Cracking Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination is by no means an easy task for anyone, but it was more difficult for Mr. Jayant Mankale because he was visually impaired. He lost up to 75 percent of his eyesight due to a disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa. But this disability notwithstanding, he made it to Indian Administrative Service (IAS), proving yet again that with grit and determination, one can overcome all obstacles in life and reach one’s goal.
EARLY STRUGGLES
When the struggle is big, happiness is double. Mr. Mankale had to struggle with disability and financial constraints to reach where he is today – a Gujarat cadre IAS officer.
The 27-year-old officer from Maharashtra worked as a maintenance engineer in a private firm before cracking the UPSC examination. He lost his father, a water pump operator, at the age of 10. Since then, his mother and two elder sisters shouldered the responsibility of his education. His mother started making pickles to run the household, while he started doing private jobs to earn extra income.
CRACKING UPSC
In 2015, he became 75 percent blind while working in a private firm. “But I just lost my eyesight, not the light of life”, the officer said. A young Mankale decided to appear for the UPSC examination in Marathi. He could not afford audiobooks and screen readers. But, as it’s said, where there is a will, there is a way. He made All India Radio, Lok Sabha, and Rajya Sabha TV his tools of education. Listening to news, lectures, and speeches became a daily ritual.
In 2018, he cleared UPSC. His all-India rank was 923, but due to some rule, he could not get a posting. This was a huge setback for him, but he did not give up and started preparing for UPSC again. “If we are determined to achieve something, then we are ready to cross all hurdles that come in our way,” he said.
LIVING OUT HIS IAS DREAM
He started working on Plan B now. He took the all-India bank exam and got selected. But his dream to get into civil services remained and he kept working towards it. Finally, in 2019, he got selected for IAS after clearing UPSC (AIR 143) and was posted in the Gujarat cadre. Since then, he has made this state his home and has been living out his IAS dream here.
IAS officer Jayant Mankale has proved that if you dare to dream big, you can make it come true, too!
