Anukriti Sharma cleared this exam on her fifth attempt.
Anukriti said she wanted to serve the nation and that is why they decided to return to India.
The Indian Police Service, popularly known as IPS, is one of the toughest investigations in the country. Candidates must undergo a comprehensive examination consisting of the prelims, mains and personality tests. Many manage to get through this and achieve their dream of becoming an IPS officer. One of those candidates is Anukriti Sharma. Anukriti also secured 23rd rank in the National Eligibility Test, Junior Research Fellowship exam in 2014. What is shocking is that Anukriti had left a lucrative job at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to work towards her dream of becoming IPS to become an officer. Let’s take a look at Anukriti’s success story.
Anukriti is from Ajmer, Rajasthan. Her father worked at the 20-point program, while her mother worked as a teacher. She completed her education from Indo-Bharat International School, Jaipur. She then completed her BSMS (Bachelor of Siddha Medicine and Surgery) from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata. She met Vaibhav Mishra, who hails from Varanasi, while studying at university in 2012 and became friends. They soon fell in love. Both were also selected for PhD studies at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Vaibhav expressed his desire to travel to America with Anukriti, but they were advised to get married first. Both got married in 2013.
In an interview with a portal, Anukriti said, “We got jobs while pursuing our PhD degrees in the US. We had to explore volcanoes and earned more than Rs 2 lakh every month.” Anukriti said she wanted to serve the nation and that is why they decided to return to India. Together with her husband, she started preparing for the civil service exam with her in-laws. During this time, both Anukriti and Vaibhav helped each other in every possible way for the exams. They took the exam for the first time in 2015, but did not get further than the preliminary rounds. Anukriti told the portal, “Vaibhav remained a pillar of strength for me during this difficult time.” She reached the interview stage the next time, but was again ineligible for the selection.
Anukriti finally cleared the exam in the fourth attempt with a 355th rank and was selected by the Indian Revenue Service (IRS). She again attempted the UPSC for the 5th time in 2020 and became an IPS officer. She is currently posted as Assistant Superintendent of Police in Bulandshahr. Her husband Vaibhav works as a faculty in one of the coaching institutes in Delhi. Anukriti credits her parents and husband for her success in the UPSC exam.