Sugandha Gupta, who is only 22 years of age, achieved an All India Rank of 207 in UPSC CSE 2025 in her very 1st attempt. She belongs to Jammu and considers her success to be due to her focused preparation with Anthropology as her optional subject.

• Sugandha was born and brought up in Shakti Nagar, Jammu, in a nurturing environment.
• She did her schooling in Jammu, laying a strong foundation for her education & later moved to Delhi for her higher education.
• Her father was a source of inspiration and support for Sugandha.
• He encouraged her to take up UPSC after completing her B.A. (Hons) in History from University of Delhi.
• After completing her course, Sugandha devoted about 1.5 years in UPSC CSE preparation.
• She succeeded in her 1st attempt and became a notable achiever from Jammu & Kashmir.
• She prepared for UPSC CSE by writing answers every day and revising them.

• Sugandha's preparation journey spanned just 1.5 years after graduation & also marked by unwavering commitment once she chose Anthropology.
• She avoided self-doubt, focussed on daily answer writing (1-2 answers), PYQ analysis.
• Coming from a History background, she built Anthropology concepts from the beginning.
• Her hard work combined with family support, teachers' guidance, and firm belief in herself sailed her through Prelims, Mains, and Interview in the very 1st attempt.

How did Sugandha Gupta qualify UPSC CSE 2025 in her first attempt at the age of 22?

Sugandha qualified in 2025 with 1.5 years of dedicated preparation involving daily answer writing, PYQ analysis, and Anthropology Foundation Course with the support of her family.

What was Sugandha Gupta's academic background?

She pursued a B.A. (Hons.) History from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University.

Which Courses were taken by Sugandha Gupta at Next IAS?

Sugandha Gupta (AIR 207, UPSC CSE 2025) had done GS Foundation Course and CA-VA (Current Affairs Value Addition) course from NEXT IAS. In Prelims, more than a significant portion were asked directly from our GS Foundation course. In Mains, a static-cum-current approach is required for enriched answers, while Interview tests the awareness about issues. These courses have played a very significant role in her systematic preparation of General Studies and current affairs integration for all stages. The CA-VA courses enabled her to enhance her answers using multipurpose facts like committees, reports, judgments, etc. The handouts of these courses have played a very significant role in Sugandha Gupta's Personality Test as she was able to answer questions based on DAFs like questions related to Jammu issues, History background, etc.