Mainpuri: Emerging victorious in the civil services examinations was a bigger deal for Suraj Tiwari, 27, than crossing seven seas. A resident of Kaswa Kuravli in Mainpuri district, Tiwari, who secured 917th rank in the civil service examinations, has disability in both his legs and one hand. His success is a great moment of happiness for his family and town.
Suraj met with an accident in 2017
While returning from his college in New Delhi, Suraj met with an accident at a railway station on January 29, 2017 and lost both his legs from above the knee and his right hand near just below the elbow, leaving him bed-ridden and completely dependent on his family members.
The tragedy not only took away his ability to walk and write, it also pushed him to depression. His family members said it was the darkest phase for them. But Suraj knew that hard work is the only silver lining for him to shine again.
He began prep for UPSC in the midst of pandemic
Suraj did his graduation and is now pursuing MA in Russian from Jawaharlal Nehru University. This renewed the flicker of hope in him but Suraj decided he would shine brighter.
Suraj began preparing for one of the toughest exams amidst the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic. He cleared the written exam of UPSC in his first attempt but fell short by a few marks for the interview. In his second attempt, he cracked the exam.
Family elated with Suraj's success
His family and friends have not stopped celebrating his success ever since the results were announced.
"I am very happy today, my son has made me proud. He is very brave. His three fingers are enough to succeed," Suraj's father Ramesh Kumar was quoted saying by news agency ANI.
Meanwhile, his mother Asha Devi says that her son is very "brave". She said, "Suraj never gave up and worked harder to succeed in his life. He always asks his younger siblings to do hard work."
