UPSC Success Story: Shruti Srivastava, a 2020-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, has been serving as Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in the Prayagraj Police Commissionerate since September 19. Before her transfer to Prayagraj last month, she served as Additional DCP in the Varanasi Police Commissionerate.
Shruti Srivastava Cleared UPSC Civil Services Examination At 24
Srivastava cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2019 at the age of 24, securing All India Rank (AIR) 82. She was subsequently allotted the Uttar Pradesh cadre.
She cleared the Civil Services Examination on her third attempt. She made her first two attempts while studying at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Before joining the Indian Police Service (IPS), she worked at the Lok Sabha Secretariat for nearly two years. During this period, she continued preparing for the examination without enrolling in any coaching institute. She regularly took mock tests for both the preliminary and main examinations.
She initially aspired to become a professor. However, her career plans eventually took a different turn, and she began preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
Had No Plans To Join Civil Services During College
In an interview with the YouTube channel Saket Samvad, IPS officer Shruti Srivastava shared that she had not planned to join the civil services during her college years. She wanted to become a professor and pursue a career in teaching.
During that time, a senior told her that becoming a professor could involve considerable struggle and suggested that she had the potential to do well in the civil services. Following this conversation, she began seriously considering a career in the civil services.
Delhi Native Studied At Hindu College, JNU
A native of Delhi, Srivastava studied at Hindu College and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Shruti completed her undergraduate studies at Hindu College, University of Delhi, and earned a postgraduate degree in English from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi. She also qualified for the National Eligibility Test (NET) and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF).
During her IPS training at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad, Telangana, she received the Gandhi Gyan Mandir Yoga Centre Trophy for yoga as a member of the Uttar Pradesh cadre's 73rd Regular Recruit (RR) batch.
How To Prepare For UPSC?
According to Shruti Srivastava, ample study material is available online for UPSC aspirants, and candidates should learn to use these resources effectively. She recommends building a strong foundation with National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks. She also emphasises the importance of practising with good test series and studying previous years' question papers.
She believes aspirants should pay special attention to their optional subjects and answer-writing practice. According to her, clearing the UPSC examination requires more than just a month or two of preparation. It demands sustained effort over a long period. She also stresses the importance of believing in oneself and staying motivated throughout the preparation journey.
During the 2025 Maha Kumbh, Bollywood actor Raveena Tandon visited Varanasi, where Srivastava interviewed her. The interview subsequently went viral on social media.
