Junaid Ahmad IAS is one of India’s most inspiring civil servants. He cracked the UPSC Civil Services Examination in 2018 with an All India Rank of 3 (AIR 3), scoring 1,077 marks out of 2,025. But what makes his story truly remarkable is the journey behind that rank.
Junaid was never a topper in school. He described himself as an “average student” who never scored more than 60% throughout his academic life. He failed the UPSC exam three times in a row. In his fourth attempt, he qualified for the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) with AIR 352 — but that wasn’t the dream he had chased. So he tried one more time.
On his fifth attempt, Junaid Ahmad stood third in all of India.
Today, he belongs to the Uttar Pradesh cadre (2019 batch) and serves as a dedicated IAS officer committed to public service. His story continues to motivate millions of UPSC aspirants across the country who believe their beginning defines their ending. It does not.
Quick Information Table
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Junaid Ahmad |
| Profession | IAS Officer (Indian Administrative Service) |
| Date of Birth | October 30, 1991 (some sources cite January 28, 1991 — exact date not officially confirmed) |
| Age (as of 2025) | Approximately 33–34 years |
| Birth Place | Nagina, Bijnor District, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Hometown | Nagina, Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Religion | Islam |
| Education | B.Tech in Electronics Engineering |
| College | Sharda University, Noida (B.Tech); also associated with Aligarh Muslim University |
| Father’s Name | Javed Hussain (Lawyer) |
| Mother’s Name | Ayesha Raza (Homemaker) |
| Wife | Dr. Nadia Nazim (MBBS, MD — Pediatrician) |
| Height | Not Publicly Available |
| Weight | Not Publicly Available |
| UPSC Rank | AIR 3 (UPSC CSE 2018) |
| UPSC Batch | Uttar Pradesh Cadre, 2019 |
| Optional Subject | Geography |
| Total Marks | 1,077 / 2,025 |
| Not Publicly Available (verified handle) | |
| Twitter / X | Not Publicly Available (verified handle) |
| Wikipedia | No dedicated Wikipedia page found |
Junaid Ahmad IAS Age, Early Life and Education
Childhood and Family Background
Junaid Ahmad was born in Nagina, a small town in the Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh. He grew up in a middle-class family that always valued education and strong moral values.
His father, Javed Hussain, works as a lawyer. His mother, Ayesha Raza, is a homemaker who kept the family grounded and motivated. The family atmosphere was warm, supportive, and driven by a quiet belief in hard work.
Junaid was not born into privilege. There were no shortcuts, no elite schools, and no IIT coaching centres in Nagina. What he did have was a family that believed in him — even when exam results didn’t tell a great story.
Schooling
Junaid Ahmad completed his schooling in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh. His academic performance during school was average. He never scored more than 60% in any class — a fact he has shared openly in many interviews.
His 10th and 12th marks were modest. They were not the kind of scores that make headlines. But Junaid never let his marks define his potential. He believed that marks are just numbers — and that talent and commitment matter far more.
The name of his school is Not Publicly Available in official records.
Graduation and College
After school, Junaid pursued a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) in Electronics Engineering. He completed this degree from Sharda University in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Some sources also reference an association with Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), which he attended during his UPSC preparation journey.
He was not the brightest student in his engineering class either. By his own admission, he spent those years mostly figuring out what he really wanted from life. The answer, when it finally came, was clear — he wanted to serve people. He wanted to become an IAS officer.
Post-Graduation and UPSC Preparation
After finishing his engineering degree, Junaid took seven years to prepare for the UPSC exam. Seven years is a long time — full of uncertainty, pressure from society, and the quiet fear of failure.
He attended the Jamia Residential Coaching Academy in Delhi and the Haj House IAS Cell in Mumbai for initial guidance. Later, he studied mostly on his own, relying on the internet and free resources available online. He also used the test series from Vajiram and Ravi and Vision IAS for Geography and General Studies.
His daily study routine during serious preparation was 5 to 6 hours a day. He focused on writing practice and attempted around ten mock tests every year to build exam readiness.
