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Gunjan Dwivedi Singh, IAS: Profile, Husband and Family

UPSC Results 2019: Lucknow’s Gunjan Dwivedi cracks UPSC in third attempt, ranks 9th | Hindustan Times


Gunjan Dwivedi (sometimes referenced as Gunjan Dwivedi Singh) is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer in the Uttar Pradesh cadre (batch 2019). She rose to national attention after securing All India Rank 9 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) of 2018 (result declared in 2019) and has since been regarded as a promising young bureaucrat in UP administration. (The secretariat)

Gunjan hails from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. She grew up in a household steeped in public service: her father, Ashok Kumar Dhar Dwivedi, is a retired IPS officer, and her sister, Umang Dwivedi, serves as a Commercial Tax Officer in Saharanpur, UP. (Hindustan Times)

From a young age, Gunjan was academically strong. She studied at Loreto Convent (Lucknow) for her schooling, and scored 93.5 % in Class 10 and 87.6 % in Class 12. (Jagranjosh.com)

After her schooling, Gunjan enrolled in Daulat Ram College, Delhi University, where she pursued B.A. (Honours) in Political Science. She maintained good performance in her graduation, scoring around 71.5 % (or equivalent) in several accounts of her biography. (Chahal Academy)

It was during or shortly after her graduation that she began preparing seriously for the UPSC. Given the civil-service exposure at home, entering the administrative services was a natural aspiration. 

UPSC Journey: Struggles and Success

Gunjan’s path to becoming an IAS was not smooth — it involved hard work, perseverance, and learning from failure.

Early Attempts and Learning

  • Gunjan first attempted the UPSC (CSE) in 2016, but did not even clear the Prelims stage. 

  • She made a second attempt in 2017, but again was unable to clear the Prelims. (pragnyaiascoachingbangalore.com)

  • These initial failures were disheartening, but Gunjan reportedly used them as wake-up calls. She re-examined her approach, readjusted strategy, and committed to a disciplined schedule. 

In interviews and on her personal blog, she mentions that after her second failure, she closely observed successful candidates (notably Megha Arora, who herself overcame early setbacks) and learned not just content but also mental resilience. 

Breakthrough — 2018 Attempt (AIR 9)

Her third attempt in 2018 proved decisive. She cleared Prelims, then Mains, and finally achieved All India Rank 9 in the final result released in 2019. (Hindustan Times)

Her optional subject in Mains was Political Science & International Relations (PSIR) — a subject in which she had strong background and interest. 

In her blog, Gunjan describes her strategy in detail:

Securing a top-10 rank in the third attempt, after two earlier failures, made her story particularly inspiring. Many media outlets highlighted how she converted setbacks into success. (Hindustan Times)

IAS Career & Postings

Once selected in the 2018–19 UPSC batch, Gunjan was allotted to the Uttar Pradesh cadre. (The secretariat)

Training & Initial Responsibilities

  • As is standard for IAS recruits, she would have undergone Foundational Training at LBSNAA (Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration), followed by district training and probationary assignments (e.g., as Assistant Collector, SDM, etc.). While explicit details are not widely published, her blog and biographies reference starting administrative work in field postings. 

  • During her training period, she initiated women’s awareness work: distributing sanitary pads, promoting cleanliness among women in villages, selecting blocks to focus on female empowerment. These efforts were reportedly inspired by her father’s service and her personal motivation. (Jagran)

Key Postings

  • Joint Magistrate (Deoria, UP): Public records (e.g. Facebook announcements) suggest she held the post of Joint Magistrate in Deoria before being transferred to CDO post. (Facebook)

  • Chief Development Officer (CDO), Kushinagar (UP): One of her better-known roles has been as the Chief Development Officer of Kushinagar district in Uttar Pradesh. (The secretariat)

  • According to “Whispers in the Corridors,” the UP government reshuffle placed Gunjan Dwivedi as CDO, Kushinagar among many administrative shifts. (whispersinthecorridors.com)

  • She has also been referenced in the UP Gram Vikas (Rural Development Department) directory listing as CDO Kushinagar, with contact phone numbers. (mlaladsup.in)

  • In an UP state-level reshuffle in August 2022, she was among the IAS officers whose assignments were changed, with her being made CDO of Kushinagar. (IndianMandarins)

Through her work as CDO, she is tasked with developmental schemes, coordinating with district-level implementation of central and state schemes, handling block-level offices, and ensuring governance outreach.

Focus Areas & Approach

Gunjan is known for being hands-on and engaged in grassroots governance. Some reported focus areas include:

  • Women’s empowerment & health: She reportedly began awareness and sanitary pad distribution initiatives during her training postings. (Jagran)

  • Basic education & primary schooling issues: In some of her posts, particularly as Khand Shiksha Adhikari (block education responsibilities reportedly handled in Deoria), she engaged actively with teacher issues and school-level infrastructure under constraints. (Jagran)

  • Effective coordination and accountability: In administrative duties such as presiding over meetings, reviewing scheme progress, and evaluating project delivery, she tries to maintain transparency and regular supervision.

Her personal philosophy, as gleaned from interviews, emphasizes combining administrative efficiency with empathy and service ethos.

