Everything you need to know about UPSC Topper Madhav Agarwal – AIR 16 UPSC Topper 2024
- Name: Madhav Agarwal
- Hometown/City: Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh
- Roll Number: 6907627
- Year of Appearance: 2024
- Attempts: Third
- Optional subject: Commerce and Accountancy
- Graduated in: CA (2019)
Madhav Agarwal, a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Financial Analyst and a native of Gwalior, created history by clearing the UPSC exams with an All India rank of 16. UPSC 2024 was Madhav’s third attempt. He previously cleared UPSC 2023 with an AIR of 211 and was undergoing IPS training when the results of UPSC 2024 were announced.
Madhav Agarwal Educational Background
Madhav Agarwal completed his school education from The Daly college, Indore. He was the captain of the Hockey team during his time at Daly College. After completing his schooling, he joined Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics to pursue his bachelors in commerce with accounting and finance. He completed his bachelors with Rank 1. During his time at Narsee Monjee College, he served as the treasurer of the students’ council. He was also a recipient of a special prize for scoring high marks in Financial Accounting. After completing his graduation, he went on to pursue Chartered Accountancy and managed to clear all levels of CA in the very first attempt. He scored 511 in the CA final exams 2019. Along with his CA preparation, he managed to clear all three levels of CFA in the first attempt.
Madhav Agarwal Work Experience
Madhav Agarwal worked as an Article Assistant at two firms, first at Lodha & Co. from June 2016 to July 2018. He then joined A. Singhal and Associates to complete his articleship. He successfully completed his CA articleship in August 2018. During his time at Lodha & Co., he undertook and gained experience in various areas such as internal audit, corporate finance, and transaction services. At A. Singhal and Associates, he was primarily involved in conducting tax audits for various clients.
Madhav is currently undergoing IPS training in the National Police academy in Hyderabad after clearing the UPSC exams 2023. He also volunteers as an Organ donation awareness ambassador with an NGO.
Madhav Agarwal Optional Paper
Since he was a Chartered Accountant and had a commerce background, he opted for commerce and accountancy as his optional paper for UPSC exams. The knowledge he gained while preparing for CA and CFA exams helped him in his optional paper preparation.
Madhav Agarwal’s Preparation Strategy
UPSC 2024 was Madhav Agarwal’s third attempt. He had successfully cleared the UPSC exam in 2023 and is currently undergoing training at NPA Hyderabad. However, he decided to appear for the Civil Services Examination once again, aiming to become an IAS officer and serve society.
For his third attempt, his preparation strategy included regularly reading newspapers to stay updated on relevant current affairs. He also focused more on topics like international relations, economic bubbles, security issues, ISRO missions, and more. Since Commerce and Accountancy was his optional subject, he prepared for technical and conceptual questions by revisiting various financial concepts, including valuation metrics and the startup ecosystem.
Madhav also engaged in a number of test series and mock interviews conducted by various coaching institutions. This prepared him well for the mains exams and interview.
Madhav Agarwal UPSC Journey
Even though Madhav had passed both CA and CFA, his dream was to become an IAS officer and serve the society. As someone who worked as a volunteer for organ donation awareness, he was keen to contribute positively towards society. It took Madhav three attempts to become an IAS officer. His second attempt in 2023 was successful as he cleared UPSC with an All India rank of 211. He started preparing for his third attempt while undergoing his IPS training in the National Police Academy Hyderabad. It took Madhav a lot of hardwork and dedication to go from rank 211 to 16 in a year. Madhav’s story is an example that anything in life can be achieved through consistent hard work.
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