UPSC Success Story: From Modelling To Rank 736, Meet Taskeen Khan
Her father, Aftab Khan, retired around that time. With limited pension and mounting costs, her dreams of fashion and fame hit a hard wall. She had also cracked the entrance exam for NIT but had to forgo it, simply because the family couldn't afford the fees. A science student who consistently scored over 90% in both Class 10 and 12, Taskeen had always been academically inclined. In school and college, she wasn't just a model, she was also a basketball player and a national-level debater. (News18 Hindi)
But it was an unexpected Instagram conversation that rewrote her future. A follower, preparing for the IAS himself, suggested she explore the UPSC path. Curious, she started digging. What she found changed everything. In 2020, she earned a place in the free residential coaching program run by Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi. She moved to the capital with little money and big ambition. The family, now based in Meerut, pulled through on her father's modest pension. (News18 Hindi)
Against all odds, navigating financial pressure, emotional strain, and the weight of expectations, Taskeen stayed locked in. She prepped, revised, failed, and rose again. Her success isn't just about breaking into the civil services. It's a statement, that brains and beauty aren't mutually exclusive, and that grit outlasts glamour. (News18 Hindi)
Today, she's not just a model or an influencer with a massive online following. She's a role model for thousands preparing for UPSC without privilege, without Plan B, just pure determination. Taskeen lives in Meerut with her parents Aftab and Shaheen Khan, and her younger sister Aliza. Her story is now doing the rounds on social media, not because she walked a ramp, but because she walked into the system. (News18 Hindi)
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