Exclusive | 9 UPSC Attempts, 9 Mains, 3 Interviews, Success In 3rd IFoS Interview: Inspiring Story Of Amir Naushad
Success awaits those with perseverance and a will of steel. This goes well with Amir Naushad, who waited for success to knock on his door for over 10 years and finally got to taste it. Amir, an engineering graduate from Deoband, Saharanpur, marked success by securing his position in the UPSC Indian Forest Services (IFoS) 2024 Examination.
UPSC announced the IFoS 2024 final result on May 19, 2025, with 143 candidates recommended for the Central Forest Services.
The extraordinary journey of Amir inspires many who struggle to choose between their dreams and bowing down to pressure. Having studied at Doon Public School, Deoband, Amir started his UPSC journey after completing his BTech in 2015.
After remaining undeterred through 9 failures in the UPSC CSE exam, Amir did not give up on his dream to join the coveted services. He appeared for the UPSC CSE Mains exams 9 consecutive times, attended the UPSC CSE interview three times, attempted the Indian Forest Services Exam thrice, and finally succeeded in his last attempt.
Timeline reached to Amir Naushad to talk about his motivation and determination to get through the services at last.
Timeline: Congratulations Amir, Tell us something about your journey and experience while preparing for the UPSC?
Amir Naushad: Thank you so much. Well, I started preparing in 2015. I gave nine attempts and luckily cleared the CSE prelims every time. I also appeared for the CSE interview three times from 2016 to 2024. This year UPSC IFoS was my third attempt.
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Timeline: How was your parents’ reaction after they got to know that you have been selected?
Amir Naushad: My father is numb as usual and letting the news sink in. He didn’t show me any expression but my mother started crying.
Timeline: Where did you find the inspiration to continue this journey and never give up, even after facing many failures?
Amir Naushad: Actually, it was from my father’s side. He always told me to remain hopeful, and the way they supported me was something for which I am very grateful. Secondly, I have good friends who kept me motivated to attempt this exam again and again. Most importantly, I never completely failed in this exam; I was always falling short by a small margin. This also kept me motivated to keep moving ahead, and now, with the grace of God, I have succeeded.
Timeline: What kind of challenges have you faced in a long preparation journey?
Amir Naushad: Actually, challenges vary from aspirant to aspirant. There can be financial hurdles, or people may face emotional troubles. Most importantly, a very common issue among civil service aspirants is the mental health challenge, which often goes unnoticed. I think it was a major challenge, and I won’t shy away from the fact that even I faced the same. Luckily, I had very good friends and a strong support system that kept me motivated and truly helped me overcome that phase.
Timeline: What role can coaching or guidance play in an aspirant’s journey? What role did it play in yours?
Amir Naushad: I started my coaching in Vajiram and Ravi in 2015-2016 batch and thereafter, I move to Jamia Millia Islamia, Residential Coaching Academy (JMI-RCA).
I don’t think that my experience at JMI-RCA can be described in words. It is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life. The friends I made there, the support I received, the infrastructure, and most importantly, the financial security—because I didn’t have to pay for anything except my mess food—are priceless. This financial security, which is often missing in most other places in Delhi, is something I believe cannot be ignored.
Timeline: What message would you like to give for aspirants who are struggling to clear UPSC examination?
Amir Naushad: First of all, don’t lose hope. There will be setbacks for sure as this exam is designed to test your patience and how you respond to failures. This is the first important point. Secondly, focus on the basics. Don’t be manipulated by materials which are marketed as important materials for clearing the exam. If you stick to the primary resources that have long been essential for this exam, such as NCERT books and other standard basic texts, I believe it will truly help you clear this exam.