Challenges & Controversies

As a relatively young officer handling tough district-level roles in Uttar Pradesh, Gunjan’s posting has not been free from challenges and minor controversies. However, there is limited large-scale public controversy reported specifically about her. Below is a summary of what is publicly known:

Administrative Pushback & Pressure

In the realm of district governance, officers often face political and bureaucratic pressure, demands for fast results, and conflict between development goals and local resistance. Gunjan is no exception and is said to have had to make tough calls in court cases, vagrant appeals, infrastructure delays, and land disputes. Some media write-ups mention that as SDM or early postings, she passed decisions in favor of litigants, even when resistance or objection from powerful local interests existed. (Jagran)

These instances are more about administrative friction than full-blown controversies — routine to the nature of district administration.

Public Allegations & Misreporting

I found no strong credible reports of corruption, misconduct, or major scandal involving Gunjan Dwivedi. However, as with many bureaucrats, she has occasionally been subject to public commentary or scrutiny in local media for delays, scheme implementation issues, or resource constraints. But none of these seem to have escalated into verified formal investigations or court cases (as per available public sources).

One cautionary note: sometimes misreporting or name confusion happens — for example, media or social media may mix her up with other Dwivedi-named officers. It is important to cross-check.

Thus, it would be fair to say: Gunjan Dwivedi’s public reputation remains largely positive, with no prominent controversy in the public domain as of the latest available data.

Public Perception, Achievements & Media Mentions

Because her story is inspiring to many UPSC aspirants (given her failures and final success), Gunjan has been featured in many articles and interviews:

  • Media coverage of her UPSC success: Leading media such as Hindustan Times, Times of India, Jagran, and more covered her selection and story. (Hindustan Times)

  • Interviews & coaching institute features: She is often invited to share her strategy, mindset, and study plan in UPSC coaching forums and webinars. (YouTube)

  • Online blogging & personal reflections: Gunjan maintains (or maintained) a personal blog (on WordPress) where she detailed her preparation strategy, failures, lessons, gratitude, and life lessons. (gunjandwivedi.wordpress.com)

  • Social media presence: She holds an X (formerly Twitter) profile under @GunjanIAS (views are personal) that mentions her role as CDO Kushinagar. (X (formerly Twitter))

Her trajectory is often held up in UP as an example of a young, dynamic officer, particularly because she combines strong academic credentials with earnest field-level government work.

Strengths, Style & Philosophy

From interviews, public comments, and her writing, one can distill certain traits and guiding principles of Gunjan Dwivedi’s approach:

  1. Resilience and persistence
    The fact that she did not give up after two failures and sustained her motivation is frequently cited as her strongest trait. (Indian Masterminds)

  2. Honesty with oneself
    In public statements, she advises aspirants not to lie to themselves (i.e. be realistic about preparation, do not overestimate your readiness). (Indian Masterminds)

  3. Methodical preparation
    She emphasizes building a solid base, note-making, multiple revisions, analysis of mocks, and strategic time allocation. (gunjandwivedi.wordpress.com)

  4. Service-first mindset
    Her early interest in women’s issues, sanitation, education and grassroots outreach signals that she sees public administration as service rather than power. (Jagran)

  5. Balance and mental health
    In media coverage, she mentions doing regular recreation (e.g. painting, breaks) to prevent burnout. (Hindustan Times)

  6. Approachability
    Given her relatively young age and open blogging style, many aspirants view her as someone accessible and relatable.

Top Interesting Facts About Gunjan Dwivedi

  • Gunjan turned her elder brother’s chamber (lawyer brother) into her study room during her UPSC prep days. (Hindustan Times)

  • Her inspiration included top IRS/IFS/IAS officers who themselves had failed initial attempts, like Megha Arora, whose interviews Gunjan watched repeatedly. 

  • She chose her graduation subject (Political Science) as also her Optional (PSIR) in UPSC Mains, for synergy of interest and preparation. 

  • Her sister is also a civil servant (Commercial Tax Officer), making public service a family tradition. (Hindustan Times)

  • Despite her high rank in 2018, she had yet to complete many senior-level postings — a reminder of the long administrative path ahead.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q1. Which year and what rank did Gunjan Dwivedi secure in UPSC?
She secured All India Rank 9 in the 2018 UPSC CSE (exam held in 2018, result declared in 2019). (Hindustan Times)

Q2. To which cadre was she allocated?
She was allocated to the Uttar Pradesh cadre of IAS. 

Q3. What optional subject did she choose in Mains?
Gunjan took Political Science & International Relations (PSIR) as her optional subject. (gunjandwivedi.wordpress.com)

Q4. Was she successful in her first attempt?
No, she did not clear Prelims in her first attempt (2016). She also failed in her second attempt (2017) before succeeding on her third attempt in 2018. 

Q5. What are her current (or recent) postings?
She has held the position of Chief Development Officer (CDO), Kushinagar (UP). She also served as Joint Magistrate, Deoria in earlier postings. 

Q6. Has she been involved in any major controversies?
As of publicly available information up to now, there is no credible record of serious misconduct or corruption allegations against her. Her work has sometimes drawn critique over delays or implementation challenges (common in district administration), but no major scandal is documented.

Q7. What advice does she give to UPSC aspirants?

  • Be persistent and do not give up after setbacks. 

  • Build strong basics through NCERTs and foundational texts. 

  • Make effective notes, revise repeatedly, and analyze mocks thoroughly. (gunjandwivedi.wordpress.com)

  • Do not overestimate your readiness—be honest in assessing weaknesses. 

  • Maintain mental health and periodic relaxation to avoid burnout. (Hindustan Times)

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