Meet the ex-TCS techie who refused to give up on her IAS dream and finally cracked UPSC. Meet S Aswathy. Her education and career

Every year, thousands of aspirants across the nation set their eyes on the prestigious UPSC Civil Services Examination. For many, it’s a chance to serve the country; for others, it’s a path to a stable future. But for some, like S Aswathy, it’s a lifelong dream forged through struggle, sacrifice, and relentless determination. She didn't just clear the exam but also proved to us that if you have the determination, anything can be done.

S Aswathy educational qualifications and career

Hailing from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, S Aswathy is the daughter of Premkumar, a construction labourer. Growing up in a financially strained household, she faced challenges most of her peers could not imagine. Yet, from as early as Class 8, she was clear about her ambition, to become an IAS officer.


With a strong academic foundation, Aswathy pursued Electrical Engineering at Government Barton Hill Engineering College, where she continued to excel. After graduating, she secured a job at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Kochi in 2015. This not only helped her support her family but also allowed her to fund her civil services preparation.


How S Aswathy prepared for UPSC?
As reported by The New Indian Express, while working in the IT sector, Aswathy once again thought about her ambition to crack the civil services exam and began preparing alongside her job. In 2017, she made the decision to resign and dedicate herself fully to UPSC preparation. She enrolled at the Kerala State Civil Services Academy and also attended coaching at a few private institutions in Thiruvananthapuram.

Her perseverance finally paid off when she cleared the UPSC CSE 2020, securing All India Rank 481. Aswathy told ANI that in her fourth attempt at the Civil Services Examination, she finally succeeded after failing to clear the prelims in her previous three tries. Although the repeated setbacks had made her anxious, she remained determined.

Taking about her strategy, S Aswathy said that this time, she concentrated on improving her writing skills and refining her content, which helped her present her answers more effectively in the mains papers.

Her father, filled with pride, shared how difficult their journey had been and expressed joy at her success.