Both sisters contracted the coronavirus before the exams.
Ankita Jain and Vaishali Jain have passed UPSC CSE 2020. Ankita has secured AIR 3 and Vaishali has secured AIR 21. It was Vaishali’s second attempt and Ankita’s fourth.
Every year, around 1,000 candidates successfully clear the UPSC CSE exam. The pass percentage of the UPSC exam should be enough to explain why it is considered difficult. Every year, thousands of candidates apply for the Prelims, but only about 25% of them manage to progress to the Mains. That is why some claim that the UPSC exam is one of the toughest in the world. Therefore, it is considered a matter of pride for the entire state if a native candidate, from a rural or urban region, clears the exam.
Imagine the joy in a household where not one but two members have been able to crack UPSC in the same year. This is the story of two sisters, Ankita and Vaishali Jain from Delhi. Ankita Jain and Vaishali Jain have passed UPSC CSE 2020. Ankita has secured AIR 3 and Vaishali has secured AIR 21. Although it was Vaishali’s second attempt, Ankita achieved success in her fourth attempt.
It was all the more exciting for them as COVID-19 became a hindrance for Ankita and Vaishali. Just before the exams, the virus infected them both. Family members were worried, but the sisters’ courage helped them carry on. Ankita made her first attempt in 2017, but it didn’t work out. Ankita is an Indian Audit and Accounts Service Officer now based in Mumbai. She got married two years ago and her husband Abhinav Tyagi is an IPS officer in Maharashtra.
Her younger sister Vaishali could not clear the Prelims in her first attempt. She is a graduate of B.Tech University of Delhi where she was a gold medalist. She has an M. Tech. also from IIT Delhi and was a gold medalist there. After completing her M. Tech degree, she started her UPSC preparation.
She studied engineering for half a day and civil the other half, because she had to prepare for both. Just before the interview, she became ill with COVID-19. Fortunately, the interview dates were postponed due to the situation in the country.