The UPSC Civil Services Examination is one of the toughest exams in India. Every year, lakhs of students study hard to clear this highly competitive exam. Only a few students achieve their dream and score a top rank. Today, we are discussing Raghav Jhunjhunwala, who has become an inspiration for everyone.
He secured All India Rank 4 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025. His journey is a great example of hard work and focus. In this article, you will learn all about his life, strategy, and marks.
Who is Raghav Jhunjhunwala?
Early Life and Hometown
Raghav Jhunjhunwala was born and raised in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. He grew up in a very supportive and disciplined family environment. His family always gave a lot of importance to education and good values. This good values helped him stay focused on his goals from his early school days.
Family Background
His family lived in the Saraiyaganj area of Muzaffarpur. The late Naveen Jhunjhunwala, his father, always encouraged him to do his best. Meanwhile, his mother, Anju Devi, supported him at every step of his long journey. This household discipline helped him face significant challenges in life.
Schooling and College Education
He showed great talent in studies from an early age. He finished his Class 10 from DPS Garhan Hathouri Sanathi in Muzaffarpur in 2017. Later, he went to G.D. Mother International School for his Class 12. He scored an amazing 97.4% marks in his Class 12 exams.
After school, he moved to Delhi for his higher education. He joined the famous Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC). He completed his B.A. Honours in Economics from SRCC in the year 2022.
Raghav Jhunjhunwala UPSC Journey
Why He Chose UPSC
After completing his graduation from a top college, he had many career options. However, Raghav Jhunjhunwala chose to prepare for the civil services. He wanted to serve the people of India directly. He felt that the IAS would give him a great platform to bring good changes to society.
Daily Routine and Study Plan
He followed a rigorous and organized daily routine during his preparation, dividing his day into small study sessions.
In fact, he spent around 8 to 10 hours studying every single day. His daily plan included reading the newspaper, studying core subjects, and practicing answer writing. He made sure to balance his time between static subjects and current affairs.
Preparation Strategy
- He started by building a strong foundation with standard NCERT books.
- He aligned his general studies preparation with current affairs.
- He read daily newspapers like The Hindu and The Indian Express regularly.
- He practiced writing answers every day to improve his speed.
- He joined test series to check his knowledge and find his mistakes.
Challenges and Motivation
The preparation journey was not arduous for him. He had to sit for many hours alone and study deep topics. He faced setbacks when he did not clear the exam in his earlier attempts.
However, he never lost hope during those tough times. His family and his desire to serve the country kept him motivated.
Raghav Jhunjhunwala UPSC AIR 4 (2025)
Success in His Third Attempt
The year 2025 brought the biggest joy for Raghav Jhunjhunwala and his family. He secured All India Rank 4 in his third attempt. His roll number for the examination was 0834732. This great rank made him one of the top candidates in the entire country.
Progression of His Attempts
- First Attempt (2023): He cleared the Preliminary exam but could not qualify the Mains stage.
- Second Attempt (2024): He cleared both Prelims and Mains but missed the final list after the interview.
- Third Attempt (2025): He cleared all three stages with flying colors and got AIR 4.
Importance of the Achievement
Securing AIR 4 is a very massive achievement for any civil services aspirant. It shows that he learned from his past mistakes and improved his strategy. His success brought great pride to his hometown Muzaffarpur and the state of Bihar. Thousands of young students now look up to him as a role model.
Raghav Jhunjhunwala UPSC Marks
The Union Public Service Commission released the marks for the top candidates. Raghav Jhunjhunwala performed exceptionally well in both the written exam and the interview stage.
| Exam Stage | Maximum Marks | Marks Obtained |
| Mains Written Examination | 1750 | 847 |
| Personality Test (Interview) | 275 | 195 |
| Final Total Marks | 2025 | 1042 |
| Final Rank | – | AIR 4 |
Raghav Jhunjhunwala Optional Subject
Selection of the Subject
For the UPSC Mains exam, Raghav Jhunjhunwala selected Economics as his optional subject. This was a very natural and smart choice for him. He had already studied Economics deeply during his graduation at SRCC. Choosing a familiar subject gave him a great advantage in his preparation.
Preparation Approach for Economics
- He used his college notes to build basic conceptual clarity.
- He studied advanced economic theories and their applications in India.
- He focused a lot on data, graphs, and government reports.
