Meet The Ex-Model Who Left Behind Miss India Dreams And Cleared UPSC Despite All Setbacks, Her AIR Was...

Taskeen Khan hails from Dehradun, she was initially a professional model and then she chose to leave behind the glamour industry to pursue one of the toughest exams in the country and cracked the UPSC exam in her 4th attempt. She is an epitome of grace and resilience. 

According to media reports, Taskeen describes herself as an average student during her early school years, which makes her story even more relatable. In Class 8, she struggled particularly with Mathematics and scored low marks. But with her consistent effort, she turned her weaknesses into strengths and went on to secure 90 per cent  marks in both Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations. 

Taskeen was a professional model before cracking the UPSC. She dreamt of becoming Miss India and also won many beauty contests. Her talent and charisma earned her the titles of Miss Dehradun and Miss Uttarakhand in 2016-17. 

Despite her achievements in modelling, Taskeen felt the pull toward a more impactful career and decided to start preparing for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). UPSC is held annually to select officers for top services like IAS, IPS, and IFS through three stages, Prelims, Mains, and Interview testing knowledge, skills, and personality.

She began her preparation in Mumbai, enrolling in coaching through Jamia’s free entrance program, and later moved to Delhi in 2020 to continue her studies more seriously. She couldn’t clear the Prelims exam in her first three attempts but she didn’t give up on her dream after a failure, in fact she kept working hard.

All her hard work paid off when in 2022 she cleared one of the toughest exams of India, UPSC with All India Rank (AIR) 736. She fulfilled her dream and turned her setbacks into stepping stones, proving that persistence can turn dreams into reality and that’s what makes her story truly inspiring.

Taskeen is a multi-talented individual. Not just good in academics and a model, she has also been a basketball champion and a national-level debater. Her ability to balance academics, extracurriculars, and personal challenges shows her versatility and discipline.

According to media reports, Taskeen’s father, Aftab Khan, worked as a Group D employee in the Ordnance Factory. And in May, 2022 her father was admitted to the ICU due to a neurological disorder while she was preparing for the prelims.

Taskeen Khan’s story is one of resilience, hard work, and courage. From being an average student to a school topper, from facing repeated failures in UPSC to finally clearing it. Her journey proves that with determination and consistency, no dream is too big. She remains a role model for aspirants who dare to dream beyond challenges.

(All photos Credit: Instagram)