New Delhi: Cracking the UPSC Civil Services Exam is undoubtedly a challenging task. Every year, millions of candidates apply for the UPSC CSE, but only around 1,000 manage to pass this high-profile exam to become IAS, IPS, IFS, and other civil servants. One such inspiring individual is IAS Manuj Jindal, who secured an All India Rank of 53 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination. But who exactly is Manuj Jindal?

Achieving Rank 18 in NDA Exam

Manuj Jindal, a 2017 batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, is currently serving as the CEO of the District Council in Thane. Before his IAS journey, he was an NDA cadet, where he achieved an All India Rank of 18 in the UPSC NDA exam. Originally from Ghaziabad, Manuj moved to Dehradun for his schooling and cracked the NDA exam at the age of 18.

Dismissal from National Defence Academy

Despite performing exceptionally well during his initial training term, Manuj faced severe anxiety and depression in his second term. Due to his deteriorating condition, the academy deemed him unfit and decided to disqualify him from the course.

Decision to Pursue Civil Services

Following his dismissal from the NDA, Manuj decided to study abroad and completed his graduation from the University of Virginia. He then worked at Barclays for three years with a lucrative salary package. Eventually, he decided to return to India, where his younger brother was preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Exam. Inspired, Manuj decided to prepare for the exam himself.

In 2014, he appeared for the UPSC exam. Although he cleared the prelims and mains, he didn’t make it to the final list. However, in his second attempt, he passed the exam but was placed on the reserve list. It was in his third attempt in 2017 that he finally cracked the exam, securing an All India Rank of 53.

Author and Mentor

Manuj Jindal has also authored a book on UPSC answer writing titled Acing the Art of Answer Writing. In addition, he runs a YouTube channel where he guides and mentors students preparing for the UPSC exam.