Akash Chavda, hailing from Jamnagar, Gujarat, was three years old when he lost his mother. His father used to work in a Gulf country but was unable to care for him or bring him abroad. At the age of 4, Akash was admitted to a hostel where he grew up. Tragically, when he was 13, his father also passed away. Despite losing both his parents, he persevered and achieved success in life. 

Challenges

While Akash was studying in class 9, he received the news of his father’s demise. He feared that he would have to spend his entire life in the hostel like an orphan. During this difficult time, his cousin, who used to work as a mason, stepped in to help. He took Akash to his home and supported his further education. 

Education

In an interview, Akash shared that his cousins were everything to him. They taught him as if he were their own child. He completed his schooling from a Gujarati school and later earned an engineering degree. 

UPSC journey

He embarked on his UPSC journey while living in a two-room house. While thousands of students aspire to join the civil services, only a few manage to achieve success. Akash’s journey was also immensely challenging. 

Achieving success

In his first UPSC attempt in 2019, he cleared the prelims but could not crack the Mains exam. He then began preparing for the Gujarat PSC exams but failed twice in a row in 2020 and 2021. Keeping his determination alive, he took the UPSC Group C exam and became a State Tax Inspector in 2022. He resumed his CSE preparation and eventually secured 1007th rank in the year 2023.