Atul Raj, a resident of Bokaro district in Jharkhand, secured the 72nd rank in the UPSC CAPF exams. Despite previous failures in the NDA and CDS exams, he was determined to serve the country as an officer. His first UPSC attempt resulted in failure, however, he achieved success on his second try. 

Background

He completed his class 10 from DAV College in 2016 and his class 12 from DPS Bokaro in 2018. For higher studies, he moved to Kolkata and graduated from Indian Maritime University. His father, Rajeev Kumar Sinha, works as an Assistant Executive Engineer at TTPS Lalpania, while his mother, Kiran, is a homemaker. 

Dreaming big

From a young age, Atul Raj aspired to become an officer. Despite failing in the final stages of both the NDA and CDS exams, he did not lose heart and kept studying. During the same time, he learned about the UPSC Assistant Commandant examination and decided to give it a try. 

Success strategy

Atul reached the interview stage in his first attempt UPSC CAPF exam but did not make it to the final list. Undeterred, he tried again and secured the 72nd rank on his second attempt. He credits his success to diligent preparation, highlighting the importance of studying NCERT and standard books with proper planning.