Kirti Panwar AIR 304: How She Cracked UPSC with Law Optional While Working Full-Time

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination is one of the most challenging and prestigious examinations in India. Every year, thousands of aspirants dedicate years of effort, discipline, and perseverance to achieve their dream of joining the civil services.

Among the many optional subjects available in the UPSC examination, Law Optional UPSC has emerged as a compelling choice for candidates with a legal background.

One such inspiring example is Kirti Panwar, who secured All India Rank (AIR) 304 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025 with Law Optional. Her story is not just about academic success but also about strategic planning, resilience, and balancing professional commitments with preparation.

Kirti’s journey demonstrates how law optional can become a powerful asset in UPSC preparation when approached with clarity, structured preparation, and deep conceptual understanding.

Early Life and Background of Kirti Panwar

Kirti Panwar was born on 24 March 1999 in Panipat, Haryana and grew up in an academically supportive family. According to her UPSC Detailed Application Form (DAF), she completed her schooling at Delhi Public School, Panipat, where she consistently performed well academically.

Her academic excellence began early. In her school years she:

• Received an Academic Excellence Award in 2017.

• Earned a Letter of Appreciation from the Ministry of Human Resource Development for exceptional performance in her CBSE Class X examination.

• Participated actively in sports and extracurricular activities.

Kirti was also a state-level table tennis player and state-level cricket player, demonstrating strong discipline and competitiveness beyond academics.

These early achievements reflect the qualities that later helped her succeed in the demanding journey of UPSC preparation with Law Optional.

Academic Journey: Hindu College to Campus Law Centre

Kirti Panwar completed her undergraduate degree from one of India’s most prestigious institutions.

She pursued BA (Programme) with Economics and Political Science from Hindu College, University of Delhi, graduating in 2020.

Her academic interests gradually inclined toward public policy, governance, and law. With the aim of building a strong professional foundation, she enrolled in the LLB program at Campus Law Centre, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi, completing her degree in 2023.

Studying law provided her with:

• Analytical thinking

• Structured reasoning

• Understanding of constitutional governance

These qualities would later play a significant role in her UPSC Law Optional preparation.

Professional Career Before UPSC Success

Kirti Panwar’s journey toward the civil services also includes a strong professional milestone.

She secured All India Rank 2 in CLAT PG 2024, which is an extraordinary achievement in itself.

Based on this performance, she was selected as a Law Officer at Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), a major Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Power.

Her employment details from the DAF indicate:

• Initially joined as Officer Trainee (Law) with a salary of ₹75,400.

• Later promoted to Officer (Law) with a salary exceeding ₹1.15 lakh per month.

Balancing a demanding job with UPSC preparation requires extraordinary discipline. Yet Kirti managed to continue her preparation and ultimately secured AIR 304 with Law Optional.

Why Kirti Panwar Chose Law Optional UPSC

Choosing an optional subject is one of the most important decisions in UPSC preparation.

For Kirti, selecting Law Optional UPSC was a logical choice because she was simultaneously pursuing LLB.

Her reasoning was simple yet powerful:

• Law studies complemented UPSC preparation.

• Many law topics overlap with General Studies Paper II.

• Legal reasoning helps in essay writing and ethics answers.

• It also provides a professional backup career.

Kirti emphasizes that UPSC preparation can often become a long journey. Therefore, choosing an optional subject that aligns with one’s academic background and interests helps sustain motivation over time.

Strategy for Constitutional Law in Law Optional UPSC

Kirti Panwar considers Paper I of Law Optional UPSC her strongest area.

Her preparation for constitutional law revolved around three pillars:

1. Bare Act as the Foundation

According to Kirti, the Bare Act of the Constitution is the “bread and butter” of constitutional law preparation.

She carefully studied:

• Constitutional articles

• Amendments

• Judicial interpretations

Understanding the language of the constitution itself allowed her to build strong conceptual clarity.

2. Standard Textbooks

Kirti used J.P. Pandey’s book on Constitutional Law as her primary reference material.

This helped her understand:

• Constitutional doctrines

• Landmark judgments

• Evolution of legal interpretations

  
  

3. Current Affairs Integration

To enrich her answers, she regularly followed LiveLaw, a legal news platform.

This allowed her to incorporate:

• Recent Supreme Court judgments

• Constitutional debates

• Contemporary legal developments

Combining static knowledge with current affairs made her answers stand out in Law Optional UPSC mains.

International Law Strategy for UPSC Law Optional

International law requires a slightly different approach compared to constitutional law.

Kirti explains that no single book is sufficient for international law.

Her preparation strategy included:

Primary source• S.K. Kapoor – International Law

Supplementary source• Gurdeep Singh Dhingra – International Law

She carefully compared the two books and created topic-wise notes based on UPSC previous year questions (PYQs).This approach helped her avoid unnecessary reading while focusing on exam-relevant topics.

Administrative Law Preparation

Administrative law can often appear overwhelming due to its vast scope.

Kirti simplified her preparation using:

• A.K.N. Administrative Law book

• Recent case law updates

She made concise notes focusing on:

• Key doctrines

• Judicial review

• Principles of natural justice

• Landmark judgments

This allowed her to revise the entire subject quickly before the mains examination.

