At 22, Vikas Singh Panwar did something few people can put on the same resume. Before his UPSC result, he had already appeared on the popular game show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) and won Rs 50 lakh. Months later, in March 2026, the young aspirant from Himachal Pradesh secured All India Rank 159 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025 in his first attempt.
Who is Vikas Singh Panwar ?
Panwar is from Jubli village in the Kupvi area of Shimla district, Himachal Pradesh. According to Navbharat Times and various media reports, he studied at DAV New Shimla before moving to Delhi for higher education. He completed his BA (Hons) in Political Science from Hindu College, University of Delhi.His academic record did not stop with graduation. Panwar also qualified UGC-NET and was pursuing postgraduate studies in Political Science while preparing for the civil services examination.
His father once had a salary of Rs 1,400
Vikas with his parents.
One of the most revealing parts of Panwar’s story came during his appearance on KBC. Panwar appeared on the 17th season of Kaun Banega Crorepati in November 2025 as a UPSC aspirant. Speaking to Amitabh Bachchan, he recalled his family’s financial situation when his father was working as a teacher. Panwar said his father’s monthly salary at the time was only Rs 1,400, while his school fees were much higher. He also said that his father sometimes had to borrow money from people to pay for his education.Vikas’s father, Chater Singh Panwar, is now a principal at a government school in Delhi. News18 reported that he had been serving in Himachal Pradesh until 2023 before moving to Delhi. For Panwar, his father’s contribution was much bigger than simply providing for the family.When asked about his idol, Panwar said his father was not his idol because he could never become like him. For him, his father was “even more” than an idol.
The young reader with thousands of books
Panwar’s interest in studies was not limited to classroom education. According to various media, he has a personal collection of thousands of books. His strong interest in reading was also evident during his KBC appearance, where he spoke about his academic journey and his family.
He won Rs 50 lakh on KBC before his UPSC result
Panwar appeared on the 17th season of Kaun Banega Crorepati in November 2025.
He went on to win Rs 50 lakh on the show. He stopped playing when he reached the Rs 1 crore question because he was not confident about the answer. After he quit, however, host Amitabh Bachchan asked him what he thought the answer was. Panwar chose Neville Chamberlain. That turned out to be the correct answer.The question asked which army officer, sharing a name with a former British prime minister, was often credited with the invention of snooker in Jabalpur. The options included Neville Chamberlain, Winston Churchill, Alec Douglas-Home and Harold Macmillan.Panwar therefore left the show with Rs 50 lakh, despite not attempting the Rs 1 crore question.
Cleared UPSC at the age of 22
Panwar’s television appearance was only one part of his academic journey. He subsequently prepared for the civil services examination with Political Science and International Relations as his optional subject. His final UPSC score was 988 out of 2025. He secured 787 marks in the written examination and 201 marks in the personality test, placing him at AIR 159. Panwar cleared the examination in his first attempt, at the age of 22.
