Meet the Woman Who Quit Medical Studies to Fulfil Father’s Dream, Cracked UPSC to Become IPS and Later IAS

IAS Mudra Gairola: Mudra Gairola’s journey is a powerful testament to dedication, resilience and perseverance. A gold-medalist dentist from Chamoli, Uttarakhand, she turned her medical career upside down to chase a dream that belonged as much to her father as to herself, and transformed a long-deferred aspiration into reality by clearing UPSC as an IAS officer.

Mudra Gairola’s Educational & Family Background

Mudra Gairols hails from Karnprayag in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand. Mudra has always been a brilliant student, scoring 96% in Class 10 and an impressive 97% in Class 12. She pursued a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) in Mumbai, where earned a gold medal for academic excellence. Then she went on to pursue a postgraduate MDS program in Delhi, poised for a promising career in dentistry.

Leaving Medical Studies to Realize a Dream

Mudra’s father, Arun Gairola had himself appeared for the coveted Civil Services Exam but couldn’t qualify. He wanted Mudra to pursue his dream of becoming an IAS officer. Realizing the weight of his unfinished dream, Mudra made the life-altering decision to leave her MDS mid-way and commit herself full-time to UPSC preparation.

Mudra’s UPSC Journey: From IPS to IAS

Mudra left her MDS mid-way to follow her and her father’s dream of becoming an IAS officer. She started her preparation and gave her first attempt in 2018, where she reached the Interview stage, but couldn’t make it to the final list. Then again, in 2019, she gave another attempt but didn’t gain any success. In 2020, she again took the attempt but failed at the Mains stage. In 2021, she gained success securing AIR 165 and was allotted IPS. Finally, in 2022, she again appeared for the exam and with an AIR 53 she secured her seat as an IAS.

• UPSC 2018: First attempt, made it to the interview stage but did not clear it.

• UPSC 2019: Again reached the interview round, but fell short

• UPSC 2020: Failed at Mains stage

• UPSC 2021: Secured AIR 165, got into Indian Police Services (IPS).

• UPSC 2022: Secured AIR 53, got into IAS.

Mudra Gairola stands as an inspiring emblem of perseverance: a gold-medalist doctor who dared to redesign her destiny, weathered multiple failures, and ultimately fulfilled her father’s long-deferred dream by entering the IAS with AIR 53. Her story reminds us that success is often the sum of relentless effort, unwavering faith, and the courage to change course in pursuit of a deeper calling.

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