https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

“I Couldn’t Even Attend My Maa’s Last Rites,” Mayur Barot

Covid stole his mother, then his memory. But fueled by a love that defied loss, a son conquers the civil service exam, a bittersweet tribute whispered on the wind.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Mayur Barot, a 34-year-old man from a quaint village in Mehsana, Gujarat, held the UPSC result sheet in his trembling hands. Tears, a bittersweet concoction of joy and sorrow, welled up in his eyes. AIR-11, the bold letters seemed to mock the countless battles he had fought to reach this point. His journey to becoming an Indian Forest Service officer wasn’t a walk in the park; it was a relentless war against poverty, loss, and his own failing memory.

ROOTED IN RURAL GUJARAT: A DREAM TAKES SEED

Born into a family where the land yielded their livelihood, Mayur’s childhood was steeped in the earthy fragrance of his father’s farm. His mother, a pillar of support, ensured his education, even with their limited means. Gujarati, the language of his village, cradled his early learning. He went on to do Engineering in Instrumentation and Control from Ahmedabad. However, Destiny, a cruel puppeteer, had other plans.

In 2021, the insidious claws of Covid-19 snatched away his mother. Mayur, who was battling the virus himself, was kept in the dark about her passing. When he emerged, weak and disoriented, from the throes of the illness, the world he knew had fractured.

“My mother passed away while I was still in the hospital suffering from COVID-19. Her final rites took place while I was on the ventilator, and I could not even attend her last rites. Nobody informed me of my maa’s passing, thus I was not even aware that she had died. When I recovered a little and was discharged from the hospital, my memory loss was already traumatic for me. The only solace was that I could go home to the embrace of my mother. But my world turned upside down when I was informed of her passing away, which had happened a few days before I got the discharge. I shattered at the moment and lost every single hope in the world,” he shared with Indian Masterminds.

THE INITIAL CLIMB: STRUGGLES AND SETBACKS

Mayur, an engineer by qualification, had toiled away in the private sector to support his family. Government exams, particularly the ones promising stability like Patwari or clerk positions, including Patwari, junior clerk exam, assistant exam, senior clerk exam, assistant tribal development officer exam, Deputy SO, and another clerk exam, were his initial targets.

He cleared a staggering seven of them, a witness to his dedication. But the yearning for something more, a purpose that resonated with his soul, nudged him towards the UPSC dream. Little did he know that this path held trials far more daunting than any exam paper.

“I joined the secretary services as Deputy SO and made several friends who were preparing for UPSC and state PSC. I decided to try my luck in state PSC and opted out of UPSC as I was very underconfident then. I prepared for the exam, gave three attempts, and failed continuously, which disheartened me a lot,” he told Indian Masterminds.

His first three attempts at the state PSC were agonizing failures. Each rejection was a blow, but nothing could have prepared him for the sucker punch of 2021.

COVID, A MERCILESS THIEF

Tragic events twice affected his life in 2021, on his fourth attempt. Mayur was placed on a ventilator by the physicians after receiving a Covid diagnosis and being in such terrible condition. His chances of survival were slim, yet his frail body refused to give up. He had six doses of the Remdesivir injection to recover quickly, but this caused him to lose his memory after the COVID-19 pandemic. He had completed all of his preparation prior to that, but he had to start over from the beginning because of memory loss and forgot everything he had learned.

The absence of his mother, a gaping hole in his life, mirrored the void in his mind – a post-Covid amnesia that threatened to erase years of dreams. COVID-19 stole not only his health but also his most ardent supporter – his mother. The grief, a suffocating weight on his chest, was compounded by the amnesia, a cruel twist of fate. Studying, a familiar comfort, became a herculean task. Every fact learned, every concept grasped, felt like building on sand.

FACING THE ABYSS: LOSS, AMNESIA, AND A STAUNCH WILL

But Mayur, a man forged in the crucible of hardship, refused to surrender. His wife, his rock throughout this ordeal, became his anchor. Together, they charted a new course. Birdwatching, a newfound passion, became his solace, a way to reconnect with nature and find peace amidst the chaos.

“My wife supported me a lot during that time. I was not able to focus on anything but the grief, but she stood by me like a rock and helped me move forward in life. I chose to divert my mind by making bird watching a hobby. I rigorously followed it and know more than 100 species by name and look, near me, today. There’s always a sense of satisfaction accompanied with bird watching,” he stated.

Geology and Forestry, his chosen optional, became his battleground. He poured his heart and soul into their study, and the memory of his mother was a constant source of strength.

The 2021 UPSC prelims were a bittersweet victory. He cleared them, but the Mains, a battlefield of emotions, proved too much to conquer. Dejected but not defeated, he took solace in a Sales Tax Officer position secured through the Gujarat PSC. Yet, the dream of the IFS flickered within him, refusing to be extinguished.

