UPSC AIR-1 Toppers List (1970–2025) Year-Wise Rank 1 Names, States & Success Stories
The complete UPSC AIR-1 toppers list from 1970 to 2025 — every All India Rank 1 holder in the Civil Services Examination, with their name, state and region. Anuj Agnihotri (Rajasthan) topped UPSC CSE 2025; Shakti Dubey (Uttar Pradesh) topped 2024; Aditya Srivastava (Uttar Pradesh) topped 2023. Below is the full year-wise table plus topper profiles and preparation tips distilled from the rank holders themselves.
UPSC AIR-1 Toppers List: An Overview
The UPSC AIR-1 toppers list records the candidates who secured All India Rank 1 in the Union Public Service Commission's Civil Services Examination across the years. It captures the names of the top achievers along with their respective states or regions, reflecting the changing trends in UPSC success and serving as a source of inspiration for every aspirant preparing for the examination.
Spanning more than five decades — from Om Prakash Agarwal (1973) to Anuj Agnihotri (2025) — the list is a compact history of the exam's most successful candidates. Aspirants use it to study patterns: which states recur, how the gender balance has shifted, and how the profile of a Rank 1 holder has evolved from generalist graduates to engineers, doctors and IIT alumni.
UPSC AIR-1 Toppers List from 1970 to 2025 (Year-Wise)
The table below provides the complete year-wise UPSC AIR-1 toppers list from 1970 to 2025, including each topper's name and state or region. A dash ( - ) indicates the state/region is not on record in the source list.
| Year | Topper (AIR 1) | State / Region |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Anuj Agnihotri | Rajasthan |
| 2024 | Shakti Dubey | Uttar Pradesh |
| 2023 | Aditya Srivastava | Uttar Pradesh |
| 2022 | Ishita Kishore | Uttar Pradesh |
| 2021 | Shruti Sharma | Uttar Pradesh |
| 2020 | Shubham Kumar | Bihar |
| 2019 | Pradeep Singh | Haryana |
| 2018 | Kanishak Kataria | Rajasthan |
| 2017 | Anudeep Durishetty | Telangana |
| 2016 | Nandini K.R. | Karnataka |
| 2015 | Tina Dabi | Delhi |
| 2014 | Ira Singhal | Delhi |
| 2013 | Gaurav Agrawal | Rajasthan |
| 2012 | Haritha V. Kumar | Kerala |
| 2011 | Shena Aggarwal | Haryana |
| 2010 | S. Divyadharshini | Tamil Nadu |
| 2009 | Shah Faesal | Jammu & Kashmir |
| 2008 | Shubhra Saxena | Uttar Pradesh |
| 2007 | Adapa Karthik | Telangana |
| 2006 | Mutyalaraju Revu | Andhra Pradesh |
| 2005 | Mona Pruthi | Haryana |
| 2004 | S. Nagarajan | Tamil Nadu |
| 2003 | Rupa Mishra | Odisha |
| 2002 | Ankur Garg | Punjab |
| 2001 | Alok Ranjan Jha | Bihar |
| 2000 | Vijayalakshmi Bidari | Karnataka |
| 1999 | Gayatri I. Kumar | - |
| 1998 | Nirupama Kotru | - |
| 1997 | V. Anbukumar | Tamil Nadu |
| 1996 | Sunil Kumar Barnwal | - |
| 1995 | Ashutosh Jindal | - |
| 1994 | Vinay Shekhar Jha | - |
| 1993 | Srivatsa Krishna | - |
| 1992 | Anurag Jain | - |
| 1991 | Raju Narayana Swamy | Kerala |
| 1990 | Ram Niwas Jain | - |
| 1989 | Amitabh Jain | - |
| 1988 | Prashant Kumar Mishra | - |
| 1987 | Aamir Subhani | Bihar |
| 1986 | Vijay Kumar | - |
| 1985 | Vakati Rajeshwar Rao | - |
| 1984 | M.C. Gupta | - |
| 1983 | Rupam Ganguly | - |
| 1979 | Anil Kumar Saxena | - |
| 1975 | Aruna Bagchi | - |
| 1973 | Om Prakash Agarwal | - |
Among the years where the state is on record, Uttar Pradesh has produced the most AIR-1 toppers in the recent era — 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2008 — including four in a row from 2021 to 2024. Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar and Tamil Nadu also recur frequently in the list.
