Kanika Goyal, hailing from a humble family, nurtured the ambition of becoming an IAS officer since her early years. She is the only child of Lakhmi Chand Goyal and Neelam Goyal, residing in a joint family in Kaithal, where her father manages a Kariyana store. Kanika shared that this was her second attempt, as she did not clear the interview in her initial try.