A STRATEGIC SHIFT AND RELENTLESS PURSUIT

This time, his preparation for the UPSC IFS was laser-focused. He switched to English, a strategic decision gleaned from past toppers’ experiences. Every waking moment was dedicated to the exam. The nights, alive with the rustle of leaves on his study walks and his wife’s support on the phone, were a testament to his relentless pursuit.

“Moving from Gujarati to English was tough, but I religiously read English newspapers, especially The Indian Express, on a daily basis, which helped me to improve my English. I didn’t take any classes due to time crunch and did all my preparation by myself with the help of the Internet,” he told Indian Masterminds.

VICTORY LAP: A SON’S TRIUMPH

He solely prepared for UPSC IFS in 2023 and gave it all his heart. Finally, the result arrived. AIR-11. He got one of the highest marks in Geology – 282 out of 400. The letters, stark against the white sheet, were a validation of his struggle, a proof of the unconditional love for his mother that fuelled his fight. This wasn’t just a rank; it was a victory lap, a triumphant procession past the ghosts of his past.

“I received guidance for interviews from Mahesh Bhagwat sir. I found it useful throughout the interview,” he added.

Mayur’s story is an ode to the human spirit’s indomitable will. It is a testament to the power of love, loss, and the pursuit of a dream. As he embarks on his new journey, he carries not just the weight of his achievement but also the cherished memory of his mother, the silent force behind his extraordinary triumph.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
MCL Town Hall project Patnagarh
MCL Allocates Rs 9.97 Crore for Town Hall Project in Patnagarh, Strengthening Community Infrastructure in Odisha
SAIL
SAIL Reports 53% Decline in Q2 FY26 Profit to Rs 418 Crore, Revenue Surges Amid Strong Sales Volume
Railtel
RailTel Achieves 27% Growth in Q2 FY26, Reports Rs 966 Crore Income and Announces Interim Dividend
NMDC Steel Ltd
NMDC Achieves Record-Breaking Q2 FY26 with 23% Growth in Production and 33% Increase in PAT
HPCL_logo_HIndustan Petroleum
Results: HPCL Reports 731% Surge in H1 FY26 Profit, Driven by Strong Refining & Marketing Performance
BHEL
BHEL Reports 3x Surge in Q2 Net Profit to Rs 374.89 Crore, Driven by Strong Revenue Growth of Rs 7,686.41 Crore
DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar bribery case
Bribery to Benami Assets: CBI Registers Disproportionate Assets Case Against IPS Harcharan Singh Bhullar; Massive Cash, Gold, & Property Recovered
President Droupadi Murmu Rafale flight
Historic First: At 67, President Droupadi Murmu Becomes First Indian President to Fly in Rafale Fighter Jet, Calls It an ‘Unforgettable Experience’
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Gokul S
Meet IAS Gokul S — The Officer Who Turned Disability into Determination | Video Interview 
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-23 at 10.40
Everybody Needs To Know What Is Transpiring Behind Closed Doors Of Courts
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-19 at 12.23
UPSC Journey Should Be Enjoyable, Not Cumbersome
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Gokul S
Meet IAS Gokul S — The Officer Who Turned Disability into Determination | Video Interview 
Visually impaired IAS officer Gokul S turned his challenges into change, empowering hundreds through...
Parmeshwar Chaudhary RAS
From Taunts to Triumph: How Farmer’s Son Parmeshwar Chaudhary Rose from Lab Assistant to SDM, Securing Rank 3 in RAS 2023
Parmeshwar, once taunted over his SI selection, has scripted a stunning success—securing Rank 3 in RAS...
IAS Rupal Rana UPSC
How Rupal Rana Cracked UPSC CSE 2023 with AIR 26 After Four Attempts
UPSC Topper Rupal Rana secured AIR 26 in 2023 after four attempts. Learn her preparation strategy, booklist,...
Social Media
Tenzin Yangki IPS Arunachal
Historic First: Who Is Tenzin Yangki, Arunachal Pradesh’s First Woman to Join IPS? Anand Mahindra Hails Her
She secured an impressive 545th rank in the prestigious UPSC Civil Services Examination - 2022.
IFS Parveen Kaswan
Heartbreak by the River: 15-Day-Old Elephant Calf Rejected by Mother, Rescued by IFS Parveen Kaswan and His Team
Jaldapra, West Bengal: In a moving incident that tugs at the heart, a 15-day-old elephant calf was rescued...
Ashwini Bhide IAS and Anand Mahindra
Who Is IAS Ashwini Bhide, Hailed as a Role Model for Mumbai Metro Transformation by Anand Mahindra?
From heritage to high-tech: Bhide’s leadership in Metro Line 3 earns public praise and admiration
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
MCL Town Hall project Patnagarh
MCL Allocates Rs 9.97 Crore for Town Hall Project in Patnagarh, Strengthening Community Infrastructure in Odisha
SAIL
SAIL Reports 53% Decline in Q2 FY26 Profit to Rs 418 Crore, Revenue Surges Amid Strong Sales Volume
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Gokul S
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-23 at 10.40
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-19 at 12.23
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT