Meet man, IIT graduate who left high-paying job to become IAS, cracked UPSC, got AIR 1, now he is posted at…

New Delhi: Success stories serve as powerful catalysts, motivating us to push through obstacles and stay focused on our goals. These stories are proof that only hard work is the key to success. Today, we will read the success story of an aspirant who left a Rs 1 crore salary job to clear the UPSC exam. He secured AIR 1 in 1st attempt, is now posted in….
Meet man, IIT graduate who left high-paying job to become IAS, cracked UPSC, got AIR 1, now he is posted at..
Recently, this IAS officer officially signed the resignation orders for his father following his retirement from the position of Divisional Commissioner in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. His father, Sanwar Mal Verma, is also an IAS officer. Any guesses as to who he is? Well, read the inspirational story below.
Kanishak Kataria hails from Rajasthan’s Jaipur. He graduated in computer science from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. Soon, he secured a high-paying job with Samsung in South Korea. Despite his impressive salary, Kanishak’s true ambition was to serve as an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer. Reportedly, he even scored Rank 44th in IIT JEE. Speaking of his schooling, Kataria studied at St. Paul’s Sr. Sec. School, Kota, Rajasthan.
Kanishak Kataria started his professional career as a data scientist at Samsung, one of South Korea’s most renowned electronics manufacturers. After a few years, he returned to India and worked for an American startup based in Bengaluru. Despite earning a high salary in his job, Kanishak made the bold decision to leave his well-paying career and dedicate himself fully to preparing for the UPSC exam, aiming to fulfill his ambition of joining the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
After spending several months at a coaching center in Delhi, Kanishak Kataria chose to move to Kota to continue his UPSC preparation independently.
Kanishak Kataria secured the top rank in the 2018 Civil Services Examination. Inspired by his father, Sanwar Mal Verma, an IAS officer and Director of the Social Justice and Empowerment Department in Rajasthan, Kanishak decided to follow in his footsteps and pursue his true passion for public service.
In 2017, Kanishak left his job and returned to Jaipur, determined to crack the Civil Services Examination. With immense dedication and focused preparation, Kanishak Kataria appeared for the UPSC exam and, in his very first attempt, achieved the top position by securing All India Rank (AIR) 1.
Speaking of his UPSC Civil Services Mains Result, he successfully cleared the examination with mathematics as his optional subject.
Kanishak Kataria obtained a total of 942 marks in the written examination. He secured 179 in the personality test. Overall, he secured 1121 marks out of 2025 marks.
Earlier in June, IAS Kanishak Kataria was posted as Joint Secretary in the Department of Personnel (DOP), Government of Rajasthan. Sharing a post on X(formerly Twitter), he said, “Joined as Joint Secretary to Government, Department of Personnel (A-1) after a wonderful and enriching experience as CEO Zila Parishad, Alwar. All the more excited to have taken over charge from a friend, college batchmate, service senior and UPSC mentor – Akshay Godara, IAS.”