Gaurav Singh Sogarwal’s father had always wanted him to become an IAS officer. But when he did become one, his father was not there to see it as he had passed away by then.
Astronaut Walter M. Schirra Jr once said, “You don’t raise heroes, you raise sons, and if you treat them like sons, they’ll turn out to be heroes, even if it’s just in your eyes.” This seems true in the case of Sogarwal’s father. He raised a son who fulfilled his dream by entering IAS. And the son is not only a successful IAS officer today, but also a hero and inspiration for many like him who grow up as orphans and have to struggle their way up towards success.
Indian Masterminds brings to you the true-life story of IAS officer Gaurav Singh Sogarwal, whose determination to beat all odds to crack UPSC and become a civil servant inspires so many to follow their dreams, come what may.
He cleared UPSC exam twice. In 2015, he got AIR 99 and was allotted IPS. In 2016, he secured AIR 46 to finally get IAS, his chosen service. Currently, he is posted as Chief Development Officer in Uttar Pradesh’ Maharajganj district.
EARLY LIFE
Sogarwal comes from Bharatpur district in Rajasthan. Two events during his childhood changed his life forever. In 1991, he lost his mother at the tender age of 3 and, thereafter, was raised by his stepmother and father, a teacher in a local school. In 2002, when he was 14 years old and studying in 10th standard, his father also passed away. It was a very difficult time for him as he had to now shoulder great responsibilities, all by himself.
He started working in the family’s small farm. His day would start at 5 in the morning, as after doing farm work, he had to go to school. He also gave tuitions to children to earn some extra money to run the household and meet his education expenses.
He was studying at a local Hindi medium school that time. After passing out from here, he went to Pune’s Bharati Vidyapeeth to study Electrical Engineering.
Sogarwal says, “The values my parents inculcated in me helped me to come out of that situation and fight the circumstances strongly. My father was my inspiration. It was his dream that I should prepare for civil services. He used to say that if you want to do something better for society, then, first of all, you have to be in a position from where you can take important decisions.”
START OF A DREAM
After getting his engineering degree, he moved to Delhi to prepare for UPSC. It was a struggle as his financial situation was not good. So first, he joined a coaching academy as a teacher to raise the required funds. He also started visiting UPSC coaching hubs like Mukherjee Nagar and Rajinder Nagar regularly, where he made many friends.
Around this time, he got an offer to teach at a reputed coaching institute in Kota with a good annual pay package. He took it up and his financial constraints eased a little. While on this job for two years, he managed to get his sister married off and make his brother an MBA from a reputed institution.
UPSC PREPARATION
After successfully discharging his family responsibilities and saving some money, in 2012, he went back to preparing for his true calling, civil service. His choice for optional was Sanskrit literature. As his schooling was in Hindi medium, he wrote his mains exam in Hindi. But he used to read English newspapers regularly, especially The Hindu and Indian Express, and make short notes.
He says, “For UPSC preparation, candidate should remember a few things clearly. Never ever buy cheap books and materials available in the market. They will trap you for mistakes. If you have English problems, then learn and improve. You can take help from good YouTube channels for preparation. Focus on basics and then use Internet to update that information.”
In 2014, he got selected to BSF as an Assistant Commandant, but could not join the training session as his UPSC-2015 interview was scheduled. Somehow, he got extension but could not reach on time. Finally, he sought help from DG BSF in Delhi, and had just managed to join the training, when he got the news about his final selection in UPSC-2018 with AIR 99..
INTERVIEW
For the interview round, Sogarwal says that mock tests are very helpful. He says, “I prepared my DAF (Detailed Application Form before Interview) with the help of Internet and friends. DAF is the most important document because around 70% questions will be based on it. So be careful while filling it. I attended many mock interviews too, and trust me, they were really helpful.”
AFTER BECOMING IAS
After becoming an IAS officer, Sogarwal started prioritizing works that directly affect the common man. As Gorakhpur Sadar SDM, he started ‘Gorakhpur Pahal’, whereby he removed encroachment from about 80 acres in the city and 350 acres in rural areas of government land.
When the pandemic hit, he started nine online delivery portals on his own so that essential services like ration, vegetables, milk etc., could reach people’s homes on time amid the lockdown. He did not levy any delivery charges. His work was appreciated even by the PMO.
Sogarwal is married to IAS Anuj Malik, who is posted as CDO in Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh.
Gaurav Singh Sogarwal’s life journey so far proves that if a person has the passion to achieve big in life and the determination to pursue that passion, then nothing can stop him from reaching his goal.