Family Details
Father
Junaid’s father, Javed Hussain, is a lawyer by profession. He is a respected figure in the family and has always prioritized education and ethical values. It was his father’s dedication to justice and hard work that inspired Junaid to choose a career in public service.
Mother
Ayesha Raza, Junaid’s mother, is a homemaker. She played a quiet but powerful role in keeping the family focused and positive during Junaid’s long and difficult preparation years. Like many mothers of successful civil servants, she stayed in the background — but her presence and support were central to his success.
Wife
Junaid Ahmad married Dr. Nadia Nazim on February 15, 2024, at the scenic Lemon Tree Premier resort in Corbett, Uttarakhand. The wedding was an arranged marriage.
Dr. Nadia Nazim is a highly qualified doctor with an MBBS and MD degree. She specialises in Pediatrics and practices in Delhi. She is known to be both professionally accomplished and supportive of Junaid’s career in public service.
The couple has been open about their personal and professional lives on social media. They share a common belief in service, compassion, and hard work.
Siblings
Junaid Ahmad has three siblings — one elder sister and two younger siblings (one brother and one sister). His elder sister is married. Further personal details about his siblings are Not Publicly Available.
Children
As of the latest available information, the couple have one reported children.
Career and Current Posting
UPSC Journey
Junaid Ahmad gave the UPSC Civil Services Examination five times. Here is a summary of his attempts:
| Attempt | Year | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Approximately 2014 | Failed at Prelims/Mains |
| 2nd | Approximately 2015 | Failed |
| 3rd | Approximately 2016 | Failed |
| 4th | 2017 | AIR 352 — Selected for IRS (Indian Revenue Service) |
| 5th | 2018 | AIR 3 — Selected for IAS |
Even when he qualified for the IRS in his fourth attempt, he did not accept it as his final destination. He chose to try once more — and that decision changed everything.
UPSC 2018 Marksheet
Junaid Ahmad scored 1,077 marks out of a total of 2,025 in the UPSC 2018 examination. In his optional subject of Geography, he scored 321 out of 500, which was among the highest Geography scores in that year’s exam.
| Subject | Marks |
|---|---|
| Essay | Available on UPSC official results |
| GS Paper I | Available on UPSC official results |
| GS Paper II | Available on UPSC official results |
| GS Paper III | Available on UPSC official results |
| GS Paper IV | Available on UPSC official results |
| Optional Paper I (Geography) | Part of 321/500 total |
| Optional Paper II (Geography) | Part of 321/500 total |
| Total | 1,077 / 2,025 |
(Detailed subject-wise breakdown is available on the official UPSC website.)
Optional Subject — Why Geography?
Junaid chose Geography as his optional subject for a strategic reason. Geography overlaps significantly with General Studies papers, which means studying one subject also helps with the other. This overlap allowed him to cover more ground in less time — a smart choice for someone who had already spent years preparing.
He had no prior academic background in Geography. He was an Electronics Engineer by training. Yet he went on to score among the highest Geography marks in the 2018 batch. This proves that choosing the right optional with the right strategy matters more than having studied it before.
Service and Postings
After completing his foundational training, Junaid Ahmad was allotted to the Uttar Pradesh cadre (2019 batch). His key postings so far include:
- Joint Magistrate, Ballia — His first field posting. He joined on June 25, 2021, and served the district with dedication.
- Chief Development Officer (CDO), Jhansi — He was transferred to this post in August 2022, moving from Ballia to Jhansi as CDO at Vikas Bhawan.
Current Posting
As per the most recent available information, Junaid Ahmad IAS is posted in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, serving in a developmental capacity within the UP cadre. For the latest and most accurate posting details, refer to the official Uttar Pradesh government personnel portal.
Awards & Achievements
- AIR 3 in UPSC Civil Services Examination 2018 — One of India’s most competitive examinations, with millions of aspirants and just a few hundred selections every year.
- Highest Geography Optional Score in UPSC 2018 — Scored 321 out of 500 in Geography, making him among the top Geography optional scorers in the batch.
- Allotted to Uttar Pradesh cadre — A prestigious and high-responsibility cadre, serving one of India’s largest states.
