Meet woman who left high-paying job at Barclays, prepared for civil services exam, failed twice, later cracked UPSC exam and became IPS officer. her AIR was...

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam is India’s most challenging and prestigious exam, for which millions of aspirants appear every year. Only a few candidates are chosen for esteemed positions such as IAS (Indian Administrative Service), IPS (Indian Police Service), and IRS (Indian Revenue Service), among others. Some leave high-paying jobs with a sense of patriotism to pursue their desire to serve their country. In this article, we are talking about Deepika Agarwal, an MBA who left her well-paying job at Barclays to become an IPS officer. She achieved her dreams with an All India Rank of 151 in her third attempt. 

IPS Deepika Agarwal’s early life

Hailing from Sikkim, Deepika Agarwal is an IPS officer and a successful UPSC candidate who secured an All India Rank (AIR) of 151 in the 2022-23 exam. Her father, Brahmananda, and mother, Mamta Agarwal, played a crucial role throughout her educational and professional pursuits. After completing her schooling at Tashi Namgyal Academy (TNA) and Mayo College, she pursued a B.Com from Shri Ram College of Commerce. She then did an MBA from the Indian School of Business. She joined Barclays as a financial analyst and worked for two years, and as an Investment Consultant at Omidyar Network India for a year before joining the IPS.

Why did IPS Deepika Agarwal left high-paying job?

Deepika had a lifelong dream to serve the nation; hence, she began preparing for the UPSC exam during her time in the corporate sector. But in late 2019, she struggled with juggling her job and preparation, hence she sacrificed her high-paying job to get on with her preparation. She relocated to Delhi for the preparation. With the help of mock exams, she cleared the prelims, mains and reached the interview stage. However, she failed to obtain a rank, which left her devastated. Eventually, in her third attempt, she finally achieved a rank and fulfilled her dream to become an IPS officer. 

How did Deepika Agarwal prepare for the UPSC exam?

Deepika Agarwal’s compulsory papers included an Essay, General Studies covering History, Geography, Economics, Environment, Polity, etc, and Ethics. In addition, she took Commerce & Accountancy as an optional subject. She maintained a rigorous study routine while also pursuing her hobbies and passions. While she abstained from social media, she did use Telegram for notes and YouTube for coaching content. She developed a healthy diet pattern and even enjoyed cooking at times. She resumed her Bharatnatyam lessons and danced every morning for 30-45 minutes to de-stress.