Loss of vision can be a devastating setback, but for Manu Garg, it became a catalyst for change. At the age of 23, he witnessed a turning point in his life by not just clearing the prestigious UPSC Civil Services Examination 2024, but also securing an impressive All India Rank (AIR) of 91.
What makes his achievement truly remarkable is that he never learned Braille. His secret to success was the wise use of technology, his determination, and the unwavering constant support of his single mother. “I was relieved. More than happiness, it was a sense of liberation — that I wouldn’t have to sit for the Prelims again,” says Garg, recalling the moment he saw his name on the list. “I knew with this rank and my category, I would get the post I wanted.”
From setback to civil services
Garg’s motivation to pursue civil services ran deeper than ambition. “When I lost my vision in Class 8 due to a rare genetic disease, I was going through a period of emotional and physical transition. But the way my peers, teachers, and society stood by me — I never felt out of place. That inspired me to find a career where I could give back,” he says.
Garg began his UPSC journey during the COVID-19 lockdown while attending Hindu College, Delhi University, virtually. “That phase gave me the time and space to understand the exam and start preparing seriously,” he shares.
In his first attempt in 2023, he cleared the Prelims but fell short in the Mains. In 2024, he realised that UPSC Mains is a different format, and he needed to re-strategise accordingly, which finally led him to success. He also took guidance from Civilsdaily for his interview preparation.
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‘She left no stone unturned’
Behind Garg’s achievement is a constant support of his mother, Vandana Jain, a homemaker and single parent. “She read all my textbooks, notes — everything — out loud to me so I could prepare,” he recounts.
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When he got into Hindu College, she moved to Delhi with him without hesitation. “She left no stone unturned so that I could achieve my goal. If I can do even 10 per cent of what she has done for me, I’ll consider my life successful,” says Garg.
This achievement is not just mine. It’s my mother’s, too. My story is her story too.
Navigating without sight
Garg completed his schooling from St Xavier’s School, Jaipur, a place he credits for standing by him post-diagnosis. Despite scepticism, he chose Computer Science over Economics in Class 11, and went on to score 100 per cent in the subject in his Class 12 board exams.
He then joined Hindu College and later pursued his postgraduate studies in International Relations at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
What could have been a Plan B for Manu, had he not cleared UPSC? Garg says he would have chosen academics as he has cleared UGC-NET with a 99.1 percentile, and is currently enrolled in a PhD programme.
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Life in DU and JNU
Garg says that although DU and JNU differ in terms of their cultural atmosphere, both universities are similar in the way they support and include persons with disabilities. He emphasises that neither institution discriminates, though certain challenges and shortcomings still remain. For instance, he points out that both universities lack an adequate number of ramps for persons with disabilities.
According to Garg, JNU, in particular, offers hostel accommodation to students with disabilities on a priority basis and also provides scholarships and library facilities. He says during his UPSC preparation, he frequently visited the B R Ambedkar Library at JNU. He says he had access to online courses through the library, which played a helpful role in supporting his studies.
From preparation to UPSC interview
Garg took the help of technology, which helped him bridge the gap. From screen readers and audio PDFs to other digital tools, he made the best use of the resources available to him and converted obstacles into opportunities. However, finding a reliable scribe for exams was one of the most challenging tasks in the exam journey. “It’s harder than studying for the exam itself,” he admits. “Luckily, a few friends came forward, and I am grateful to them.”
Although he cleared the Prelims in both his attempts, he still considers it the most difficult phase of the UPSC exam. The questions, he says, are highly challenging with confusing options, where even a slight misunderstanding can result in negative marks. For him, the CSAT — especially the Mathematics section — posed the greatest challenge. With the difficulty level increasing in recent years, Garg turned to his maternal uncle, a doctor, for help in understanding key mathematical concepts and topics.
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In the UPSC Mains, answer writing is critical, but Garg’s visual impairment made the task more demanding. Here again, his mother played a crucial role — he would recite his answers aloud while she wrote them down, helping him identify mistakes and suggesting improvements. He also worked closely with mentors who reviewed his practice answers, and offered constructive feedback to refine his approach.
Since UPSC preparation is a rigorous journey, whenever he felt low, he listened to audiobooks in PDF format and listened to comedy shows and podcasts.
For Garg, the exam process wasn’t without emotional setbacks. He recalls being deeply affected by last year’s news of three UPSC aspirants dying due to flooding in the basement of a coaching institute’s library in Old Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi. “It shook me. I tried writing a post on social media. But it was a crucial period as I had to appear for the Mains. I realised that to bring change in the system, I needed to be inside it, not just critique it from the outside.”
He recalls his personality test, which was held on January 27. In a board chaired by former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Sheel Vardhan Singh, he was asked about Donald Trump’s policies and their impact. Trump’s statement on buying Greenland was in the news then. Given Garg’s background in international relations, Singh asked him if he became the foreign secretary of India, what advice would he give to the government about buying a territory, if it could. Garg confidently named the Malacca Strait and the Wakhan Corridor to counter China’s influence.
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‘Rejection is part of the process’
To those who didn’t make it through one of the toughest exams, Garg offers both empathy and perspective.
If you pick five balls from a bag of ten, are the remaining five at fault? No. Similarly, not being selected doesn’t mean you’re any less deserving. This exam selects a few, and rejection is part of the process.
He urges aspirants to reflect rationally before deciding whether to continue preparation. “Don’t let emotion drive the decision. Choose the path where you can give your best.”
Garg says he looks forward to serving the country as an IAS officer — with humility, clarity of purpose, and gratitude for the people who made it possible.