The Power of Self-Made Notes

One of the defining aspects of Kirti Panwar’s Law Optional UPSC strategy was her commitment to creating her own notes.

Instead of relying solely on textbooks, she compiled information from multiple sources and wrote structured notes in her own words.

This had several advantages:

• Better conceptual clarity

• Faster revision

• Visual memory of handwritten notes

Kirti describes this as “pictographic memory”, where recalling the structure of handwritten notes helps reproduce information during the exam.

Tackling Contemporary Legal Developments (CLD)

The CLD section in Law Optional UPSC Paper II is vast and dynamic.

Kirti approached it strategically.

Step 1: She analyzed previous year UPSC questions to understand the pattern.

Step 2: She used:

• Standard CLD books

• Classroom material

• College notes

Step 3: She compiled concise topic-wise notes.

Kirti believes CLD is a “low-hanging fruit” if prepared systematically, but aspirants must cover the entire syllabus.

Even seemingly small topics can appear as compulsory 10-mark questions.

Law Optional UPSC Score of Kirti Panwar

Kirti Panwar scored 258 marks in Law Optional UPSC.

Breakdown: Paper I: 132 marksPaper II: 126 marks

This score falls within the typical topper range of 250–280 marks.

Her strong performance in Paper I significantly contributed to her final AIR 304 rank.

Strategy for Criminal Law: IPC and BNS

Recent UPSC examinations have seen a transition from the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Kirti adopted a balanced strategy.

In her answers she mentioned:

• BNS section numbers

• IPC sections in brackets

This ensured clarity regardless of the examiner’s preference.

Approach to Contracts and Mercantile Law

For Contract Law and Mercantile Law, Kirti focused on:

• Indian Contract Act

• Sale of Goods Act

• Partnership Act

• Negotiable Instruments Act

She paid particular attention to Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, which frequently appears in UPSC questions.

Rather than memorizing entire statutes, she concentrated on:

• Core legal principles

• Key sections

• Landmark case laws
  

UPSC Interview Score and Law Advantage

Kirti Panwar scored 190 marks in the UPSC personality test. Her legal background helped significantly in the interview stage.

Studying law develops important skills:

• Logical argumentation

• Clear articulation

• Analytical reasoning

These abilities naturally enhance performance in UPSC interviews.

Achievements and Extracurricular Excellence

Kirti’s highlights several achievements beyond academics.

These include:

• AIR 2 in CLAT PG 2024.

• State-level table tennis player.

• State-level cricket player.

• President of Academic Council in school.

• Senior Sports Captain in school.

• Member of Women Development Cell in college.

These achievements reflect leadership qualities and balanced personality—traits that UPSC values in civil servants.

Handling Stress During UPSC Preparation

UPSC preparation can be emotionally challenging.

Kirti emphasizes the importance of:

• Self-motivation

• Maintaining social connections

• Avoiding isolation

She believes aspirants should have:

• Supportive family

• Close friends

• Healthy conversations

Talking to people during difficult phases helps maintain emotional balance.

UPSC preparation can be emotionally exhausting. Kirti believes that self-motivation and emotional support systems are crucial.

Her advice includes:

• Remember why you started preparing for UPSC

• Maintain connections with friends and family

• Avoid isolation during preparation

• Talk to people when feeling low

She strongly believes that mental well-being is essential for sustained preparation.

Isolation can harm motivation, whereas a healthy support system helps maintain balance.

Advice for Law Graduates Preparing for UPSC

Kirti Panwar strongly encourages law students to consider Law Optional UPSC.

According to her:

• Law graduates already cover much of the syllabus during LLB.

• Legal knowledge helps in multiple GS papers.

• Law provides career security beyond UPSC.

She advises law students to start preparing for UPSC during their third or fourth year of LLB, gradually integrating optional preparation with their coursework.

For students in their third or fourth year of law school, Kirti recommends starting with the basics.

First, they should carefully study the UPSC Law Optional syllabus and understand the topics.

Then they should connect their LLB coursework with UPSC preparation.

Since law students already study many of these subjects during their degree, the preparation becomes easier if approached strategically.

With consistent effort, law students can build a strong foundation for both legal careers and civil services preparation.

The Importance of Having a Career Backup

One of the most practical insights from Kirti Panwar’s journey is the importance of having a professional backup.

Her job as a Law Officer at Power Grid Corporation provided:

• Financial stability

• Professional growth

• Confidence during preparation

She explains that when aspirants have nothing to lose, they often perform better because the pressure decreases.

This confidence was reflected in her final attempt and interview performance.

Lessons from Kirti Panwar’s Law Optional UPSC Journey

The story of Kirti Panwar (AIR 304) is a powerful example of how strategic preparation and resilience can transform aspirations into achievements.

Her journey offers several key lessons:

• Build strong fundamentals through the Bare Act.

• Create personal notes aligned with PYQs.

• Integrate current legal developments into answers.

• Maintain mental balance and self-motivation.

• Use law as both a UPSC optional and a professional backup.

Kirti Panwar’s success proves that Law Optional UPSC, though demanding, can be a highly rewarding choice for aspirants who approach it with discipline and genuine interest.

Her journey is a reminder that success in UPSC is not merely about intelligence—it is about consistency, perseverance, and belief in one’s abilities.