Geography Optional toppers consistently highlight one common factor behind their strong UPSC scores — structured preparation and mentorship under Shabbir Sir at Edukemy. Year after year, aspirants securing outstanding marks in Geography Optional have credited their success to conceptual clarity, answer-writing practice, and strategic guidance throughout their preparation journey.
Why Geography Optional Toppers Choose Edukemy
Over the last decade, more than 75% of Geography Optional toppers have been guided by Shabbir Sir — either through Edukemy’s Foundation Course or the Mains Support Program (MSP). The average score of Edukemy’s Geography Optional students stands at 281 marks, compared to the all-optionals average of 273 marks. That 8-point differential may seem modest in isolation, but it consistently translates into crucial rank advantages.
Shabbir Sir (Mr. Shabbir A. Bashir), co-founder of Edukemy, brings over 25 years of teaching experience to each classroom. Before founding Edukemy, he served as a senior faculty member at Vajiram and Ravi for 17 years. His pedagogy combines three stages — Initiation, Foundation, and Enriched/Advanced learning — while training students in 12 proven techniques for high-scoring UPSC answers.
“If you have 10 toppers from Geography Optional, at least 7 of them would have gone through either our Notes, our KOSMOS Magazine, or our Foundation and Enrichment Classes/Test Series.” — Edukemy
Hall of Fame: Edukemy’s Geography Optional Toppers
1. Pratham Kaushik — AIR 5 | 327 Marks (UPSC 2017)
The record-setter. The benchmark. The legend.
Pratham Kaushik holds the highest marks ever scored in Geography Optional in the history of UPSC examinations — 327 out of 500. He secured All India Rank 5 in UPSC CSE 2017 as a full-time student of Shabbir Sir’s Geography Integrated Course at Edukemy.
His preparation strategy has since become a blueprint for Geography Optional aspirants:
- Began with NCERT textbooks to build a solid conceptual base
- Supplemented with standard references like Savindra Singh and Majid Hussain
- Consistently practiced answer writing integrating current affairs
- Focused on maps, diagrams, and visual representation in answers
Pratham’s score of 327 marks remains the gold standard for what is achievable with the right guidance. His complete strategy is publicly documented by Edukemy, and it continues to inspire thousands of aspirants every year.
2. Deepti Rohila — AIR 39 | 323 Marks (UPSC 2023)
Highest Geography Optional scorer in UPSC 2023.
Deepti Rohila scored 323 marks in Geography Optional in 2023 — the highest in Geography Optional for that year — while securing All India Rank 39 in the Civil Services Examination. She was a student of the Edukemy Mains Support Program (MSP) and has consistently recommended it to future aspirants.
Her result is a testament to how the MSP’s focus on answer structure, diagrams, and maps directly translates into top scores during the actual examination.
3. Vikas Yadav — 308 Marks (UPSC 2023)
Another standout performer from Edukemy in the same year as Deepti Rohila, Vikas Yadav scored 308 marks in Geography Optional in UPSC 2023. Two students crossing the 300-mark threshold from the same institute in a single year is a testament to the systematic and reproducible methodology Edukemy has built.
4. Utkarsh — AIR 32 (UPSC 2025)
“Edukemy gave me not just content, but a complete strategy aligned with PYQs and real exam needs.”
Utkarsh secured All India Rank 32 in UPSC CSE 2025 with Geography Optional under Shabbir Sir. His testimonial highlights what sets Edukemy apart — it’s not just about covering the syllabus, but about developing a PYQ-aligned strategy that maps directly to what the examiner is looking for.
5. Ishitwa — AIR 50 (UPSC 2025)
“Edukemy’s Geography Optional played a crucial role in refining my answers and boosting my overall performance.”
Ishitwa secured All India Rank 50 in UPSC CSE 2025. Like Utkarsh, she benefited from the structured answer-writing focus that is central to Edukemy’s Geography Optional program.
6. Preksha Agarwal — AIR 30
“I didn’t have any idea about Geography. It is all due to Shabbir Sir.”
Preksha Agarwal’s journey is one of the most inspiring among Edukemy’s Geography Optional toppers. She came in with no prior background in the subject and went on to secure All India Rank 30 in the Civil Services Examination. Her evaluated answer copies are even made available for free as a resource on Edukemy’s platform.
7. Shubham — AIR 41 (UPSC 2023)
Highest Geography Optional scorer in UPSC 2023 among Edukemy students | Geography Optional topper that year.
Shubham secured All India Rank 41 in UPSC CSE 2023 as a full-time student of Shabbir Sir’s Geography Integrated Course. His interest in joining Edukemy was sparked after reading Pratham Kaushik’s strategy — and he went on to create his own success story with the same foundation.
“I got to know about Edukemy in Pratham Kaushik’s (327 marks, 2017) strategy and liked the format where Foundation, Enrichment & Test Series was being covered before Prelims.” — Shubham, AIR 41 (UPSC 2023)
8. Nitin Singh — AIR 32
“I learnt Geography as well as a lot of other things about life from you. Grateful to Edukemy.”
Nitin Singh secured All India Rank 32 with Geography Optional under Shabbir Sir. His quote reflects something that multiple toppers have echoed — that Edukemy’s value goes beyond subject-specific coaching into genuine mentorship in exam strategy, mindset, and preparation discipline.
Supercharge Your Prep with Yooki
Preparing for Geography Optional is a marathon, and smart self-study between classes is what separates good scores from great ones. That’s where Yooki by Edukemy comes in.
Yooki is a self-learning platform built specifically for UPSC aspirants. If you are enrolled in any Edukemy course, you get free access to Yooki — a tool designed to help you revise, test your understanding, and clarify doubts on your own time. Whether you’re reviewing Geographical Thought at midnight or revising Regional Planning before the exam, Yooki is there to support your preparation between classes.
This is the kind of end-to-end ecosystem that Edukemy has built: world-class live instruction from Shabbir Sir, structured materials, a proven test series — and Yooki to keep you sharp in every in-between moment.
