Indian Navy Sailor Mayank Sachan Cracks UPSC CAPF After 15+ Failed Attempts, Secures AIR 343

Fifteen years of service in the Indian Navy, more than 15 unsuccessful competitive examinations and two SSB rejections could not stop Mayank Sachan from pursuing his goal of becoming an officer. The former Navy sailor has now secured All India Rank 343 in the UPSC Central Armed Police Forces (Assistant Commandants) Examination 2025.

Sachan cleared the prestigious examination on his third CAPF attempt and found a place among the candidates recommended for appointment as Group A Assistant Commandants. The UPSC announced the final CAPF 2025 results on August 7, 2026, recommending 350 candidates for appointment across the BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP and SSB.

Sachan's journey began in Kanpur, where he grew up in a family with limited financial resources. He completed Classes 10 and 12 from a government school. His father worked as an electrician at a private factory and supported a family of five.

With the cost of pursuing engineering beyond the family's means, Sachan chose another path and joined the Indian Navy as a sailor. What followed was a 15-year career in uniform during which he balanced demanding naval responsibilities with his academic ambitions.

Even while performing operational duties at sea, Sachan continued his education through the Indira Gandhi National Open University. He eventually completed his graduation as well as a postgraduate degree in Public Administration.

His ambition to move into the officer cadre brought several disappointments. Sachan cleared the Combined Defence Services examination process far enough to appear before the Services Selection Board, but he was not recommended. He later faced another SSB for a commission entry, only to receive a second rejection.

The setbacks continued outside the SSB as well. In 2021, Sachan appeared for the UPSC Civil Services Examination but could not clear the preliminary stage. He then focused on the CAPF Assistant Commandant examination, but his first two attempts ended at the written examination stage.

By the time he finally succeeded, Sachan had accumulated more than 15 unsuccessful competitive examination attempts. Instead of treating those results as the end of his ambitions, he continued preparing and returned for another attempt.

The CAPF 2025 written examination was conducted on August 3, 2025, while the Personality Tests were held between May 4 and May 29, 2026. On his third attempt, Sachan successfully crossed the various stages of the selection process and secured AIR 343 in the final merit list.

Sachan credits much of his perseverance to the discipline he developed during his years in the Indian Navy. He has said that naval service helped him become mature, calm, composed and disciplined, qualities that proved valuable during years of preparation and repeated rejection.

His journey later attracted attention after he shared his experience on social media, highlighting the long sequence of setbacks that preceded his eventual selection.

For defence aspirants, Sachan's journey represents an uncommon transition from serving as an enlisted sailor to earning selection for a Group A officer-level position through the UPSC CAPF examination. Along the way, he completed higher education while serving, faced two SSB rejections, attempted the Civil Services Examination and failed twice to clear the CAPF written examination.

After more than a decade of persistence, his third CAPF attempt finally produced the result he had been working towards. From studying in a government school and joining the Indian Navy as a sailor to securing AIR 343 in a UPSC examination, Mayank Sachan's journey shows how repeated failures need not mark the end of an officer's ambition.