Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Four candidates from the state who have cleared the Civil Services Examination, the results of which were announced on Tuesday, come from humble backgrounds. Their parents had limited resources and they did not study in top institutions like the IITs and AIIMS. The father of one drives an auto rickshaw and another works in a mine as labourer. The two others are sons of a farmer and a factory employee respectively. And all the four come from the deprived sections of society.
Bharti Sahu with her parents |
Ate less to save money
Bharti, who is from Bhopal, is daughter of an autorickshaw driver. Her mother is a homemaker. Her brother drives an Ola cab while one of her four sisters is a school teacher.
Belonging to OBC, she started preparing for UPSC Civil Services Examination in 2017, immediately after her graduation in computer science. “I decided to go for UPSC examination as I had seen my family struggle and I wanted to ensure a smooth life for them,” she said. “When I was in Delhi for a year on state government scholarship, I used to buy half tiffin to save money, as full tiffin cost more,” she says. Bharti who tudied in Hindi medium school gives credit for her success to parents, teachers and friends. Yoga and meditation were her stress busters.
-Bharti Sahu, AIR 850
Neeraj Songara with his parents |
Father lost work during
Covid Neeraj who lives in Bhopal and belongs to SC category cleared the exam in sixth attempt. His father works in a factory that produces school bags and her mother is a homemaker.
The Covid years were especially challenging. “Schools were shut and there was no demand for school bags and that meant a drastic fall in my father’s income,” he recalled. After completing his schooling from Bhopal, he did BCA from AISECT and MA in history from IGNOU. He also attended a coaching class in Delhi for a year on a MP government scholarship. In Delhi, he taught at a coaching institute to earn money. Hope for the best, be ready for the worst is his success mantra. He used to bust stress by talking to his friends.
-Neeraj Songara , AIR 964
Kuldeep Patel with his father |
Less outings, less eating out
Kuldeep, who belongs to OBC category and is native of Rajaura village in Chhatarpur district, is son of a farmer who owns 3.25 hectares of land and a shop. His mother is a homemaker and has three sisters. “Living in a village meant no guidance,” he says. He did BA in political science and philosophy from Hansraj College in Delhi.
“While staying in Delhi, I ensured that my expenses were minimal. Less outing, less eating out,” he says. Kuldeep got the idea of joining civil services after hearing his grandfather praise Radheshyam Julania who was Chhatarpur district collector. Be honest in whatever you do is his success mantra. He beat stress by talking to parents and friends.
- Kuldeep Patel, AIR 181
Labourer’s daughter is civil servant
Payal, the daughter of a labourer Maneshwar Gwalwanshi who works in a mine in Terodi area in Balaghat, cracked the examination in fourth attempt. Her mother Meera Gwalwanshi was a school teacher. In February, Payal was selected as an agriculture extension officer. Her brother is a junior engineer in railways. She received primary education in Tirodi. She did BTech from JNTV in Jabalpur. Payal says she knows the difficulties her parents faced to raise her along with her brother and sister. So, she decided to crack the UPSC examination.
Payal Gwalwanshi, AIR 913
