Hailing from Bihar, Ritika Pandey belongs to a financially modest family. She recently secured All India Rank (AIR) 185 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025. Her achievement has inspired lakhs of students preparing for civil services exams across the country. Let us look at her story, which inspires many of us to do better despite hardships in our lives and also to believe in ourselves despite failing multiple attempts on the exam.
Early Life and Educational Journey
Ritika was born in the Panchu region of Hisua Nagar Parishad in the Nawada district. Her father, Sanjay Pandey, is a native of this area who makes a livelihood by delivering carry bags to the local shops. He remained determined that his children get a good education despite the financial difficulties. Ritika has frequently cited the efforts and the hard work of the father as one of the driving factors of her success.
Her early education was completed in Jharkhand and Delhi. Ritika studied Class 10 and Class 12 at Manan Vidya School in Ranchi and got second position in the state in her Class 12 examination. She subsequently pursued a bachelor’s degree in physics (honours) at Gargi College, University of Delhi, where she graduated with a CGPA of 9.7 and a second position in her batch.
Then she began preparing for UPSC and passed the exam on the third attempt. She cleared prelims on her very first attempt and got through the interview stage in the second attempt but was unable to get a place in the final merit list. She continued preparing and eventually succeeded in the third attempt.
Overcoming Financial Difficulties
Although the family faced financial limitations, Ritika was supported by the family during her civil services preparation, which was mainly through self-study and discipline. Her father, Sanjay Pandey, was a hard-working man who was employed to support the family, and Babita Pandey, her mother, was the homemaker. Ritika has two sisters and a younger brother, and they were all very proud of her success.
The teachers, social workers, and other individuals in her district have appreciated her success, and many of them consider her experience as an inspiration to students of similar backgrounds who aspire to pass competitive exams.
The success of Ritika is a testimony to the level of inclusiveness of the UPSC Civil Services Examination, which is considered to be one of the hardest and most prestigious exams in India. Her success demonstrates that even with a humble background, students can be successful at a nationwide level provided that their preparation is focused and they are supported during their preparation journey.
Also, her journey serves as a source of inspiration for many young aspirants and women across the country who are striving to overcome multiple failures to achieve their ambitions.
