Left Rs 1 crore Korea job for UPSC, topped exam: Kanishak Kataria's journey

Image courtesy: Instagram/@sonalchouhankatariaFor many UPSC aspirants, securing a well-paying job after graduating from a prestigious institution is a significant achievement. But Kanishak Kataria chose a different path. After completing his BTech in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT Bombay and securing a job in South Korea with an annual package of around ₹1 crore, he returned to India to prepare for the civil services examination. In 2019, he secured All India Rank 1 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2018.However, when he spoke about his result, it was not just his academic journey or decision to leave a lucrative job that caught people's attention. Kataria openly thanked his girlfriend, along with his parents and sister, for their help and moral support. His acknowledgement became a talking point because it was unusual for a UPSC topper to publicly credit a romantic partner in a success speech.The Union Public Service Commission announced Kataria as the topper on April 5, 2019. Speaking to ANI, he said, "It's a very surprising moment. I never expected to get the 1st rank. I thank my parents, sister & my girlfriend for the help & moral support. People will expect me to be a good administrator & that's exactly my intention."Why he walked away from the ₹1 crore jobImage courtesy: Instagram/@kanishak_katariaKataria's decision to leave South Korea was not simply about preparing for a competitive examination. In an interview with NDTV, he explained that he had wanted to experience life outside India after graduating. He worked in South Korea for a year but gradually felt that earning a good salary was not enough for him. "I was earning good money for myself, but I wanted to connect with people and get an opportunity to help them," he explained in the interview.He also revealed that his annual package in South Korea was close to ₹1 crore. After returning to India, his salary dropped to almost one-third of what he had been earning there.His professional journey also included a stint in Bengaluru. According to The Indian Express, he worked as a software engineer at Samsung Electronics in South Korea for around one-and-a-half years before moving to Bengaluru, where he joined a technology solutions firm as a data scientist. He eventually left his job in 2017 to concentrate on the civil services examination.His interest in public service was also influenced by his family. His father, Sanwarmal Verma, and uncle, Kailash Chand Verma, were both IAS officers. Having seen their work closely, Kataria became interested in a career that would allow him to contribute to public administration.In an interview with The Indian Express, he explained that he wanted to do something beyond earning money. He described his motivation as finding "sustainable happiness" through work that could make a difference in people's lives.Kataria had studied Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Bombay and chose Mathematics as his optional subject for the UPSC examination. He secured 1,121 marks and cleared the examination in his first attempt.According to The Indian Express, he had initially planned to give himself a maximum of two attempts. He began with NCERT textbooks to rebuild his understanding of subjects he had not studied for several years and also spent time strengthening his foundation through coaching.His girlfriend's support became part of the conversationSonal posted his photo on social media and congratulated him.When Kataria thanked his girlfriend in his victory speech, the acknowledgement attracted considerable attention on social media. His girlfriend, Sonal Chauhan, was reportedly living in Japan at the time. According to MensXP, Sonal also reacted to his achievement through a Facebook post. She wrote, "I can't express how I feel. You deserve this success. I Love You So Much."Kataria later clarified that he had not intended to make a statement about relationships. In an interview with The Indian Express, he said, "It was natural to credit someone who deserves it. She (his then girlfriend) has been all on my side and deserves to be mentioned for her support like the rest of my family does. I did not expect that this would be highlighted so much." He added that he had simply spoken about the people who had supported him.The reaction also reached his family. In an exclusive conversation with MensXP, his father, IAS officer Sanwarmal Verma, said that people should focus more on his son's hard work and achievement than on his girlfriend. He also defended Kataria's decision to acknowledge his partner, saying, "There is no question of right or wrong in what my son has done. It is his life. He has every right to live with his freedom and rights. We do not care about people trolling him over this statement."Sonal's reaction and his father's response added another dimension to the story. Kataria had not presented his girlfriend as the sole reason for his success. He had simply included her among the people who had supported him during his journey.Where is Kanishak Kataria now?Kataria joined the Rajasthan cadre as a 2019-batch IAS officer after securing the top rank in the 2018 examination. According to NDTV, he is currently the Commissioner of the Bharatpur Development Authority.His journey from an IIT Bombay graduate working in South Korea to the UPSC 2018 topper remains notable not only because he gave up a lucrative salary but also because he openly acknowledged the people who stood by him.