LUCKNOW: Astha Jain, daughter of a grocery shop owner from Shamli district in western Uttar Pradesh, has secured the ninth rank in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination 2025, the results of which were declared on Friday.
"His daughters are his pride," says Ajay Kumar, the grocery shop owner in Shamli, rejoicing over the success of his daughter Astha Jain.
"My daughter has achieved this position through her hard work. One of my three daughters is a doctor, Astha is now an IAS officer and the youngest one is also pursuing MBBS," says the proud father, with a glint of joy in his eyes.
"I did not let any of my hardships come in the path of my daughters' education. I ensured equal opportunities for them and never considered anyone less. The whole family is now on cloud nine due to Astha's accomplishment," says Ajay Kumar, busy distributing sweets in the entire mohalla to celebrate Astha's success.
The UPSC released the final result of the Civil Services Examination 2025 on Friday. Astha Jain from Shamli secured the ninth rank in the examination. She had earlier qualified for the UPSC in 2024, securing the 131st rank and joining the Indian Police Service (IPS) cadre.
Relatives gathered at the Jain residence to celebrate the moment said that after joining IPS training in Hyderabad in 2024, Astha took leave to prepare again for the civil services examination. She achieved the milestone through self study.
Astha has a small family comprising her parents, three sisters and a brother. She is the second among the siblings. Her father runs a grocery store, while her mother is a housewife.
Astha's father was at his shop when he received the news of his daughter securing a top rank in the civil services examination.
Mother Mamta Jain, with a lump in her throat and eyes welled up with tears of joy and emotion, said the dream of her daughter of becoming a District Magistrate (DM) had finally come true.
"Today is a day of happiness. Our child had a dream of becoming a DM. Today, she has fulfilled that dream. She has already qualified for UPSC twice before. In her first attempt, she got 131st rank. In her second attempt, she got 186th rank. Now, in her third attempt, she has secured 9th rank All India," says the mother.
Cousin Gaurav Jain said Astha had rejoined her training in Hyderabad after taking the UPSC examination.
"My sister is currently training in Hyderabad. She has two months of training left. She has always been bright and very focused in her studies. Her lifestyle has been very simple but inspiring," shares Gaurav.