From ‘Reel’ To Real UPSC Success: IITian Gagan Meena Shines As An IAS Officer; Cracks UPSC Twice

The inspirational story that we are about to walk you through is a story that will inspire you to be your best. Let us then straight away emerge into the story of an BHU IITian who is today serving the nation as an IAS officer. 

To be enlisted in the final merit list of the Union Public Service Commission, Civil Services Examination (UPSC CSE), one needs comprehensive, consistent, and competent preparation. To assuage the monotony of the immense workload ahead, a UPSC aspirant also needs unwavering moral, social, and economic support from family and friends.

IAS Gagan Meena: Who Is This Intrepid IAS Officer?

Coming from the village of Meena Baroda in Rajasthan, Gagan Singh Meena, an IIT BHU alumnus is here to surprise us with his truly stupendous UPSC CSE journey. To start with, there are people who only dream of cracking the UPSC CSE at least once, and right in here comes Gagan with his record of cracking the comprehensive and competitive examination not once but twice- that too one after the other!

 IAS Gagan Meena: An Audacious UPSC CSE Journey

Gagan's first attempt at UPSC CSE was in 2021 when he secured AIR 592. He was recommended to the prestigious IPS officer's list. Surprisingly, a new and bigger chapter of Gagan was in the making all this while. Young, ambitious, and passionate to achieve something better and bigger, he sat for the UPSC CSE in 2022.

As they say, the taste of the sweetest fortune belongs to those who dare to take risks. Gagan improved his rank impressively by getting AIR 120. He was eventually recommended to the IAS cadre list.

IAS Ganga Meena: From IPS To An IAS Officer

Filled with contentment that is true in every sense, he tweeted from his official Twitter handle the following words, “Officially allotted IAS service. Many thanks and gratitude to everyone involved in this journey.” As per reports from reliable sources, Gagan’s late father dreamt of seeing his son becoming a collector someday.

True to his late father's dream, Gagan proved it right and beyond - first as an IPS officer then ascending the highest of bureaucratic post- the IAS! 

Hailing from a family of farmers, his near and dear at times doubted that he would one day fulfill his ambitious dream. They even dissuaded him from pursuing his dream but he on the other hand remained astute to what he was after.  

IAS Gagan Meena: What Is So Unique About Him?

Already possessing an impressive image as a B.Tech in Civil Engineering from the prestigious IIT BHU, Gagan Meena went on to prove that his passion was limitless. While serving as an IPS officer in the Haryana cadre, he consistently kept preparing for the UPSC CSE with his eyes fixed on the IAS.

It is said that during his preparation, he put up in Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar area with his fellow aspirant friend Prince Kumar from Bihar, who also went on to crack the UPSC CSE examination.

In the words of Prince, Gagan kept social media platforms such as Facebook, and Instagram, and also watched reels while preparing his studies side by side.

IAS Gagan Meena: How He Used Social Media Effectively

Unlike others, Gagan did not abstain from using social media. He kept up his time management smartly, so much so that he set daily targets to finish a portion of the syllabus- keeping a disciplined approach towards his studies.

Initially, Gagan avoided excessive use of social media by only posting things that really mattered- especially the day his result was announced. He followed his smart plan and posted about his achievement after becoming an IPS officer in the hope that it would in some way inspire other aspirants.

However, during his UPSC CSE interview, he graciously admitted that he remained actively engaged in watching reels throughout his preparation. It comes as a surprise to many that while aspirants are advised to avoid social media as much as possible during preparation, Gagan on the other hand used social media in a different way to keep himself updated with what is happening around him!

IAS Gagan Meena's Unique Personality: A Model For Aspirants

Here are a few gems worth treasuring extracted from IAS Gagan Singh Meena for all UPSC CSE aspirants. Read them slowly and relate them to your preparation: 

• Do not limit your dream to achieve something bigger and better- if you are an IPS, why not go for IAS?
• Be prepared heart and soul to fulfill the dreams of your parents- prove your mettle by becoming the person you were expected to become as Gagan Singh Meena did- fulfill his late father's dream by becoming an IAS officer.   
• Be ambitious and work hard with smart time management till you get what you truly want.
• Surround yourself with good people who are as ambitious and hardworking as you- take the example of Prince Kumar, Gagan's friend, who both went on to become IAS officers! 
• Social media is here to stay! So, be wise and use it to your advantage.

Best of Luck, Aspirants!

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