UPSC Success Story: The Union Public Service Commission today declared its results for the Civil Services Examinations. While IPS Aditya Srivastava achieved the first rank, there are six girls in the top 10 candidates. However, among the successful aspirants is one surprising name – Kuhoo Garg. A known name in the badminton arena, Garg has played several international and national matches. She has achieved 178th rank in the UPSC examination becoming an IPS. She won’t be the first civil servant in her family, as her father Ashok Kumar retired from the Indian Police Service (IPS) last year.

Ashok Kumar, an IPS officer from the 1989 batch who served as the 11th Director General of Uttarakhand Police, disclosed that it was actually an injury that prompted Kuhoo to begin preparing for civil services.

Her father Ashok Kumar shared on X that Kuhoo was forced out of badminton due to a knee injury. “Kuhoo has been an international badminton player and she started playing at the age of 9. Kuhoo has won 56 national/all India rankings and 19 international medals. Kuhoo plays women’s doubles and mixed doubles and her world rank in mixed doubles has been 34. She has also played the quarter-finals of the World Championship in 2018,” said Kumar.

आज पूरे परिवार के लिए गर्व का पल है कि बेटी कुहू गर्ग आज घोषित हुए upsc के परिणामो मे 178वी रैंक लेकर आईपीएस IPS मे सेलेक्ट हुई |

कुहू बैडमिंटन की अंतर्राष्ट्रीय खिलाडी रही है और उसने 9 वर्ष की उम्र से ही खेलना चालू कर दिया था | कुहू ने 56 नेशनल / आल इंडिया रैंकिंग और 19… pic.twitter.com/LyBs4sJPtL

— Ashok Kumar IPS (@AshokKumar_IPS) April 16, 2024

He further shared that she suffered a knee injury and ACL tear in the trials of Uber Cup held after Covid-19, after which she had to undergo surgery. “Now, since it was not possible to play any competition for a year, she decided to prepare for civil services and with her hard work and the blessings of well-wishers, friends and family, she has achieved this feat,” said Kumar.

He further added that what makes Kuhoo’s achievement a milestone is that she is probably the first shuttler who played international badminton for 6 years played the quarter-finals of the World Championship in the open category, and went on to become an IAS/IPS.