Meet IFS officer, once a Miss India finalist, later cracked UPSC exam with AIR...

Cracking UPSC Civil Service Examination (CSE) is no easy job, given the tough competition, vast syllabus and of course, multi-stage process to achieve desired results. However, there are numerous of bright minds that emerge successful in UPSC CSE- deemed one of the most challenging exams in the country - despite failures and setbacks. 

One such example is that of IFS Aishwarya Sheoran - an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer and former Miss India contestant, who gave up on a promising modelling career to pursue her dream of cracking the civil service exams. 

Who is IFS Aishwarya Sheoran?

Born and brought up in Rajasthan, Aishwarya Sheoran is the daughter of Colonel Ajay Kumar, Commanding Officer of the 9th Telangana NCC Battalion. From an early age, she excelled in academics, achieving an impressive 97.5 per cent in grade-12th exams at Delhi’s Sanskriti School.

Aishwarya pursued her Bachelor’s degree at Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University - one of the most renowned institutes in the country. It was during her time there that she developed a deep interest in modelling. She kicked off her modelling career by participating in beauty pageants. She even went on to win the title of Miss Clean and Clear Fresh Face in 2014.

Sheoran became a finalist in the Miss India 2016 pageant. Eventually, she decided to prapare for UPSC exams, deeply influenced by her father's military background. 

In 2018, Aishwarya was selected into the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore. However, she chose not to enrol, dedicating a year to rigorous preparation for UPSC CSE. Relying on self-study, Aishwarya cleared the exam on her very first attempt in 2019 with AIR 93. 

At present, she serves as a senior officer in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).