Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Pari Bishnoi took to Instagram to share her powerful UPSC journey – one that many aspirants will find inspiring. After failing to clear the exam in her first attempt, Bishnoi moved back to a small town in Rajasthan to rebuild her confidence and prepare for another shot at her dream. And this time, she succeeded. In her post on Instagram, she opened up about her struggles and transformation, and left her followers with a thought-provoking “don’t quit” message.
‘You’re not stuck. You’re not broken.’
“The real victory is when you ‘don’t quit’,” Bishnoi wrote in the caption of the Instagram video, which has clocked over one million hearts.
She added, “If you’re in a dark place right now – You’re not stuck. You’re not broken. You can change your life. It’s completely in your own hands.”
The now-viral video narrates the IAS officer’s journey of resilience through texts displayed on the screen. Bishnoi, after she failed to crack the coveted UPSC exam in her first attempt in 2017, moved back to a small town in Rajasthan.
‘Isolated myself, gained 45 kg’
Bishnoi revealed that after moving back to Rajasthan, she isolated herself – a phase that took a toll on both her mental and physical well-being.
“I isolated myself. Shut out the world. Stress eating became my escape,” she admitted, before adding, “I gained 45 kilos. I felt heavy, not just physically, but emotionally too. I didn’t recognise myself anymore.”
Bishnoi, who cleared the UPSC exam in 2019, expressed that “something shifted” inside her when she received her interview call.
“I decided to fight not just for a rank but for myself,” she shared, as the video shows her lifting weights, following a balanced diet, and practising self-discipline to regain her fitness and confidence.
She further revealed, “Losing that weight wasn’t just about numbers, it was about shedding fear, doubt and everything that made me feel I wasn’t enough.”
Who is IAS Pari Bishnoi?
According to a report by The Indian Express, Bishnoi secured All India Rank 30 in the 2019 UPSC examination. She is married to Bhavya Bishnoi, a BJP leader and the grandson of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Bishnoi. The couple welcomed their daughter, Veda, in February this year.