CHANDIGARH: 14 candidates from Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) (CSE) 2025 examination. The results were declared on Friday.
The commission recommended 958 candidates (659 men and 299 women) for appointment to various civil services positions.
Akansh Dhull secured AIR 3 in his third attempt. He is a BCom graduate from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University, with Commerce and Accountancy as his optional subjects. In his first two attempts, he secured AIR 342 in 2023 and AIR 295 in 2024. He is presently posted in the Indian Audit and Accounts Service.
He is the son of Krishan Dhull, a former office-bearer of the Haryana State Council for Child Welfare, and a government school principal.
Simrandeep Kaur, daughter of farmer from Birarhwal village in Nabha, Patiala district, has secured the 15th AIR. After completing her graduation in humanities and later a master’s degree in political science from Khalsa College, Patiala. She prepared for the examination through online coaching.
Nobody from her family has been in a government job.
In her earlier attempts, she had cleared the preliminary examination twice but could not qualify for the mains. She had also qualified for the UGC NET in political science but chose to pursue civil services instead, taking political science as her optional subject.
While 25-year old Bhavika Chopra, an economics graduate from St Stephen’s College, University of Delhi and a national-level fencing player from Chandigarh, clinched AIR 25 in her fourth attempt.
She had taken economics as her optional subject in her earlier attempts, but switched to sociology this time. Chopra was allotted to the Indian Postal Service as she had cleared the 2024 examination, but reappeared to improve her rank.
Daughter of a chartered accountant, Puneet Chopra, and her mother, Monika Chopra, is a teacher at Carmel Convent School. She has earlier worked with Ernst & Young for about two years.
While 22-year old Rasneet Kaur, who did her BSc (chemistry) from Panjab University, Chandigarh, before taking a year-long break from academics to prepare for the examination, secured the 51st rank and cleared in her first attempt.
She is the daughter of Jaswinder Singh, who works as a linesman in Punjab State Power Corporation (PSPCL), and her mother, Swarn Kaur, a homemaker.
She hails from Madanpur village, near Rajpura. She studied for nearly 12 hours a day during the examination phase.
The 32-year old Rakhi from Chandigarh got AIR 65 in her fourth and final attempt.
She originally belongs to Bahadurgarh in Haryana and has done biotechnology engineering before completing a master’s degree in political science. She was earlier working with the State Bank of India, but left her job in 2020.
Both her parents are teachers in Haryana.
Also, Sanavardeep Singh of Faridkot, who is an inspector in the Punjab cooperative department, did his mechanical engineering graduate from Symbiosis Institute of Technology, Pune and completed his degree in 2021 and secured 76th all-India rank in his final attempt.
Both his patents are in government service. While his father, Dr Kuldeep Singh, is the director of the regional station of Panjab Agriculture University in Faridkot. His mother, Gagandeep Kaur, is a professor at Government Barjindra College.
Aakriti Dobhal of Chandigarh, who has studied at Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School and done her BE in Production and Industrial Engineering from Punjab Engineering College, secured AIR 93.
The-24-year old Navneet Kaur from Bathinda, who has done English (Honours) from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University, and later did her Master’s in English from Jamia Millia Islamia in her third attempt, secured the 111th rank in her third attempt.
Her father, Jaswant Singh, and mother, Parminder Kaur, are both government school teachers, while her younger brother is pursuing a B.Tech in Delhi.
Akriti Singla of Abohar, who did her BCom from Daulat Ram College, Delhi University, and her Mcom from Hansraj College, secured the 122nd rank in the examination.
She has also qualified for UGC-NET and JRF in commerce.
Among others from the region who cleared this year’s civil services examinations are 22-year old Shreya Gupta from Panipat (AIR 114), Suvan Sharma from Jammu and Kashmir (AIR 148), Vikas Panwar from Shimla (AIR 159), Mukul Jindal from Ambala (AIR 243) and Lovekesh Gupta from Karnal (AIR 488).