Failed in Class 10th, 12th, cracked UPSC exam in first attempt, became IAS Officer at…, her name is…, now posted at…

It is not easy to crack the UPSC exam, which is considered to be one of the toughest examinations in India. Every year, a handful of people crack the exam on their very first attempt. IAS Anju Sharma’s story is one of them. Despite failing board exams in Class 10th and Class 12th, Anju didn’t allow the unsuccessful attempts to define her future. However, with utmost passion, determination, and attention, Anju Sharma has cracked one of the toughest exams in India—UPSC, on her first attempt, providing a strong motivation and example of resiliency and persistence.

IAS Officer Anju Sharma’s Educational Journey

Anju Sharma, an IAS officer, hails from Bharatpur, Rajasthan. Whenever she looks back at her journey, she repeats almost like a mantra that everyone will prepare us for success, but no one prepares us for how to deal with failure. During her early academic journey, she once failed her class 12 economics exam. This incident shook her, creeping into her mind to raise doubts about her future. But she landed back on her feet, earning distinctions in several other subjects. Earlier, in the pre-board examination in class 10, she also failed in chemistry. Anju Sharma’s story is one of resilience, courage, and ultimately, success.

Nevertheless, Anju Sharma now regards these two events in her life as a blessing in disguise—events that helped her shape her future. While speaking to a website, Anju Sharma shared that there was a time when she had a large portion of her syllabus left to study, and panic began to set in after dinner. She admitted feeling completely unprepared and was certain she would fail. The overwhelming stress brought her to tears, and to make matters worse, her performance in the pre-board exams also declined due to the pressure. Luckily, Anju had parents on her side. Her mom helped calm her down and gave her the encouragement she needed. So these events, like the one above, were a good learning experience for Anju: Never rely on last-minute preparation. One should pay attention to the syllabus from the start. This way helped her win the gold medal in college. Both B.Sc. and MBA were completed from Jaipur.

Anju’s tireless efforts bore fruit when she finished a Bachelor of Science (BSc), graduating with a gold medal for her achievement. After that, she finished her MBA. Soon, she began preparing for the UPSC exams, determined to turn her aspirations into reality.

As Anju Sharma prepared for the UPSC Civil Services examination, she consistently and diligently employed the discipline that she learned at earlier stages in her life. And she also regarded the UPSC examination as “just another exam”, intending on clearing it in only one attempt. Anju completed her syllabus far in advance and was relaxed and carefree during the days leading up to the examination.

Cracked UPSC in 1991, first posting was at…

In 1991, Anju Sharma became an IAS officer at 22 years old, passing the UPSC Civil Services Examination on her first attempt. Anju’s life story demonstrates that failure at an early age does not foreshadow the rest of one’s life—anyone can accomplish anything with determination and focus. IAS Anju Sharma belongs to the Gujarat cadre and her first posting in the service was as Assistant Collector of Rajkot in 1991.

She subsequently served as Collector and held other important positions in various other districts of the state, including Gandhinagar. Because of her exceptional performance, IAS Anju Sharma has risen through the ranks, including Special Secretary, Secretary, Principal Secretary, and is now the Additional Chief Secretary Agriculture.

According to the official website of Kaushalya The Skill University, Dr. Anju Sharma is a member of the prestigious Indian Administrative Service and has been serving in the Government at senior leadership positions for more than 28 years. She currently holds the office of Labour, Skill Development and Employment Department, Government of Gujarat, as Additional Chief Secretary. She has done her MBA in Marketing & Finance and Masters in International Development Policy from Duke University, USA. During her administrative career she worked as Collector & DDO in various districts of Gujarat and has worked in various departments like Higher and Technical Education (H&TE),Health, Revenue, Environment, and Forests in the State Government. She has also worked as Director in the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India.

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