Meet man who once betrayed by his girlfriend, later cracked IIT, then UPSC, he is now...

Aditya Pandey, an IAS officer from Vishnupur Pakri village in Patna, Bihar, has a life story that feels like a gripping novel. A painful breakup during his Class 10 deeply affected him, but instead of letting it defeat him, Aditya used the heartbreak as motivation to do something extraordinary — to clear the UPSC exam and become a civil servant.

His belief in the teachings of Ramcharitmanas became his guiding light. He strongly believes that desires like lust, anger, and greed can destroy a person from within. Letting go of these emotions helped him stay calm even in difficult situations, and kept him focused on his ultimate goal.

Aditya did his schooling at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kankarbagh, and later pursued engineering in Electronics and Communication from Lovely Professional University in Punjab. But engineering didn’t feel like his true calling. So, he went on to do an MBA from IIT Roorkee.

After completing his MBA, he worked at ICICI Bank. However, the job made him realise that his heart was elsewhere. In January 2020, he quit and began preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Exam full-time.

A Story of Struggles and Determination
The journey was far from easy. He failed three times, narrowly missing the cut in 2021 by just 2.5 marks. Yet, Aditya never gave up. He learned from his mistakes and worked harder. In his fourth attempt, in 2022, he cleared the exam with an All India Rank of 48. It wasn’t just success in an exam — it was proof of his determination and willpower.

Those who doubted him, including some teachers and even his own father, were proven wrong. Today, Aditya is a role model for many young aspirants across India.

After cracking the exam, Aditya began his training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie. He completed the foundation course, followed by Bharat Darshan and district training. He served in several roles in Jharkhand — including as the BDO of Kanke, Anchal Adhikari in Itki, and Assistant Collector in Ranchi.

In January 2025, he became the SDO of Bundu subdivision. Since April 2025, he has been working as Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs in Delhi.

Despite all his achievements, Aditya stays humble. He says he never studied for 14–16 hours a day. Instead, he simply focused on his goal, like Arjuna aiming for the eye of the bird. For him, honesty, self-reflection, and discipline are the real keys to success.

He often finds strength in the words of poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar:

“When a man exerts his strength, the mountains lose their footing.
When a man exerts his strength, stone turns into water.”

Aditya’s message is simple but powerful — walk the right path, stay true to your values, and never give up. That, he believes, is the real mantra of success.