Meet Chandrajyoti Singh, one of India’s youngest IAS officer who cleared UPSC at age of 22, her AIR was…, currently posted at…

Cracking the UPSC Civil Services Exam is not all easy, it takes immense dedication, focus, and hard work. Every year, lakhs of aspirants compete for a handful of top spots, but only a few manage to succeed, especially on their first try. Chandrajyoti Singh stands out as one of those rare achievers. In 2019, she cleared the prestigious exam in her very first attempt and secured an impressive All India Rank of 28—all without the help of any coaching classes.

Coming from a family rooted in discipline and service, Chandrajyoti was deeply inspired by her parents, both of whom served in the Indian Army. Her father, Colonel Dalbara Singh (Retd), and her mother, Lt Colonel Meena Singh (Retd), a former army radiologist, have been her strongest support system throughout her journey.

Growing up in an Army family, Chandrajyoti Singh lived in several cities across India during her school years. This experience not only shaped her personality but also gave her a disciplined approach to life. She completed her Class 10 from APJ School in Jalandhar, scoring a perfect 10 CGPA, and went on to secure 95.4 per cent in her Class 12 board exams from Bhawan Vidyalaya, Chandigarh. In 2015, she moved to Delhi for higher education.

Chandrajyoti pursued a double major at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University—earning a degree in History with a minor in Political Science. She graduated with a CGPA of 7.73, as listed on her LinkedIn profile.

After college, she took a one-year break to prepare for the UPSC Civil Services Exam. Her study strategy was well-structured—she focused on current affairs and general knowledge in the mornings and covered other subjects in the latter half of the day. Initially studying for 6–8 hours daily, she increased her study time to nearly 10 hours as the exam neared. She also revised thoroughly with the help of test series.

Following her success in the UPSC exam, Chandrajyoti underwent officer training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie from August 2020 to October 2022. After that, she served a four-month stint in the Ministry of External Affairs as an Assistant Secretary. In October 2022, she began her administrative career in Punjab, where she was appointed as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Sultanpur Lodhi.

As per latest report she is now charge as Additional Deputy Commissioner (Rural Development), in Roopnagar, Punjab.

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