If you want to know the quick facts about Jagrati, then you can easily check this simple table below.
| Particulars | Details |
| Full Name | Jagrati Awasthi |
| Famous As | AIR 2 UPSC Topper (2020 Exam) |
| Home Town | Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh |
| Educational Qualification | B.Tech in Electrical Engineering |
| College Name | MANIT, Bhopal |
| Past Job Experience | Engineer at BHEL (2017 to 2019) |
| UPSC Attempt Number | 2nd Attempt |
| Core Optional Subject | Sociology |
Early Life and Loving Family Background
Jagrati Awasthi lives in the beautiful city of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Because she wanted to become a district collector since her childhood days, she always kept a high focus on her goals.
Her family provided great support during her tough preparation days. Here are the key details about her sweet family members:
- Father: Her father, Dr. S.C. Awasthi, works as a professional Homeopathy Doctor.
- Mother: Her mother, Mrs. Madhulata, is a former school teacher who guided her nicely.
- Brother: She has a younger brother who is currently pursuing his MBBS degree from Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal.
- The Environment: Because she lives in a highly educated home, she learned the importance of deep study very early in life.
Educational Qualification and Corporate Job
Jagrati was a top-performing student right from the beginning of her school days. Later, she chose technical studies for her graduation.
- The Degree: She successfully completed her B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from the famous Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), Bhopal.
- The Corporate Job: After college, she quickly got a job as an engineer at BHEL in 2017.
- The Big Decision: She worked there happily for two years. But, her childhood dream was to serve the public. Therefore, she left her safe government company job in 2019 to start full-time IAS preparation.
The Challenging UPSC Journey and Success Story
Success did not come to Jagrati in her very first shot. Actually, her journey had a few major obstacles which she cleared with solid determination:
- First Attempt (2019): She gave the exam while working but unfortunately could not clear even the Prelims stage.
- The Big Change: After that failure, she quit her job completely and gave her 100% focus to the books.
- The Covid Crisis: The sudden Covid-19 lockdown created a big obstacle because coaching centers closed down.
- The Victory: However, she did not lose confidence. She safely returned home from Delhi and joined online classes. As a result, she topped the country in her second attempt.
Jagrati Awasthi’s Official UPSC Marksheet
If you want to see her amazing performance, then you can check her official subject-wise marks below.
| UPSC Exam Subjects | Marks Scored |
| General Studies – 1 | 110 |
| General Studies – 2 | 121 |
| General Studies – 3 | 105 |
| General Studies – 4 | 107 |
| Optional Subject – 1 (Sociology) | 138 |
| Optional Subject – 2 (Sociology) | 146 |
| Written Total Marks | 859 |
| Personality Test (Interview) | 193 |
| Final Total Score | 1052 |
IAS Strategy and Optional Coaching Secret
Many students ask about her optional coaching strategy. Jagrati proudly chose Sociology as her core optional subject because she liked it.
She believes that physical classroom coaching is not necessary to clear this tough exam. Here are her personal preparation secrets that you can follow:
- Self-Study Power: She notes that if you possess self-determination, you can easily prepare through self-study at home.
- Study Hours: She regularly studied for 12 to 14 hours every day during lockdown. But, she advises that you should study according to your own personal capability.
- Syllabus Mastery: Understanding the complete UPSC syllabus is highly necessary because it helps you know the exact exam pattern.
- Previous Year Papers: It is always recommended to solve previous year question papers because sometimes there may be repetition of questions.
- Time Management: You have to make a strict time schedule every day for studying all subjects.
- Current Affairs Sources: Her sources of preparation for current affairs topics in Mains included newspapers The Hindu, Vision IAS booklet, and Civils Daily website.
- Positive Circles: Always stay around positive people because they motivate you whenever you feel down.
Conclusion
The beautiful story of AIR 2 UPSC Topper Jagrati Awasthi teaches us to find positivity in every bad situation. She used her Covid lockdown time perfectly to increase her study hours. Today, she is a role model for thousands of young girls across India.
Her life proves that losing a first attempt is never the end of your career. If you sit down, trace your mistakes, and work hard with a positive mindset, you can easily top the toughest exam in the world!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Who is Jagrati Awasthi IAS?
Jagrati Awasthi is a highly brilliant engineer from Bhopal who became the famous topper of the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2020 by securing All India Rank 2.
Q2. Did Jagrati Awasthi join any coaching institute for her preparation?
She initially joined a coaching institute in Delhi. But, due to the Corona lockdown, she had to return home. Since then, she depended completely on online classes and self-study.
Q3. What are the educational qualifications of Jagrati Awasthi?
She completed her graduation in Electrical Engineering from MANIT, Bhopal. After that, she worked as an engineer at BHEL for two years before starting her UPSC journey.
Q4. What was the optional subject of Jagrati Awasthi in UPSC Mains?
She selected Sociology as her optional subject. She scored an amazing total of 284 marks across both optional papers.