Can you imagine a situation where any yet random aspirant failed once, or twice, or even 15 times in the Civil Services exam? Will he or she give up? Will he or she choose some way toward another career? Or will he or she keep on trying until he or she wins?
This story is that of Abhinandan Yadav, a kid from Khozapur village in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, who epitomized steadfast resolve. He never allowed defeat to become his identity. Every time he fell, he picked himself up and made that fall the last step toward achieving his goal. Thousands upon thousands of failures and finally, in 2024, he succeeded in cracking one of the toughest competitive examinations in India—the UPSC CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces)—and became an Assistant Commandant.
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The Humble Beginnings
The story of Abhinandan Yadav is not one beginning in a metropolitan coaching center or with access to any elite educational resources. The story begins from among the quiet fields and humble surroundings of rural Uttar Pradesh. Being born and brought up in Khozapur, he did his schooling there and always dreamed big. For him, education was his escape and his power.
Like any bright student with big dreams, he decided to move into engineering studies. His eyes were set on IITs, and for this purpose, he moved to Kota, Rajasthan, India’s coaching hub. It worked hard for him, and in 2018, he got admission at IIT Guwahati, one of the country’s prime institutes.
The Comfortable Path Not Taken
Usually, graduating from an IIT ensures a safe, well-paying job and a comfortable life. In 2022, Abhinandan took on a highly respectable job in Gurugram after completing engineering. However, his heart was not really in the corporate life. Deep down, he knew his real calling was serving the nation as a civil servant.
No sane man would give away comfort and security for such unspeakable danger. But Abhinandan was no ‘sane man.” He took a very bold step of preparing for UPSC while working full-time, with time never being on his side.
The Longer Road of Failures
The UPSC examination is not a mere academic test, but a trial of character, as Abhinandan found out. He proved that the examination tested every ounce of patience and mental strength he had. From 2020 till 2023, he appeared in 16 competitive examinations, including SSC, UPSC prelims, mains, and other government recruitments.
And he failed.
Every single time.
Most people give up struggling after 3-4 attempts; he persevered.
It was not simply about failing the examinations; it was about bearing disappointment, emotional burn-out, self-doubt, societal, and family pressure.
But what made him different?
He never lost sight of his purpose.
The Power of Consistency and Discipline
Abhinandan would have made a strict schedule back in the time he was working at Gurugram. Finish all the work by day and study through the night. Up to 12 hours were dedicated to self-study on a working full-time schedule.
He engineered a bubble that would not entertain the company of distractions, gatherings with friends, or even family events. He believed that one who does something extra ordinarily above the rest must do something that nobody else is willing to do.
Consistency became his superpower.
A huge mileage in his journey came with the SSC CGL exam where he got selected as an Auditor in a government department. However, that still was not enough for him. The real goal remained UPSC.
The Breakthrough: UPSC CAPF 2024
The late nights, the missed parties, the quiet hours of on-again-off-again struggle, all came to fruition in 2024 when Abhinandan cleared the UPSC CAPF exam on his very first attempt and got selected as an Assistant Commandant.
This victory was not only a personal triumph but also a testimony to where sheer persistence can take you.
This UPSC CAPF is a very difficult exam which is meant to judge not only one’s academic wisdom but also mental and physical fitness. Abhinandan, the champion, has been triumphant in passing all the stages, written examination, physical examination, and interview.
Thrice strengthened goodness for someone who had failed 15 times before!
Lessons from Abhinandan’s Journey
1. Failure is not the end. It is feedback.
Abhinandan’s course of events provides testimony to this: failure is not a dead end in one’s life. It signifies that something needs to be changed, improved, or endured a bit longer.
2. Consistency beats talent.
In fact, Abhinandan states that although he was talented and intelligent, it was discipline and consistency that finally got him through to the other side. Even the most brilliant minds will not succeed if they lack dedication.
3. Time management is an important aspect for working aspirants.
Many UPSC aspirants want to prepare for it but hesitate to do so while working. Abhinandan shows that it can be done with clear planning and the right mindset.
4. Self-motivation counts.
No coach, friend, or family member can motivate you every single day. That needs to come from within. In Abhinandan’s words: “Even when I failed repeatedly, I never let the fire in me die.”
5. Coaching is a complementary aid, never a silver bullet.
Abhinandan also went to Plutus IAS, a reputed coaching institute that caters to working professionals. He used their study material and strategy sessions in fine-tuning his preparation. But he never relied on coaching solely for his preparation—he took responsibility for his learning.
The Real-Definition of Success
Abhinandan’s success lies not in just cracking some examination, but in crafting the very definition of success. One result, one event cannot be termed success. The true definition is the establishment of mental fortitude, clarity of purpose, and the determination to forge ahead despite setbacks. His story reminds us that delayed success is always success in a world where everyone is looking for instantaneous results. Sometimes it brings more rewards because of the struggle behind it.
Conlusion
Today, he stands as an Assistant Commandant in CAPF and serves his country with pride. His story is now told across social media, classrooms, and coaching centers—not just as a story of UPSC success but a tale of resilience. If you are someone who has failed an examination, who is tired of being rejected many times, or who thinks success is only for a lucky few, remember Abhinandan Yadav. He had lost 15 times. Yet, each time, he came back stronger. Because real heroes are not those who never fall but those who fall and rise, many times over.