IIT Kanpur alumnus Aditya Srivastava emerged as the top scorer in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2023. Prior to delving into the realm of the UPSC, Srivastava had been gainfully employed at Goldman Sachs in Bengaluru, drawing a substantial monthly remuneration of ₹2.5 lakhs. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) disclosed the examination results on April 16, prompting a mock test attempted by Srivastava to gain significant attention across various social media platforms.IAS Topper Aditya Srivastava CSE AIR-1Essay Mock Test Copy 👇A Thread 🧵 pic.twitter.com/Y2SjL2Igff— UPSC NOTES (@UPSC_Notes) April 17, 2024Mock Test RevelationThe said mock test, titled “IAS topper Aditya Srivastava CSE AIR-1. Essay mock test copy,” was shared on X handle @UPSC_Notes. The focal point of Srivastavas essay in the mock test was the second question: “A mind all logic is like a knife all blade, it makes the hand bleed that uses it.”Srivastava commenced his essay with a reference to Oppenheimers conceptualization of the Manhattan Project, delving into the intricate balance between logic and emotion. He articulated, “In the 1940s, the World War II was at its peak. During such challenging times, a country and specifically one person, had the brilliant idea of the Manhattan Project. The ensuing devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki made the bigoted brilliance an agent of doom. That man was Oppenheimer and his brilliance of logical exposition had created a void so deep for USA, it cant be filled by putting the Burj Khalifa in it!”Viral ReceptionThe mock test was shared on April 17 through X platform and quickly garnered immense traction, accumulating over 3.3 million views and continuing to rise. While some viewers hailed Srivastavas mock test as “brilliant” and “inspirational,” others expressed contrasting opinions, labeling the essay as “bizarre” and critiquing Srivastavas writing style.Reactions and FeedbackVarious individuals took to the comments section to voice their reactions. One individual expressed gratitude with a simple “Thanks for sharing,” while another remarked, “Ill work harder to write answers like this. Truly inspirational man.”Some viewers lauded the quality of the essay, with comments like, “Never saw a person that much good in an essay. Brilliant writing,” and “One of the best essays I have read in my life.”Conversely, there were dissenting voices as well, with one individual stating, “Not at all impressed.”
