New Delhi: In the fiercely competitive realm of civil services examinations, tales of resilience and victory abound, and Artika Shukla’s journey stands as a luminous testament. Securing an impressive All India Rank 4 in the 2015 civil services examination at the age of 25, she accomplished this extraordinary feat on her inaugural attempt.

Born on September 5, 1990, in Gandhinagar, Varanasi, Artika’s early years were defined by an unwavering commitment to academic excellence. Dr. Brijesh Shukla, her father, and a former secretary of the Indian Medical Association laid a solid educational foundation during her schooling at St. John’s School in Varanasi.

Her academic brilliance persisted as she pursued her MBBS degree from Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, graduating in 2013. Later, she set out on the path to specialize in paediatrics at PGIMER, Chandigarh.

However, her trajectory took an unexpected turn when her elder brother, Gaurav Shukla, achieved success in the UPSC Civil Services exam in 2012, entering the IAS cadre. Inspired by her brother’s triumph, Artika made a courageous decision to pause her studies in 2014 and focus on the civil services examinations.

In a departure from convention, Artika opted to forego traditional coaching classes, relying instead on the steadfast support of her brother. She attributes her success to this unconventional yet determined approach.

During her IAS training, Artika’s life took another unforeseen twist as she found love in Jasmeet Singh, the third All India Rank holder in the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2015. After a period of courtship, the couple exchanged vows in 2017. Although initially designated to the Indian Administrative Service Union Territory cadre, Artika chose to align her professional path with Jasmeet’s by joining the Rajasthan cadre.