Failed UPSC Prelims thrice, faced SSB rejections, now Pankaj Kamboj clears CAPF

Pankaj Kamboj has cleared the UPSC CAPF Assistant Commandant examination after repeated setbacks. The result follows three Civil Services Prelims failures and several SSB rejections, even as he prepares for the CSE Mains.Pankaj Kamboj has obtained the 196th rank in UPSC CAPF 2025 (AI-enhanced image)For Pankaj Kamboj, the road to a career in uniform was far from straightforward. He lost his father at the age of 14, grew up in a farming family near the Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand border and later faced repeated setbacks in competitive examinations.Today, those failures have become part of a journey that has taken him closer to his dream of serving the country. Pankaj has cleared the UPSC CAPF Assistant Commandant examination and is set to join as an officer.His journey, however, is not over. After failing the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination three times, he cleared it on his fourth attempt and is now preparing for the CSE Mains.FROM FARMING FAMILY TO COMPETITIVE EXAMSPankaj grew up in Padampur, a village near the Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand border. His family depended largely on farming for survival. His father died of a sudden heart attack in 2016, when Pankaj was in Class 9. The responsibility of supporting the family then fell on his mother and five elder sisters.The family had around four acres of land. Part of it was used to grow food, while the rest was used to generate income. Education remained a priority despite the financial challenges. Pankaj's mother, who herself had never attended school, became his biggest source of motivation.“My greatest motivation has always been my mother. She always told me that I had not come into this world without a purpose. She wanted me to become something,” he said.UPSC FAILURES AND REPEATED SSB SETBACKSPankaj's exposure to competitive examinations came only after he entered college. He moved to Delhi in 2021 and began preparing for government examinations largely on his own.Rather than depending on expensive coaching, he used online resources, collected study material and prepared his own notes. He completed his graduation from Delhi University in 2023 and was the topper of his batch.But success did not come immediately.His first three attempts at the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination ended in failure, with CSAT proving to be a major hurdle.At the same time, he found success in defence-related examinations. He cleared the Combined Defence Services examination four times in four attempts and also cleared AFCAT four times in four attempts.However, clearing the written examinations did not guarantee selection. Pankaj faced repeated setbacks during the Services Selection Board process, including conference-outs.Each rejection meant starting over again.“Whenever I got a conference-out in SSB, the CDS examination would come next. Then I would clear CDS and get another hope. So, for the last three-four years, I kept telling myself that something would work out,” he said.EVERY SETBACK BROUGHT ANOTHER ATTEMPTThe repeated failures also came with financial and family pressures. There were times when relatives questioned his decision to continue preparing and suggested that he return to his village.But Pankaj continued to prepare.He had spent years away from home pursuing examinations that offered no guarantee of success. Yet his mother's faith and his own determination kept him going.His goal was also bigger than simply clearing an examination. He wanted to become the first person from his region to clear a UPSC examination.After years of preparation and uncertainty, he finally cleared the UPSC CAPF Assistant Commandant examination.The achievement now puts him on the path to becoming an Assistant Commandant. At the same time, he is continuing his Civil Services journey after clearing CSE Prelims on his fourth attempt.For Pankaj, the journey from a farming family to competitive examinations has been shaped by loss, financial constraints, repeated rejection and persistence.His story is less about a single examination result and more about continuing to return to the next opportunity after every setback.- EndsPublished By: Mridusmita DekaPublished On: Aug 26, 2026 12:03 IST