- Motivational speaker and public figure — Regularly shares insights on UPSC preparation, student mental health, and the importance of perseverance. His social media posts on the value of marks versus talent have been widely shared.
No government gallantry awards or state-level commendations for Junaid Ahmad IAS are publicly documented at this time.
Interesting Facts
- He described himself as an “average” student throughout school and college — yet he went on to rank third in India’s toughest exam.
- He failed the UPSC exam three times before he cleared it. Most people would have stopped after one or two failures. He didn’t.
- He spent seven years preparing for the UPSC exam after his engineering graduation — a period requiring incredible patience and discipline.
- He qualified for the IRS (Indian Revenue Service) in his fourth attempt with AIR 352, but chose to try again because his dream was specifically to become an IAS officer.
- Geography was not his academic background — he was an Electronics Engineer, yet he scored among the highest Geography marks in UPSC 2018.
- He relied heavily on free internet resources for his preparation and openly credited the internet for making quality content accessible to students from smaller towns.
- He studied just 5–6 hours a day, not the 12–15 hours often glorified in social media — proving that quality of study matters more than quantity.
- He married Dr. Nadia Nazim, a Pediatrician with an MBBS and MD degree, on February 15, 2024, in a ceremony at Lemon Tree Premier, Corbett.
- He has publicly spoken about student mental health, tweeting that “marks are just numbers and they cannot define one’s talent or personality” — a message that resonated widely online.
- He is from Nagina, a small town in Bijnor — a reminder that great civil servants come from every corner of India, not just big cities.
Social Media
Junaid Ahmad IAS is active on social media and shares motivational content for UPSC aspirants and young students. However, no verified or officially confirmed social media handles for him are publicly documented at the time of writing.
Some accounts in his name exist on platforms like Twitter/X and Instagram, but their authenticity has not been independently verified through official sources.
For accurate and confirmed information, refer to the official Uttar Pradesh government website or the UPSC official website.
Conclusion
The story of Junaid Ahmad IAS is not just a UPSC success story — it is a story about what it truly means to never give up. He came from a small town. He scored average marks. He failed multiple times. He watched others qualify while he prepared again and again. And then, on his fifth attempt, he stood third in all of India.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Junaid Ahmad IAS?
Junaid Ahmad is an IAS officer from the Uttar Pradesh cadre who secured AIR 3 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2018. He is known for his inspiring journey from being an average student to one of India’s top-ranked civil servants.
2. What is Junaid Ahmad IAS’s date of birth?
Most sources report his date of birth as October 30, 1991. However, some sources cite January 28, 1991. The exact date of birth is not officially confirmed in public records.
3. What is Junaid Ahmad IAS’s age?
As of 2025, Junaid Ahmad is approximately 33 to 34 years old, depending on the verified birth date.
4. What is Junaid Ahmad IAS’s UPSC rank?
He secured All India Rank 3 (AIR 3) in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2018.
5. How many attempts did Junaid Ahmad take to clear UPSC?
Junaid Ahmad cleared the UPSC exam on his fifth attempt in 2018. He failed the first three times and secured AIR 352 (IRS) in his fourth attempt before finally achieving AIR 3 in his fifth.
6. Who is Junaid Ahmad IAS’s wife?
His wife is Dr. Nadia Nazim, a Pediatrician with an MBBS and MD degree who practices in Delhi. They married on February 15, 2024.
7. What optional subject did Junaid Ahmad choose for UPSC?
He chose Geography as his optional subject. Despite having an engineering background, he scored 321 out of 500 in Geography — one of the highest in his batch.
8. What is Junaid Ahmad IAS’s current posting?
As per the latest publicly available information, he is posted in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh as Chief Development Officer (CDO). For the most current posting, refer to the official UP government portal.
9. What is Junaid Ahmad IAS’s educational qualification?
He holds a B.Tech degree in Electronics Engineering from Sharda University, Noida. He completed his schooling in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh.
10. What is the success mantra of Junaid Ahmad IAS?
Junaid Ahmad has shared three core success mantras: Aim, Hard Work, and Handling Failure. He emphasises focused preparation, consistent daily study, avoiding unnecessary study material, and using previous years’ question papers effectively.
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