https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Wanted To Be A Scrap Dealer In Childhood, says IAS Deepak Rawat

Indian Masterminds Stories

Kumaon Commissioner Mr Deepak Rawat is a local boy – born and brought up in Barlowganj, Mussoorie. Like every other child, Mr. Rawat dreamt of many things. Someday he wanted to be a doctor and another day an astronaut. There also was a phase when he fancied becoming a scrap dealer. 

In a free-wheeling conversation with Indian Masterminds, he said, “I must be four years old as I was not going to school. I was exposed to very few jobs in the surroundings. I was fascinated with the old & unused things. So, whenever anybody asked me about my future, I would tell them that I will become a scrap dealer.”

He completed his schooling at St George’s College and graduated from Hansraj College, Delhi University (DU). He did post-graduation in Political Science and MPhil from Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU).

COULDN’T STUDY 18 HOURS A DAY

Although he was raised in Mussoorie, only a stone’s throw distance from Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), where all civil servants are trained, he didn’t have any idea about UPSC CSE till his 12th grade. It was when he enrolled in Delhi University and he found most students preparing for UPSC that he got vaguely started to know what the elite services. 

He also used to look up to his neighbour Mr. Anil Raturi, who later rose to become the DGP of Uttarakhand. He was inspired by Mr Raturi’s work. That is when he decided to try for UPSC. 

He, however, didn’t prepare seriously for the exams till he went to JNU for his Masters. “I never had an appetite for studying for 18 hours,” he says adding during graduation his total energy went in doing his classes and giving exams.

It was in the JNU that he saw everyone preparing for the UPSC. He also wanted to do that but the problem was that he can’t study for too long. “So, I waited till my second year of PG and then started preparing. However, even for preparation I only studied for 4-5 hours a day”, said Mr Rawat.

He failed in the first two attempts and in the third one he got IRS (Customs and Excise). Like everybody, he too wanted to get into the IAS or IPS, but to utilize his time meaningfully, he joined the foundation course and went to Faridabad for the services training. 

ONLY THREE DAYS TO PREPARE 

As part of the training, he had to go to Bangalore in 2006. While he was staying at the guest house there, a popular actor of Karnataka Dr. Rajkumar died and everything was shut down for three days. There was nothing to do and prelims were almost on the head.

Mr. Rawat used those three days to prepare for the exam and luckily cracked it. “Again for the Mains, I got only 60 days to study. So, I studied 20 days each for my optionals which were Philosophy and Political Science. Another 20 days was for General Science”, said Mr. Rawat. He cracked the exam and joined IAS in 2007. 

Sharing an interesting story about his optional, he said, “I used to consider myself brilliant (laughs). So, I had chosen History as an optional for Prelims and Philosophy & political science for Mains.”

LOVE TO EXPLORE UNKNOWN PLACES 

Mr. Rawat also had a backup plan if he wasn’t successful in UPSC CSE. He wanted to become a journalist. Now, he is satisfied with his job and loves to explore hidden places in the country. The officer who also enjoys singing old & folk songs in his free time likes to know about unknown places of great cultural, religious & historical importance. He also enjoys visiting jungles and roaming around the mountains and calls it peace therapy for him.   


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
IAS Officers Indian Administrative Services
Controversies Lead to Transfer of 8 Out of 24 IAS Officers in Madhya Pradesh; Key Collectors Removed Following Disputes with Legislators
ACC_Appointments Committee of Cabinet
Senior Bureaucratic Movements Cleared by ACC: Repatriations, Curtailments, and Extensions Notified
shastri-bhawan
CSS Forum Backs Officer Deepak Khoda After Suicide Attempt Over Alleged Workplace Harassment by IAS; Demands High-Level Probe in Letter to Minister
Gandhinagar: Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R
14 Million Seedlings and Counting: Gujarat’s Centres of Excellence Drive Horticulture Innovation with Global Backing
Siyan Gudis old age homes Chhattisgarh
CM Sai Announces 'Siyan Gudis' for Elderly in 4 Chhattisgarh Cities, Launches Welfare Measures on International Day of Older Persons
Sardar Patel 150th birth anniversary celebrations
Gujarat CM Reviews National Unity Day Arrangements Ahead of Sardar Patel’s 150th Birth Anniversary at Sardar Sarovar Dam
Pushkar Singh Dhami CM
Uttarakhand CM Flags Off Free Ambulance for Senior Citizens on International Day of Older Persons
KVS
Cabinet Approves 57 New Kendriya Vidyalayas Across India with ₹5862 Cr Outlay, 4600+ Jobs to Be Created
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Ravikant Meena on IFS Preparation, Optionals, and Life in Forest Service
Siddhartha Saxena UPSC CAPF
How Siddhartha Saxena Cracked UPSC CAPF AIR 326 Against All Odds
Dr. S.K
Technology Meets Ecology: IFS Dr S K Srivastava’s Game-Changing Innovations in Forest Management | Eco Warrior Awards 2025 Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar Live Interaction
From Cut-off Dates to Coaching & Reforms: UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar Assures Aspirants of Fairness, Transparency & a Future-Ready UPSC | UPSC@100
A Century of Service: The UPSC’s Landmark Year Begins. Chairman Ajay Kumar on UPSC’s Centennial: “Merit,...
Giriraj Parihar MPPSC 2024
From Constable to Deputy Collector: Giriraj Parihar’s 9-Year MPPSC Journey | Farmer’s Son, Brother to Five Sisters
From a jail guard to MPPSC 2024 Rank 8, Giriraj Parihar’s nine-year journey of self-study, hard work,...
Ankit MPPSC 2024 Rank 3
From Village Dreams to Deputy Collector’s Chair: Meet Ankit, MPPSC Rank 3 Hindi Medium Topper
Ankit, a Hindi-medium aspirant from Balaghat, secured Rank 3 in MPPSC 2024 and became Deputy Collector...
Social Media
World Rhino Day India
On World Rhino Day, IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan Shares Rare Insights - India Now Hosts 80% of the World’s One-Horned Rhinos
September 22 Marks Global Call for Rhino Conservation; India Holds 80% of World’s Greater One-Horned...
Parag Madhukar Dhakate
Relentless Rains Wreak Havoc in Dehradun: IFS officer PM Dhakate Warns Citizens Amid Flash Floods
Cloudbursts in Dehradun triggered flash floods. IFS officer Dr. PM Dhakate warned citizens to stay indoors...
Forest Guard Tiger Encounter
Tigers Clash in the Wild as Forest Guards Capture Rare Footage , Retired IFS Mohan Pargaien Posts Viral Video
Retired IFS officer Mohan Pargaien shares viral video of three tigers brawling in Ramnagar, as forest...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
IAS Officers Indian Administrative Services
Controversies Lead to Transfer of 8 Out of 24 IAS Officers in Madhya Pradesh; Key Collectors Removed Following Disputes with Legislators
ACC_Appointments Committee of Cabinet
Senior Bureaucratic Movements Cleared by ACC: Repatriations, Curtailments, and Extensions Notified
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Siddhartha Saxena UPSC CAPF
Dr. S.K
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT