apala mishra ias or ifs

Dr. Apala Mishra IFS UPSC Rank-9, Marksheet, Age, IFS not IAS, Biography & Strategy Home › UPSC Toppers › Dr. Apala Mishra UPSC 2020 AIR-9 🏆 UPSC CSE 2020 — All India Rank 9 | Highest Interview Score in Top 10 Dr. Apala Mishra IFS UPSC Rank-9 (2020), Marksheet, Age, IFS not IAS, Biography & Strategy 📅 Published: September 2021✍️ Guide2Success Editorial Team⏱️ 9 min read Apala Mishra IASDr. Apala MishraApala Mishra UPSCUPSC 2020 AIR 9Apala Mishra IFSAnthropology Optional Dr. Apala Mishra secured All India Rank 9 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2020 — and made headlines not just for her rank, but for two extraordinary facts: she scored the highest interview marks (215 out of 275) among the entire top 10 of UPSC 2020, and she chose the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) over the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) despite being eligible for IAS. A dental surgeon turned diplomat, Dr. Apala’s journey from BDS graduate to IFS officer in her third UPSC attempt is one of the most uniquely compelling stories in recent civil services history. In this complete biography, we cover her age, family, education, marksheet, Anthropology optional, strategy, interview marks, and why she chose IFS over IAS. AIR 9 UPSC 2020 Rank 1031 Total Marks 215 Interview Marks IFS Service Chosen 3rd Attempt Bio / Wiki 📋 Dr. Apala Mishra — Quick Bio / Wiki Full Name Dr. Apala Mishra Profession IFS Officer (Indian Foreign Service, Batch 2020) Famous For AIR 9, UPSC CSE 2020; Highest Interview Score (215) in Top 10; Dental Surgeon turned IFS officer Apala Mishra Age / Apala Mishra Age UPSC 24 Years (as of 2021); Born 1997 Birthplace Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh Raised In Dehradun; later Delhi (Rohini) UPSC Roll Number 5903870 School Class 10: Dehradun; Class 11 & 12: Delhi Public School (DPS), Rohini, Delhi Dr. Apala Mishra IAS Education BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery), Army College of Dental Sciences, Hyderabad (2017) Apala Mishra UPSC Optional Subject Anthropology UPSC Medium English Total Attempts 3rd Attempt (failed Prelims in 1st and 2nd attempts) Apala Mishra IAS or IFS IFS (Indian Foreign Service) — She chose IFS over IAS despite being eligible for IAS Father Colonel Amitabh Mishra — Retired Indian Army Officer Mother Prof. Alpana Mishra — Professor of Hindi, Delhi University Brother Major Abhilekh Mishra — Indian Army Officer Grandfather Hazari Prasad Dwivedi — Legendary Hindi Litterateur and Author Dr. Apala Mishra IAS Biography — Early Life & Illustrious Family Dr. Apala Mishra was born in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh in 1997. She grew up across multiple cities — completing her Class 10 in Dehradun and her Class 11 and 12 from Delhi Public School (DPS), Rohini, Delhi. Her family background is exceptionally distinguished and deeply rooted in service to the nation — both in uniform and in letters. Her father, Colonel Amitabh Mishra, is a retired Indian Army officer. Her mother, Prof. Alpana Mishra, is a respected professor of Hindi at Delhi University — a combination of military discipline and literary culture that clearly shaped Apala’s analytical yet empathetic worldview. Her brother, Major Abhilekh Mishra, is also an active Indian Army officer. Most famously, her late grandfather Hazari Prasad Dwivedi was one of India’s most celebrated Hindi litterateurs — a towering figure in 20th-century Hindi literature, known for novels, essays, and cultural criticism. Apala Mishra UPSC — Educational Journey: From Dentist to Diplomat School (Class 10): Dehradun School (Class 11 & 12): Delhi Public School (DPS), Rohini, Delhi Graduation: BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery), Army College of Dental Sciences, Hyderabad (2017) Post-graduation: After completing BDS, was selected as a dentist in the Indian Army — but chose to pursue IFS instead Dr. Apala Mishra is one of UPSC’s most compelling stories of professional reinvention. Despite completing a specialised dental surgery degree and being selected as an Army dentist, she gave that up to pursue her dream of joining the Indian Foreign Service — beginning her UPSC preparation in 2018 after completing her BDS. Apala Mishra UPSC — Attempt-wise Performance 1st Attempt (UPSC 2018): Did not clear the Prelims. Used this as a diagnostic — acknowledged she was not adequately prepared and resolved to work harder. 2nd Attempt (UPSC 2019): Did not clear the Prelims again. Faced a challenging year personally — her father was hospitalised in the ICU during the second wave of COVID while she was preparing for her interview. 3rd Attempt (UPSC 2020): Achieved All India Rank 9 — Total Score: 1031 marks (816 written + 215 interview). Selected for the Indian Foreign Service. Apala Mishra UPSC Marksheet — Score Breakdown The Apala Mishra IAS marksheet is particularly remarkable for her personality test score of 215 out of 275 — the highest interview score among all top-10 candidates in UPSC CSE 2020. Component Marks Remarks Written Test Total 816 All GS Papers + Essay + Both Optional Papers (Anthropology) Personality Test (Interview) 215 ⭐ Highest Interview Score in Top 10, UPSC 2020 🏆 Grand Total 1031 All India Rank 9 Dr. Apala Mishra’s UPSC roll number was 5903870. Her answer copies are available on ForumIAS for aspirants to study. Apala Mishra IAS or IFS — Why She Chose IFS Over IAS One of the most searched questions about Dr. Apala Mishra is: is Apala Mishra an IAS officer or an IFS officer? The answer is IFS — Indian Foreign Service. Despite being ranked 9th overall and being fully eligible for IAS, Apala deliberately chose the Indian Foreign Service. Why Apala Mishra Chose IFS: From the time she completed her BDS degree in 2017, Apala had specifically dreamed of becoming an IFS officer — to serve India on the international stage, work in foreign policy, and contribute to India’s global engagement. Her army family background, exposure to national service, and passion for international affairs made the IFS the natural choice over the IAS. She was not chasing an IAS rank — she was chasing a specific dream of diplomatic service. Apala Mishra UPSC Optional Subject — Anthropology Dr. Apala Mishra