- He solved previous years’ question papers to understand the exam pattern.
- He wrote answers regularly to manage his time well during the exam.
Educational Qualification
- Class 10: Completed from DPS Garhan Hathouri Sanathi, Muzaffarpur in 2017 with a 10/10 CGPA.
- Class 12: Completed from G.D. Mother International School, Muzaffarpur in 2019 with 97.4% marks.
- Graduation: Earned a B.A. Honours in Economics from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University in 2022.
- College Achievement: Received the prestigious Charat Ram Gold Medal for outstanding academic performance at SRCC.
Personal Information
- Full Name: Raghav Jhunjhunwala
- Age: 25 Years (at the time of the result)
- Hometown: Muzaffarpur
- State: Bihar
- Father’s Name: Late Naveen Jhunjhunwala
- Mother’s Name: Anju Devi Jhunjhunwala
- UPSC Rank: All India Rank 4
- Exam Year: 2025
- Attempt: 3rd Attempt
- Optional Subject: Economics
- Roll Number: 0834732
Success Story
The Power of Consistency
The success story of Raghav Jhunjhunwala teaches us that consistency is the most important key. He did not become a topper overnight. He studied with the same dedication every day for three long years. Even when he failed in his first two attempts, he kept working hard without stopping.
Learning from Mistakes
He was very good at analyzing his own performance. When he failed the Mains exam in 2023, he improved his answer writing. When he got rejected after the interview in 2024, he worked on his communication skills. He treated every failure as a lesson to make himself better.
Time Management and Discipline
He managed his time beautifully during his preparation. By keeping away from social media and other distractions, he focused on creating daily and weekly goals to complete his vast syllabus. This high level of self-discipline helped him score 1042 total marks in the exam.
Preparation Tips for UPSC Aspirants
- Start with NCERTs: Always build your basic knowledge using school books first.
- Read Daily Newspaper: Keep yourself updated with national and international news every day.
- Choose Optional Wisely: Pick an optional subject that you like and understand well.
- Limit Your Resources: Read one good book multiple times instead of reading many books once.
- Practice Answer Writing: Start writing answers early to build speed and clear structure.
- Solve Mock Tests: Give regular tests for both Prelims and Mains to check your level.
- Analyze Past Papers: Look at previous years’ questions to know what UPSC asks.
- Revise Frequently: Make a weekly revision plan so you do not forget old topics.
- Stay Positive: Keep your mind calm and healthy during the long preparation journey.
- Learn From Failure: Do not get sad if you fail, just look at what went wrong and fix it.
Interesting Facts about Raghav Jhunjhunwala
- He was a brilliant student who topped his school in the Class 12 board exams.
- He won a gold medal at SRCC for his excellent performance in college.
- He wrote an academic research paper on India’s Non-Performing Assets (NPA) crisis during his college days.
- He did not expect such a high rank and had already started studying for the next Prelims exam.
- He took guidance from top institutes like Next IAS, Vajiram and Ravi, and Forum IAS for his preparation stages.
Conclusion
The brilliant journey of Raghav Jhunjhunwala shows us that no dream is too ambitious to achieve if you work hard. He faced failures but never gave up on his dream of becoming an IAS officer. His focus and discipline helped him achieve AIR 4.
He also revised regularly. If you are a young student or a UPSC aspirant, his story teaches you to believe in yourself. Work hard, stay consistent, and you will surely achieve success in your life.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Who is Raghav Jhunjhunwala?
Raghav Jhunjhunwala is a brilliant student from Muzaffarpur, Bihar. He achieved All India Rank 4 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025.
Q2. What is the UPSC rank of Raghav Jhunjhunwala?
He secured All India Rank 4 (AIR 4) in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025.
Q3. What is the optional subject of Raghav Jhunjhunwala?
His optional subject for the UPSC Mains examination was Economics. He chose it because he studied the same subject during his graduation.
Q4. What are the marks of Raghav Jhunjhunwala?
He scored a total of 1042 marks. He got 847 marks in the Mains written exam and 195 marks in the interview.
Q5. In which attempt did Raghav Jhunjhunwala clear the UPSC exam?
He cleared the prestigious examination in his third attempt in the year 2025.
Q6. How old was Raghav Jhunjhunwala when he topped the UPSC?
He was 25 years old when the final results were declared in March 2026.