One such aspirant who rose to prominence among the list of UPSC toppers in India is Kanishak Kataria. He became known all across the country because of his outstanding performance in the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2018. He managed to score All India Rank (AIR) 1 in his first attempt at the exam. He graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, and was once a software engineer before joining UPSC.
Kanishak was able to succeed in the UPSC exam because of his rigorous preparation routine. As of now, many young aspirants take inspiration from his success story. Staying tuned will help you explore more about his personal and professional journey. This biography blog entirely revolves around the life of Kanishak Kataria.
Kanishak Kataria Biography & Wiki
He was officially born as Kanishak Kataria on September 26, 1992. Moreover, his birthplace is located in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Kanishak Kataria is an IAS officer and also the topper of UPSC Civil Services Examination 2018 with All India Rank 1. His optional subject was mathematics. Prior to joining the civil services, he had worked in the field of technology.
The reason behind his decision to choose this profession was that he was an engineering graduate from IIT Bombay. What made his success even more special was the fact that he topped the examination in the first attempt of his life. That is a huge achievement for Kanishak as he competed with lakhs of aspirants.
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kanishak Kataria |
| Date of Birth | September 26, 1992 |
| Age | 33 years old |
| Birthplace | Jaipur, Rajasthan, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Profession | IAS Officer |
| Zodiac Sign | Libra |
| Marital Status | Married |
Early Life of Kanishak Kataria
Kanishak Kataria is a distinguished bureaucrat who was born on 26 September 1992 in Jaipur, Rajasthan. He hails from a family of civil servants and doctors. The family environment of Kanishak Kataria focused a lot on education, hard work, and service to the country. Right from his childhood, Kanishak Kataria had been very intelligent.
He had developed a passion for mathematics and science and participated actively in academic competitions. Through the use of his critical analysis skills, Kanishak had been successful in these contests. Such experiences had made him very successful in his subsequent career, both in engineering and in the UPSC examination process.
School & College Education
Kanishak is an alumnus from St. Paul’s Senior Secondary School, Kota, Rajasthan. He had excelled in studies while he was in school. His exceptional talent was in science and mathematics. Evidence of this excellence was witnessed when he attained All India Rank 44 in the competitive Indian Institute of Technology-Joint Entrance Examination in 2010. With such impressive results, he managed to join the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.
At the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, Kanishak pursued B.Tech. in Computer Science & Engineering from 2010 to 2014. At this institution, he acquired a foundation in programming, algorithms, statistics, and analytical problem-solving skills. Additionally, he attained a minor in Applied Statistics.
Kanishak Kataria Age
His date of birth is recorded as September 26, 1992. Accordingly, Kanishak Kataria is 33 years old. He is yet to celebrate his 34th birthday this year.
Kanishak Kataria Height & Physical Appearance
| Height | 5 feet and 10 inches |
| Weight | 75 kgs |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Skin Color | Dusky |
| Appearance | Fit and toned body |
Family Members of Kanishak Kataria
His father, Sanwar Mal Verma, is also a Senior IAS Officer just like him. The name of Kanishak Kataria’s mother is unknown. In terms of siblings, he has one sister, and her name is Tanmaya Kataria. By profession, she is a doctor. Lastly, even his uncle named KC Verma is an IAS Officer.
Kanishak Kataria Wife & Kids
As of now, Kanishak Kataria is a married man. The name of his wife is Sonal Chouhan. She has also graduated from the IIT Bombay campus. Sonal is known to work in the software industry with a specialisation in product management. At one point, she was employed at a company in Japan. According to sources, Kanishak and Sonal got married in 2020. The couple do not have any kids yet.
Career & Professional Journey
Kanishak Kataria, after graduating in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT Bombay in 2014, started working as a software engineer with Samsung in South Korea. However, even with the promising international career ahead of him, he never lost sight of serving the public interest and building the nation. Hence, he made the decision to return to India and start his preparation for the UPSC Civil Services Exam. Since his educational credentials were very sound, he opted for Mathematics as the optional paper.
Self-preparation with well-defined concepts and effective revision paid off for him with flying colours. He achieved the All India Rank 1 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2018. With a score of 942 in the written test and 179 in the Personality Test, Kanishak amassed 1121 marks out of 2025. Following his brilliant performance, Kanishak got selected in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). He was posted in the Rajasthan cadre, taking up several important administrative positions.
Kanishak Kataria Net Worth 2026
According to estimates, Kanishak’s net worth is between INR 1 and 3 crores. This is not a confirmed real-time figure. He accumulated this wealth through a wide variety of income sources. This includes his former engineering job income, IAS salary, government benefits, investments, etc. Kanishak Kataria will multiply his net worth further in the upcoming years.
Social Media Handles
| Platform | Username | Followers |
|---|---|---|
| @kanishak_kataria | 347K+ | |
| Kanishak Kataria IAS Officer | 29K+ |
Trivia
- Kanishak secured AIR 44 in IIT JEE 2010 and then took admission into IIT Bombay.
- From there, he graduated with a B.Tech (Hons.) degree along with a minor in Applied Statistics.
- Before joining the UPSC exam, Kanishak was employed as a Software Engineer at Samsung Electronics, South Korea.
- As of now, he has close to five years of professional experience in tech and data science.
- Since he had a good grasp of mathematics, engineering, and other related topics, he picked Mathematics as his optional in the mains exam.
- Kanishak cleared the UPSC Civil Services examination in one attempt, securing All India Rank 1.
- Apart from getting scholarships in schools, Kanishak bagged the NTSE scholarship during his schooling days.
- Furthermore, he secured the KVPY (for brilliant students in science) scholarship.
- In the CBSE board examination, he topped Mathematics with a score of 100% and got the national merit certificate as well.
- Kanishak secured first rank overall in the National Science Olympiad in schools.
- His father, Sanwar Mal Verma, is also an IAS officer belonging to the Rajasthan cadre.
- His uncle, K.C. Verma, also served as an IAS officer in Rajasthan.
- CGPA of Kanishak during his time at IIT Bombay was 9.07 out of 10.
- His area of interest includes Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Data Analytics.
- Kanishak always said that his decision to join civil services was more satisfying than working abroad with a good pay package.
FAQs
When was he born?
Kanishak’s birth took place on September 26, 1992.
Where is he from?
He originates from Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
Which college or university did he attend?
Kanishak Kataria graduated from the IIT Bombay.
Who is Kanishak’s wife?
Her name is Sonal Chouhan.
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