In a powerful testament to the adage that persistence outlasts failure, Vijay Vardhan, a native of Sirsa, Haryana, has successfully transitioned from an IPS officer to an IAS officer after failing 35 different competitive examinations. Despite repeatedly missing out on selections for the Haryana PSC, UPPSC, and SSC CGL often by the narrowest of margins after reaching the final stages Vardhan refused to succumb to the “victimisation” narrative.
His journey reached a turning point in 2018 when he secured an All India Rank (AIR) of 104 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination to join the police service, followed by a subsequent success in 2021 where he attained a top-70 rank to finally achieve his dream of joining the Indian Administrative Service. Today, his story serves as a beacon of hope for millions of aspirants facing the crushing weight of academic and professional setbacks.
The Anatomy of Grit: Navigating Three Dozen “No’s”
The path to the prestigious Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) was paved with more “No’s” than most could endure. An electronics engineering graduate from Hisar, Vardhan moved to Delhi in 2013 with high hopes, only to face a relentless cycle of disappointment.
“I failed 35 exams,” he recounted in recent interviews, noting that he had qualified for the Mains in over 95% of those attempts but was repeatedly left on the reserve list or rejected at the final stage.
Stakeholders in his journey, particularly his family, shared this emotional rollercoaster; notably, the results of his fourth UPSC attempt arrived on the very day of his brother’s wedding, casting a temporary shadow of silence over the festivities. Vardhan attributes his eventual success to “improvisation over victimisation,” choosing to introspect on his own mistakes rather than blaming external factors.
From Engineering to the Indian Administrative Service
Before his name appeared on the UPSC merit list, Vardhan was a student battling the typical anxieties of a small-town youth with big-city dreams. His initial failures in the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) and various Grade A and B government tests were not just statistical data points but years of life spent in rigorous, often lonely, preparation.
This background of repeated struggle is what makes his double-success in the UPSC particularly significant. After joining the IPS in 2018, many suggested he should settle into the security of the khaki uniform. However, driven by a childhood vision of administrative service, he re-entered the fray.
His journey underscores a critical shift in the competitive exam landscape: the move away from rote learning toward a resilient, adaptive mindset that treats every rejection as a stepping stone.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
At The Logical Indian, we believe that success is often the tip of an iceberg, with the submerged portion consisting of grit, sweat, and numerous “failed” attempts. Vijay Vardhan’s story is not just about a rank; it is about the refusal to let a system or a scorecard define one’s self-worth. In an era where academic pressure often leads to severe mental health crises and a sense of hopelessness among the youth, Vardhan reminds us that the “final chapter” is only written when we stop trying.
We celebrate his journey as a triumph of empathy toward oneself recognizing that it is okay to fall, provided we have the courage to stand back up. His story challenges the societal stigma surrounding failure and encourages a culture of perseverance and kindness toward those still in the thick of their struggle.
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