Rishul Neema, a pharmacy graduate from Shri Govindram Seksaria Institute of Technology and Science from Indore, Madhya Pradesh secured All India Rank 267 in UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025. He is a former student of National Public School, Indore. His interests include railway vlogs and transliteration in multiple scripts.

Rishul Neema, from Indore district in Madhya Pradesh, belongs to a family running a gold-and-silver brokerage business. After completing his studies at National Public School in Indore he completed a Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy from Shri Govindram Segh Gurukul Institute of Technology and Science. He prepared for UPSC CSE 2025 with Geography as his optional, joined NEXT IAS for Geography-focused courses and interview guidance, and also took mock-interviews. He achieved his first national achievement through school-level ambitions when he passed the UPSC exam with an AIR-267 rank in his second attempt.

• Rishul Neema used two main components in his UPSC CSE 2025 (AIR‑267) preparation when he combined his work in General Studies with his strong performance in his chosen optional subject.
• His Prelims preparation used Geography-based study materials which focused on areas that had high Prelims overlap together with essential NCERT books and previous years' questions and test series from NEXT IAS.
• The Geography optional subject he chose for Mains allowed him to score good marks which he obtained through structured writing exercises and map-based responses and feedback from his mentors.
• He studied General Studies through thematic research which connected different concepts to practical answer-based explanations.
• His Interview preparation included he conducted mock interviews at NEXT IAS IGP to improve his ability to present himself with clear communication in a structured way.
• His method operated through strict control yet maintained a healthy equilibrium because he approached UPSC preparation with serious dedication while keeping other life goals active which he achieved through specialized Geography training combined with General Studies study and ongoing answer writing and interview sessions that led to his AIR 267 ranking.

Which optional did Rishul choose and why?

Rishul picked Geography because it overlaps with Prelims and boosts Mains scores; he scored very good marks there, making it his key strength.

How should aspirants plan Prelims and Mains together?

He advises building NCERT + standard‑book basics, then adding PYQs and test series, while using optional‑focused coaching (like NEXT IAS) for integrated Prelims‑Mains prep.

How to prepare for the Interview better?

Rishul stressed mock interviews, honest self‑reflection, and clear, concise answers on current affairs, ethics, and your optional, staying calm and natural in front of the board.

Which courses were taken by Rishul Neema at Next IAS?

During the journey of UPSC preparation, Rishul Neema had taken the Geography optional foundation course from NEXT IAS. This plays a significant role in the preparation of UPSC Civil services be it prelims, mains or interview.

In Prelims, geography plays an important role because more than 10-15 questions are asked directly from here. The applied weightage of the Optional foundation Geography is significantly higher in the mains because answers are to be written with a static cum current approach. The knowledge of geography is essential for the final stage i.e Personality Test or Interview.