Shampi Chakraborty Purkayastha/Kolkata

From a mud house in the remote village of Pankalpara in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district to the national stage, Sana Azmi has come a long way. The youngest of ten siblings in a modest farming family, she has secured All-India Rank 764 in the Union Public Service Commission’s (UPSC) Civil Services Examination in her very first attempt.

The results of the 2025 examination were announced on March 6, 2026, and Sana’s name and rank appear in the official results. She was likely to get into allied services.

But Sana is not ready to rest on her laurels. Her sights are firmly set on a bigger goal: becoming an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer. She has already resumed her studies, viewing her first-attempt success not as the culmination of her journey but as an important first step towards a much bigger dream.

Sana Azmi 

Sana grew up in Pankalpara in a family with limited financial means. Her father, Maizuddin Sheikh, is a farmer who owns a small piece of land. Although his own education ended after Class 9, he never compromised on his children’s education.

Despite the family’s modest income, he did his best to ensure that all his children—seven daughters and three sons—received a good education.

His commitment has begun to bear fruit. Two of his daughters have pursued careers in medicine. Sana’s elder sister, Beauty Khatun, works as a doctor at Bardhaman Medical College and Hospital, while another sister is studying medicine at North Bengal Medical College.

Sana’s own educational journey was marked by determination and hard work. After studying up to Class 8 at Kabilpur High School in her village, she joined the residential institution run by Al-Amin Mission.

Sana Azmi's parents - Maizuddin Sheikh and Phulbanu Bibi

She subsequently appeared for her Higher Secondary examination through a higher madrasa in Howrah and, according to published reports, topped the district.

Determined to pursue bigger ambitions, Sana moved to Delhi for higher studies. She completed her postgraduate studies in English at Jamia Millia Islamia, where she also prepared for the Civil Services Examination at the university’s residential civil services coaching centre.

Competing against thousands of aspirants from across the country, Sana cleared the examination on her first attempt. Her All-India Rank of 764 has made her eligible for consideration for various central Group A services, including the Indian Revenue Service.

For Sana, however, this achievement is only the beginning.

Sana has said that she worked hard to succeed in the UPSC examination and is grateful for the support she received from her family, particularly her elder sister, Beauty Khatun.

According to Sana, Beauty’s support was crucial in enabling her to move to Delhi and prepare for the examination.

Sana intends to join the service for which she has qualified, but her ultimate ambition remains to become an IAS officer. She conveyed her determination through her brother, Mohammad Imran.

Her mother, Phulbanu Bibi, said the family was delighted with Sana’s achievement. However, Sana herself is keen to resume her studies and continue working towards her dream of joining the IAS.

Perhaps this is the most inspiring aspect of Sana’s story. Even after opening the door to success, she has chosen not to stop at the threshold. Instead, she is preparing herself for the next challenge.

At one time, such an ambitious dream might have seemed far removed from the realities of life in the family’s mud house in Pankalpara. But her parents placed a high value on education, including the education of their daughters. Today, the results of that commitment are evident.

One daughter is a doctor, another is pursuing medical education, and Sana has earned a place among the successful candidates in the country’s civil services examination.

Yet her journey is far from over.

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For Sana, Rank 764 is a milestone, not the destination. Her next goal is to clear the Civil Services Examination again and realise her dream of becoming an IAS officer. The young woman who has already demonstrated what determination and family support can achieve is now preparing to take another step towards that ambition.