UPSC Success Story: Pulkit Jain of Bhopal did not give up even after failing 4 times in UPSC. Know how Pulkit Jain motivated himself and achieved AIR 242 in UPSC CSE 2025 with the right strategy. His UPSC strategy is useful for every candidate.
Pulkit Jain UPSC Success Story: Pulkit Jain, resident of Bhopal district of Madhya Pradesh, comes from a very ordinary family. His father runs a small grocery shop and his mother takes care of the house. But even in this ordinary environment, Pulkit always dreamed of doing something big. For him, it was not just a matter of getting a job, but the desire to give a new identity to his family and gain respect in the society, which kept him motivated to move forward. Know the UPSC success story, preparation strategy and great trick to keep yourself motivated of Pulkit Jain of Bhopal.
Pulkit Jain’s perspective changed during graduation, determined to crack UPSC
Pulkit studied BSc in Biotechnology from Excellence College, Bhopal. His goal was not so clear in the initial years of college, but as his studies progressed, he started thinking seriously about his career. In the final year of graduation, he realized that civil services was the only way from which he could realize his dreams. This thinking gradually created a strong resolve within him.
After many failures in UPSC, Pulkit Jain got a big victory
There is a long struggle hidden behind Pulkit Jain’s UPSC success. He took the exam not once or twice but four times, in which he reached the mains thrice and gave the interview twice. By improving little by little each time, he learned from his mistakes and improved himself. Ultimately in the year 2025 he achieved All India Rank 242 in UPSC CSE. This success is the result of his patience, hard work and continuous efforts.
Pulkit Jain’s UPSC preparation formula: Kept preparation simple, but effective
Pulkit believed that the simpler the UPSC preparation is kept, the better it is. He focused on strengthening the basics rather than complicating his studies. Understanding previous year’s questions and getting hold of current affairs was an important part of his strategy. He never tried to collect too many books, but developed a deep understanding of the limited resources by reading them repeatedly.
Different strategies for UPSC Prelims and Mains
Pulkit Jain adapted the preparation for each stage accordingly. For Prelims, he practiced a lot and gave around 100 mock tests, due to which he understood the pattern of the paper and improved time management. He developed the habit of writing answers for Mains. By doing answer writing daily, his thinking became clear and his writing ability also improved, which is very important for this stage.
Study 13 hours for UPSC… but smartly
Pulkit Jain studied for long hours during his preparation, but it was not just a game of hours but of studying smartly. During Prelims, he used to study till late night, sometimes even staying up till 4 in the morning. Studied for about 13 hours every day. During Mains, he arranged his daily routine a bit. Kept fixed routine from 7 am to 1 am. During this time, he kept himself safe from fatigue by taking short breaks in between.
Biggest Challenge: FOMO and Comparison
Apart from studies, the biggest challenge before Pulkit was mental. During preparation he often faced problems like comparison with others and FOMO. When people around are seen moving forward, confusion arises in the mind. But he explained himself and remained focused on his goal. This mental strength helped him to survive in this long race.
Taking breaks is also a part of UPSC preparation strategy
Pulkit adopted one special thing in his preparation, which many people ignore. He gave himself a short break after every stage. Sometimes he would go on short trips, which would refresh his mind. Such breaks kept him mentally balanced and he returned to studies with new energy every time.
Science to Humanities for UPSC: Change was not easy
It was not easy for him to shift to humanities after studying biotechnology. It took time for him to understand the new subjects, but he gradually accepted this change. Apart from this, due to long preparation time, his social life was also affected and distance from friends increased. However, he considered it necessary for his goal and kept moving forward.
Big decision: left IFoS interview
Pulkit Jain also qualified the IFoS interview in the same year, which is a big achievement in itself. But he decided to leave it, so that he could focus completely on UPSC. This decision was not easy, but he gave priority to his goal and ultimately it resulted in success.