In a powerful reflection of growing gender parity in public services, women have continued to dominate the top ranks of the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) in recent years. The final results of UPSC CSE 2024, released today, further affirm this trend—with women once again taking center stage.
CSE 2024: Women at the Forefront
This year, Shakti Dubey secured the All India Rank 1, followed closely by Harshita Goyal at Rank 2. Out of the top 25 candidates, 11 are women, highlighting the increasing representation of women in India’s most prestigious civil service examination.
A total of 1,009 candidates have been selected for appointments to the IAS, IFS, IPS, and other Group ‘A’ and ‘B’ Central Services. The recruitment aims to fill 1,129 vacancies, with results published on the UPSC official website.
- Prelims: June 16, 2024
- Mains: September 20–29, 2024
- Interviews: January 7 to April 17, 2025
Year-wise Breakdown of Women Toppers in UPSC CSE
2024 – Two Women in the Top 3
- Rank 1: Shakti Dubey
Optional Subject: Political Science & International Relations - Rank 2: Harshita Goyal
Education: B.Com, MS University of Baroda
Optional Subject: Political Science & International Relations - Rank 3: Dongre Archit Parag (Male)
Highlight: 11 out of the top 25 candidates were women.
2023 – Two Women in the Top 5
- Rank 1: Aditya Srivastava (Male)
- Rank 2: Animesh Pradhan (Male)
- Rank 3: Donuru Ananya Reddy
Age: 22 | Education: BA (Geography & Economics), Miranda House, Delhi - Rank 5: Ruhani (currently training at SVPNPA for IPS)
Highlight: 10 of the top 25 were women; Ananya Reddy was the highest-ranking woman.
2022 – Women Sweep the Top 4
- Rank 1: Ishita Kishore
Education: Economics, SRCC, Delhi University - Rank 2: Garima Lohia
Education: Commerce, Kirorimal College
Optional: Commerce & Accountancy - Rank 3: Uma Harathi N
Education: B.Tech Civil Engineering, IIT Hyderabad
Optional: Anthropology - Rank 4: Smriti Mishra
Education: B.Sc, Miranda House
Optional: Zoology
Highlight: 14 out of the top 25 were women—marking back-to-back years of top rankings by female candidates.
2021 – Top 3 Ranks All Women
- Rank 1: Shruti Sharma
Education: History, St. Stephen’s College - Rank 2: Ankita Agarwal
- Rank 3: Gamini Singla
Highlight: This marked the fifth time in a decade that a woman secured the top spot.
2014 – Women Secure Top 4 Ranks
This year set an early benchmark, with four women occupying the top spots—foreshadowing the positive trend seen in the following decade.
A Growing Trend of Female Excellence
From 24% in 2018 to 34% in 2022, the proportion of successful women candidates has shown a steady rise. These results not only reflect individual brilliance but also signify a broader shift toward gender equality in Indian civil services.
The continued success of women in UPSC CSE is proof that talent knows no gender—and that India’s future administrators are more diverse and dynamic than ever.
