Shruti Srivastava, a 2020-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, is currently serving as Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in the Prayagraj Police Commissionerate in Uttar Pradesh. She cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination at the age of 24, securing All India Rank (AIR) 82 in the 2019 examination.
According to a report by NDTV, Srivastava took up her current posting on September 19, following her transfer from the Varanasi Police Commissionerate, where she had also served as Additional DCP. Her career in the civil services began after she shifted her focus from an initial aspiration to become a professor to preparing for the UPSC examination.
Educational background and UPSC preparation
A native of Delhi, Srivastava studied at Hindu College and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in English.
She cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination through self-study without relying on formal coaching. Her result placed her at AIR 82 in the 2019 examination, after which she joined the IPS as part of the 2020 batch in the Uttar Pradesh cadre.
The UPSC Civil Services Examination is conducted annually to recruit candidates for various services, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service. The selection process includes the preliminary examination, the main examination and a personality test.
Preparation strategy and professional milestones
Srivastava cleared the examination on her third attempt. She made her first two attempts while studying at JNU and continued preparing for the examination while working at the Lok Sabha Secretariat for nearly two years. She regularly took mock tests for both the preliminary and main examinations.
Correction to the educational details: Srivastava completed her undergraduate studies at Hindu College, University of Delhi, and earned a postgraduate degree in English from JNU. She also qualified for the National Eligibility Test (NET) and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF).
During her training at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad, Telangana, she received the Gandhi Gyan Mandir Yoga Centre Trophy for yoga as a member of the Uttar Pradesh cadre's 73rd Regular Recruit batch.
In an interview with the YouTube channel Saket Samvad, Srivastava shared that she had not initially planned to join the civil services. She had considered an academic career before a senior encouraged her to explore the UPSC examination.
For aspirants preparing for the examination, she has recommended building a strong foundation using National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks, practising with test series and solving previous years' question papers. She has also highlighted the importance of optional-subject preparation, answer-writing practice and sustained preparation.
During the 2025 Maha Kumbh, Srivastava interviewed actor Raveena Tandon when the actor visited Varanasi. The interaction later gained attention on social media.
Her career brings together an academic background, experience at the Lok Sabha Secretariat and service in the Indian Police Service.