UPSC AIR-1 Topper 2025 — Anuj Agnihotri
Anuj Agnihotri secured All India Rank (AIR) 1 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025. An MBBS graduate from AIIMS Jodhpur, he hails from Rawatbhata, Rajasthan, and achieved this milestone in his third attempt. His success through disciplined preparation and dedication has inspired thousands of UPSC aspirants across the country. He was a student of the Vajiram and Ravi Interview Guidance Program.
UPSC AIR-1 Topper 2024 — Shakti Dubey
Shakti Dubey secured All India Rank (AIR) 1 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2024. She hails from Uttar Pradesh and achieved the top rank through consistent preparation and hard work. Her success has become a source of motivation for thousands of UPSC aspirants across the country.
Shakti Dubey enrolled in the following courses of Vajiram & Ravi:
- General Studies PCM 10-Month Course
- Sureshot Mains Test Series 2024 – FLT (10 Weeks)
- SMART Current Affairs
- Powerup Prelims Test Series
UPSC AIR-1 Topper 2023 — Aditya Srivastava
Aditya Srivastava secured All India Rank (AIR) 1 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2023. He hails from Uttar Pradesh and is a graduate of IIT Kanpur with a degree in Electrical Engineering. His dedication, disciplined preparation, and perseverance helped him achieve the top rank in one of India's toughest examinations.
Preparation Tips Inspired by UPSC AIR-1 Rank Holders
Every UPSC AIR-1 topper follows a unique strategy, but some preparation habits remain common. The tips below are inspired by the approaches adopted by successful rank holders over the years.
- Understand the UPSC Syllabus: Read the syllabus thoroughly and prepare each topic according to the exam requirements.
- Build Strong NCERT Basics: Start with NCERT books to develop a clear understanding of fundamental concepts.
- Follow Standard Reference Books: Use a limited number of reliable books instead of collecting multiple resources.
- Read Newspapers Daily: Stay updated with current affairs through newspapers and monthly current affairs magazines.
- Prepare Short Notes: Make concise notes for quick revision before the Prelims and Mains examinations.
- Practice Answer Writing: Write answers regularly to improve presentation, structure, and time management for the Mains exam.
- Solve Previous Year Question Papers: Analyze PYQs to understand the exam pattern, important topics, and question trends.
- Attempt Mock Tests: Take regular mock tests to evaluate preparation and identify areas that need improvement.
- Revise Consistently: Revise important topics multiple times to improve retention and boost confidence.
- Maintain Discipline and Consistency: Study with a realistic timetable and stay consistent throughout the preparation journey.
The toppers list is not a hall of fame to admire — it is a pattern to decode. Every name on it started exactly where you are now: with a syllabus, a stack of NCERTs, and a decision to be consistent.
— Legacy IAS Faculty
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who is the UPSC AIR-1 topper 2025?
Who topped the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2024?
Who was the UPSC topper in 2023?
Which state has produced the most UPSC AIR-1 toppers recently?
Who were the recent women AIR-1 toppers in UPSC?
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Key Takeaways
- Latest toppers: Anuj Agnihotri (Rajasthan) topped UPSC CSE 2025, after Shakti Dubey (UP, 2024) and Aditya Srivastava (UP, 2023).
- Span of the list: the year-wise AIR-1 record here runs from Om Prakash Agarwal (1973) to Anuj Agnihotri (2025), covering 46 documented Rank 1 holders.
- State trend: Uttar Pradesh leads recent years with AIR 1 in 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2008 — four in a row from 2021–2024 — with Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar and Tamil Nadu also recurring.
- Diverse backgrounds: recent toppers include an AIIMS MBBS graduate (2025) and an IIT Kanpur electrical engineer (2023), showing that no single academic background monopolises Rank 1.
- Common strategy: syllabus mastery, NCERT foundations, limited standard books, daily newspaper reading, short notes, answer-writing practice, PYQs, mock tests, consistent revision and disciplined routine.
- Women at the top: the list features multiple women AIR-1 holders across years, including Tina Dabi, Ira Singhal, Ishita Kishore, Shruti Sharma and Shakti Dubey.
