Meet IAS officer, who cracked UPSC in his debut attempt without coaching, his rank was..., he is...

Cracking the UPSC Civil Service Exam (CSE) - deemed one of the toughest examinations in the country - requires a lot of hard work and passion. There are millions of examples before us, which dismiss a pre-conceived notion that success is directly proportionate to expensive coaching and study materials. 

One such notable name is Arunraj, who clinched an All India Rank (AIR) 34 in his debut attempt in 2014, that, too, at the age of 22! Let's get to discover more about his journey. 

Who is Arunraj?

A native of Uttar Pradesh, Arunraj had been excellent in academics since his early schooling days. After completing his intermediate studies, he comfortably secured admission into IIT, Kanpur - one of the most reputed engineering colleges in India. 

However, he had set his heart upon on a different path, i.e., cracking the UPSC exam and becoming an IAS officer. 

During the fourth year of his undergraduate studies, he devoted himself to UPSC preparations, eschewing job to make plethora of time for studies. Relying on NCERT books, he practiced mock tests and utilised online resources, which further enhanced his confidence. 

His unwavering dedication bore fruits when he achieved an AIR 34 in UPSC 2014. At present, he is serving as the Executive Director at the Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (ELCOT), under the Government of Tamil Nadu.