Know about Laghima Tiwari’s Biography, Age, UPSC Marksheet, Rank, Optional Subject, and her Preparation Strategy in 2026

Cracking the UPSC Civil Services Examination is what millions of young Indians aspire to do. Each year, some exceptional candidates transform this tough dream into reality. Of the outstanding success stories, Laghima Tiwari’s is very inspiring. My cousin, who has been preparing for the civil services for the past two years, has Laghima’s strategy notes stuck to his study wall. We see firsthand how she has become a hope spot for many fresh graduates.

Securing an outstanding All India Rank of 19 on her first try in the UPSC CSE 2022, Laghima proved that strategy and positive attitude you bring to the table are what really count, not the years of hard work.

From Engineering to the Civil Services

From the historic city of Alwar in Rajasthan, Laghima’s heritage is in academics. Her father, Satish Chand, is a dedicated teacher in a Delhi government school, while her mother, Kanta Sharma, is a homemaker. At 23 years old, Laghima achieved a wonderful achievement for the family; she fulfilled her late grandfather’s wish to see a member of the family join India’s administrative framework.

Serving the people.

A First-Attempt Triumph: Rate and Report Card.

To pass the civil services exam on the first attempt is a rare achievement, but to place in the top 20 is a great feat. Laghima herself could not believe the news, which left her in shock. Her hard work paid off with a very high score of 1033 in the Mains and Interview rounds, which in turn secured her a spot in the top tier of the country’s bureaucracy, also avoiding the need to appear for the preliminary exams again.

Navigating the Optional Subject

In the case of Laghima’s journey, what was very interesting was her choice of a different subject. Though she had a strong engineering background, which could have been a given field for her, she went for Anthropology.

Laghima did not choose the topics at random. During high school, which was from grades 9 to 12, Laghima built a great comfort level with the bio sciences. Also, since Anthropology, which studies human evolution and biological diversity as well as cultural elements, played to her strengths, which she brought to the table from her bio background, that is what made the subject very easy and scoring for her.

The Core Strategy: Persistence Through Time.

Laghima’s case, which my cousin often brings up, is what makes her stand out. She put to rest the idea that in order to do well, you have to study for 16 hours a day.

Instead, what Laghima did was to put forth a balanced approach to study. She had that which, in order to do well, it is better to study a little but very intensely each day, as opposed to burning out, which is studying for 12 hours one day and then not at all the next.

Her preparation roadmap relied heavily on: Her action plan included:

• Self-Reliance: She achieved that high rank without the use of full-time traditional classroom-based coaching institutes.
• Topper Insights: She put in many hours into going over past toppers’ YouTube interviews, breaking down their notes and habits.
• The Core Syllabus: She closely tied her preparation to standard reference material, which includes M. Laxmikanth for Polity, Nitin Singhania for Art and Culture, and Spectrum for Modern History.
• Mock Analysis: Laghima resorted to mock tests, which she used to identify her errors. She was of the thought that it is better to analyse a failed mock test than to do well in an easy one.

Laghima’s success story is a motivating force for each young aspirant, which shows that with structure in approach, a clear state of mind, and a consistent daily effort, even the tallest mountains can be climbed at once.