Gaurav Agarwal IAS: AIR 1 Topper of 2013 Who Left Hong Kong for India’s Dusty Districts

• Gaurav Agarwal IAS Wife is a doctor by profession. The couple’s love story has a quirky footnote in UPSC history — when the 2013 UPSC results were declared, Gaurav had appeared for his personal interview just four days before his own wedding.
• Gaurav Agarwal IAS Wife has remained largely away from the public eye, which is a choice the family has maintained even as Gaurav’s profile has grown.
• Gaurav Agarwal IAS Family has been described as deeply supportive. When the results were declared, Gaurav said he received calls from his friends, father, mother, and wife — all congratulating him at once.

The Hong Kong Chapter — Why He Left It All Behind

• After graduating from IIM Lucknow in 2008, Gaurav Agarwal IAS didn’t head to a government job. He headed to Hong Kong to work as a trader and investment banker at Citigroup.
• He worked there for approximately 3.5 years (June 2008 – September 2011) in one of the world’s most competitive financial markets.
• Before Citigroup, he also worked at IBM India Research Labs for around seven months.
• Then something shifted. He decided to return to India and prepare for the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
• He quit his well-paying job, came back to Jaipur, and started preparing.

The UPSC Journey — Two Attempts, One Legend

• Gaurav appeared for UPSC for the first time in 2012.
  • He secured AIR 244 and was selected for the Indian Police Service (IPS).
  • He began training at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, Hyderabad.
  • But IAS was always his goal.
• In 2013, while still under IPS training in Hyderabad, he appeared for the UPSC exam again.
  • This time, he scored AIR 1 — the highest rank in the entire country.
  • He became the first person from Rajasthan to ever top the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
  • He was 29 years old when the results were declared.

Gaurav Agarwal IAS UPSC 2013 Marksheet

• He chose Economics as his optional subject in 2013 — a subject aligned with his IIM background and corporate experience.
• His interview score of 206 was one of the highest in that batch.
• He also scored 336 marks in the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE).

Gaurav Agarwal IAS Rank — Making History at AIR 1

• Gaurav Agarwal IAS Rank in UPSC CSE 2013 was AIR 1 (All India Rank 1) — the absolute top of the exam.
• In his first attempt (2012), his Gaurav Agarwal IAS Rank was AIR 244, which was enough for the IPS. But settling was not his style.
• His jump from Rank 244 to Rank 1 in a single year is one of the most stunning turnarounds in UPSC history.
• The achievement made national headlines and established him as a benchmark for UPSC aspirants across India.

Gaurav Agarwal IAS Current Posting & Present Posting (2026)

• Gaurav Agarwal IAS Current Posting (as of September 2026): Collector & District Magistrate, Udaipur.
• He assumed this posting on July 21, 2026.
• Gaurav Agarwal IAS Present Posting as Collector, Udaipur places him at the helm of one of Rajasthan’s most important and culturally rich districts — the “City of Lakes.”
• Before this, he served as Collector & District Magistrate, Jodhpur Rural — his longest single posting at approximately 2.5 years.
• His Pay Level in the IAS Pay Matrix is Level 12.
• His domicile state on record is Jaipur.

Gaurav Agarwal IAS Officer — A Distinction Beyond Administration

• Gaurav received the Chief of Air Staff Commendation Medal in May 2025 for services supporting the Indian Air Force during Operation Sindoor.
• The medal was presented by Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor at Jodhpur.
• He has been nominated to the Board of Governors of IIM Amritsar, pending government approval.
• His academic research includes macroeconomic analysis using Vector Auto Regression, focusing on fiscal policy, private investment, and consumption.
• His profile combines administrative leadership, national-security coordination, and academic expertise.