Shubhra Ranjan, whose classes topper Ishita Kishore attended to prepare for the exam, said more than knowing everything, it is pertinent to know what not to study for the civil services exam.

Kishore achieved the feat in her third attempt with political science as her optional subject in CSE Mains. Shishir Tripathi spoke to Shubhra Ranjan, whose classes Kishore attended to prepare for the exam, to understand what differentiates a topper from the rest and how the profile of those aspiring for civil services has changed over the years.

Ishita Kishore, an economics graduate from Shri Ram College of Commerce at Delhi University, made headlines on Tuesday as she bagged the top rank in the prestigious Civil Services Exam (CSE) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).