Shakti Dubey secures first rank in UPSC civil services examination, says ‘it was hard to believe at first’

NEW DELHI: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has officially declared the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) Final Result 2024, with Shakti Dubey securing the first rank.

Dubey, who hails from Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, said that she had worked hard for many years, and at first, she could not believe the results, but later accepted them.

“I worked hard for many years. I told everyone at home—they are all very happy. It was hard to believe at first, but the feeling is slowly sinking in,” Dubey said.

#WATCH | Delhi: Shakti Dubey secures 1st rank in the UPSC Civil Services Examination.

She says, “I worked hard for many years. I told everyone at home they are all very happy. It was hard to believe at first, but the feeling is slowly sinking in… My brother had predicted I… pic.twitter.com/h1tKm1JzLi

— ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2025

“My brother had predicted I would secure the first rank,” she added.

She stated that after seeing the result, she first called her parents to share her happiness. “We knew the result would come between 1 o’clock and 2 o’clock. First, I tried to sleep by keeping the phone aside. When I downloaded the results PDF, I first called Papa and then called my mummy.”

On her hometown’s role in shaping her career, she said, “Prayagraj is my birthplace and is always very close to my heart. That place has played a big role in shaping who I am.”

Dubey, who had faced the exam multiple times earlier, said that one needs self-confidence to handle failure during preparations.

“On handling failure, she said that if you have confidence in yourself and believe that the mistakes can be rectified, then things can be handled with self-confidence and family support,” she said.

#WATCH | Prayagraj, UP: Shakti Dubey secures 1st rank in the UPSC Civil Services Examination.

Her mother Prema Dubey says, “I am very happy but she has been able to achieve this rank because of the blessings of Mahadev. I had no role to play. She studied day and night. She is in… pic.twitter.com/gdEpvzxOFb

— ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2025

Advising aspirants to focus on a minimal number of resources, she said, “A minimal number of books, guidance from previous years, and practising enough mock tests is equally important.”

#WATCH | Prayagraj, UP: Shakti Dubey secures 1st rank in the UPSC Civil Services Examination.

Her father, Devendra Kumar Dubey says, “I am very happy. The only role I played in her studies was to make available anything and everything she needed. The rest was her hard work and… pic.twitter.com/kvi75pGEf7

— ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2025

On Shakti Dubey securing the first rank, her mother, Prema Dubey, said, “I am very happy, but she has been able to achieve this rank because of the blessings of Mahadev. I had no role to play. She studied day and night. She is in Delhi and will come home tomorrow.”

Her father, Devendra Kumar Dubey, expressing happiness, said, “I am very happy. The only role I played in her studies was to make available anything and everything she needed. The rest was her hard work and the blessings of God. We are very happy with the results. I am in the Police Department, so I would mostly stay out of home. My wife played a major role in her success.”

Harshita Goyal and Dongre Archit Parag secured the next two successive positions. (ANI)