958 people out of 10+ lakh applicants. That's the UPSC IAS 2025 result. Selection rate — less than 0.1%. And topping the list — Anuj Agnihotri, an AIIMS Jodhpur doctor from Rajasthan who chose civil services over a medical career. He cracked it in his 3rd attempt with 1,071 marks — the highest score we've seen in years.
But here's what makes his story interesting — in his first attempt (CSE 2023), he got AIR 342. Most people would have taken that IPS posting and settled. He didn't. He appeared again and went from 342 to AIR 1. That's not luck — that's someone who knew exactly what went wrong and fixed it.
UPSC IAS 2025 — Key Numbers
| Detail | 2025 |
|---|
| Total Applications | 10+ Lakh |
| Final Selected | 958 (against 1,087 vacancies) |
| AIR 1 | Anuj Agnihotri (1,071 marks) |
| Result Date | 6 March 2026 |
| Services | IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS + Group A & B |
Top 10 Rankers — Marks, Optional, Background
| Rank | Name | Total | Written | Interview | Optional |
|---|
| 1 | Anuj Agnihotri | 1,071 | 867 | 204 | Medical Science |
| 2 | Rajeshwari Suve M | — | — | — | Sociology |
| 3 | Akansh Dhull | — | — | — | Commerce & Accountancy |
| 4 | Raghav Jhunjhunwala | — | — | — | Economics |
| 5 | Ishan Bhatnagar | — | — | — | Sociology |
| 6 | — | — | — | — | PSIR |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | Anthropology |
| 9 | Astha Jain | — | — | — | PSIR |
| 10 | Ujjwal Priyank | — | — | — | Sociology |
Pattern: Sociology dominated with 3 toppers in top 10. Medical Science got AIR 1. Commerce & Accountancy got AIR 3 — proving you don't need a "traditional" optional to top.
Anuj Agnihotri — AIIMS Doctor to AIR 1
| Detail | Information |
|---|
| From | Rawatbhata, Chittorgarh, Rajasthan |
| Education | MBBS — AIIMS Jodhpur (2023) |
| School | Atomic Energy Central School (10th), M.B. Public School Kota (12th) |
| Optional | Medical Science |
| Attempt | 3rd (CSE 2023: AIR 342 → CSE 2025: AIR 1) |
His Subject-wise Marks
| Paper | Marks |
|---|
| Essay | 108 |
| GS Paper I | 111 |
| GS Paper II | 127 |
| GS Paper III | 103 |
| GS Paper IV (Ethics) | 126 |
| Medical Science Paper I | 142 |
| Medical Science Paper II | 150 |
| Written Total | 867 |
| Interview | 204 / 275 |
| Final Total | 1,071 |
Look at those optional marks — 142 + 150 = 292 out of 500 in Medical Science. That's where AIR 1 was won. His GS scores are good but not extraordinary. Read Anuj Agnihotri's full story, marksheet breakdown & preparation strategy here.
His GS scores are good but not extraordinary. The optional made the difference.
And 204 in interview — that's exceptional. Legacy IAS mock interviews helped, but ultimately it was his clarity about why he left medicine for civil services that impressed the board.
The real lesson: He went from AIR 342 to AIR 1. What changed? Not his knowledge — his answer writing and interview preparation. The content was already there from his first attempt. He refined the presentation.
Cut Off — Category Wise
| Stage | General | EWS | OBC | SC | ST |
|---|
| Prelims (out of 200) | 92.66 | 89.34 | 92.00 | 84.00 | 82.66 |
| Mains (out of 1750) | 739 | 706 | 717 | 700 | 694 |
| Final (out of 2025) | 963 | — | — | 905 | 902 |
Prelims cut off jumped to 92.66 for General — highest in recent years. This means Prelims is getting harder. If you can't clear 93+ consistently in mocks, Prelims will be your bottleneck. Fix it before touching Mains prep.
Should YOU Prepare for UPSC? — Honest Check
| Question | If Yes | If No |
|---|
| Can you study 6-8 hours daily for 2-3 years? | Continue | Choose BPSC/SSC/Banking instead |
| Can your family support you financially without income for 2-3 years? | Continue | Get a job first, then prepare alongside |
| Are you okay with possibly failing 2-3 times? | Continue | UPSC needs mental toughness. If failure breaks you, this isn't your exam. |
| Do you genuinely enjoy reading about governance, policy, current affairs? | Continue | UPSC rewards curious minds, not rote learners |
Starting UPSC in 2026 — 14 Month Roadmap
| Period | What to Do |
|---|
| Apr-Jun 2026 | NCERTs only (Class 6-12). History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Science. No coaching, no YouTube rabbit holes. Just read NCERTs cover to cover. |
| Jul-Sep 2026 | Standard books: Laxmikanth (Polity), Spectrum (History), Ramesh Singh (Economy). Start The Hindu daily. Choose your optional. |
| Oct-Dec 2026 | Optional preparation + GS revision. Start answer writing — even 1 answer daily. It feels slow but by month 3 you'll see the difference. |
| Jan-Mar 2027 | Prelims mock tests every week. Solve last 10 years PYQs. Current affairs monthly compilation. |
| Apr-May 2027 | Full Prelims mode. 2 mocks per week. Only revise, no new topics. |
| Jun 2027 | Prelims. If cleared → intense Mains prep begins. |
Free resources: NCERTs (ncert.nic.in), Drishti IAS YouTube (free Hindi lectures), PYQs (upsc.gov.in), The Hindu, Mrunal.org for Economy. You don't need Rs.2 lakh coaching. Anuj Agnihotri didn't become AIR 1 because of expensive coaching — he became AIR 1 because he attempted 3 times and improved each time.
Frequently Asked Questions
UPSC 2025 ka topper kaun hai?
UPSC CSE 2025 ka topper Anuj Agnihotri hai, Rajasthan ke Chittorgarh se. AIIMS Jodhpur se MBBS kiya, Medical Science optional liya, aur 1,071 marks score kiye (867 written + 204 interview). Ye unka 3rd attempt tha — pehle CSE 2023 me AIR 342 aaya tha.
UPSC 2025 ka final cut off kitna hai?
General — 963, SC — 905, ST — 902. Prelims cut off General ke liye 92.66 (out of 200) hai — recent years me sabse zyada. Mains cut off 739 (out of 1750) hai.
Anuj Agnihotri ka optional subject kya tha?
Medical Science. AIIMS se MBBS hone ki wajah se ye natural choice tha. Optional me 142 + 150 = 292/500 score kiya — yahi AIR 1 ka biggest reason hai. GS scores ache the lekin optional ne game change kiya.
UPSC ki taiyari kab shuru kare?
Graduation ke saath start karo. NCERT se shuru karo (class 6-12). Maximum 3-4 attempts ka plan banao. Backup zaroor rakho — BPSC, SSC, Banking. Bina backup ke UPSC prepare karna financially aur mentally risky hai.
Kya doctor UPSC crack kar sakte hain?
Bilkul — Anuj Agnihotri (AIR 1) AIIMS doctor hai. Medical Science optional lena doctors ke liye biggest advantage hai. Last 10 years me kai doctors ne top 50 me rank kiya hai. Agar aap MBBS ho aur civil services me interest hai toh Medical Science optional best choice hai.
UPSC 2025 me kitne log select hue?
Total 958 candidates recommend kiye gaye against 1,087 vacancies. Services include IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS aur other Group A/B central services.
