Left Job At NASA To Become An IPS Officer: Anukriti Sharma's UPSC Success Story

There are countless success stories that you might have heard or read. However, not all success stories are the same. Some people achieve success only after having encountered enough failures to, at last, realize their dream.

The story we are about to walk you through will prove that there are people who keep going even after encountering multiple failures and when people around them begin to doubt them. Come then, let us get to know more about the remarkable story of how IPS Anukriti Sharma achieved her goal after several setbacks. 

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination (CSE) is an exam conducted by India's premier central recruitment agency for the recruitment of all Group 'A' officers under the Government of India. UPSC conducts the CSE to recruit suitable candidates for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and Indian Police Service (IPS). 

Who is IPS Anukriti Sharma? 

IPS Anukriti Sharma belongs to the UPSC CSE 2020 batch. She hails from the beautiful city of Jaipur, Rajasthan. She completed her schooling at Indo Bharat International School in Jaipur. To pursue her Bachelor of Siddha Medicine and Surgery (BSMS) degree, she went to the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Kolkata. In 2012, Anukriti was chosen for the PhD program for volcano research at Rice University in Houston, Texas. 

A Call from NASA

While pursuing her PhD in America, Anukriti received a job offer from the prestigious NASA Institute for conducting research on volcanoes. According to her, she was earning more than INR 2 lakh per month. 

Despite the high-paying career in America, she decided to return to India having realized that the best way to contribute and serve society was by getting into the coveted IPS.

IPS Anukriti Sharma: Power of Perseverance 

Passionate about becoming an IPS officer, Anukriti started preparing for the UPSC CSE in 2014. She took the examination for the first time in 2015, and she managed to crack the preliminary but failed the mains examination. On her second attempt, she did not even pass the preliminary, but she never gave up on her passion.

She made it to the interview stage on her third attempt, however, she was not chosen.

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Not ready to give up, in 2018, Anukriti took the exam again. This time, she was chosen for the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) after attaining the 355th rank on her fourth attempt. Though the IRS is a respectable and a coveted department, she was far from satisfied.

Because it wasn’t her dream. She wanted to be an IPS officer and the desire was  deeply edged into her mindset. In 2020, in her fifth attempt, Anukriti became an IPS officer. 

Being the Right Woman for the Job: IPS Anukriti Sharma's Empathetic Personality

Anukriti Sharma went on to serve as an IPS trainee in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. IPS Anukriti Sharma is currently the Assistant Superintendent of Police for Bulandshahr, UP. Just recently, she shared an empathetic video that garnered praise and admiration from the general public.

In the video, the woman IPS officer said that the police are holding regular meetings to bridge the distance between the people and the force. 

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IPS Anukriti said that in one of their chaupals, Ms Noorjahan came and told them that her home does not have electricity yet. Noorjahan is a widow belonging to a low-income family. She has been living alone since her daughter's wedding. IPS Anukriti, along with her team,  resolved to bring light to her home. They coordinated with the power supply department to get a power connection to her home and also got her a bulb and a fan from the police fund.

This shows how, as an IPS officer trained to assist and bring justice to people, she displayed a great sense of responsibility and humility. 

She walked the extra mile to render invaluable assistance that brought a smile to the old widow`s face proving that there is someone who will always come along the way in our most desperate moments.

Key Takeaways for CSE Aspirants 

Every story has something to tell us, and if we follow it, we may also become someone resourceful and productive to society in the long run.

Here are a few takeaways from IPS Anukriti Sharma`s story for you:

• Do not easily give up on your dream when you encounter failure; think about Anukriti Sharma`s story; she succeeded in her 5th attempt!
• Persevere and consistently ask yourself why you started out in the first place.
• Be a source of inspiration and an influence for good wherever you are.
• Once you become successful, always be humble and try to assist the marginalized section of the society. It will be as sweet as your success when you first tasted the fruit of your hard work.

Best of Luck, Aspirants!

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