https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

A Paan Shop Owner’s Son Is Now An IAS Officer

Rahul Gupta could be an inspiration for millions of Indian students who leave studies midway and take up menial work to support their parents and siblings. Son of a paan-shop owner, Gupta didn’t only clear the UPSC but also got the most coveted IAS.
Indian Masterminds Stories

It takes tons of determination, dedication and efforts to clear the ‘mother of all examinations’ – UPSC. One stays away from family and celebrations to clear it. The struggle multiplies when the candidate has to survive on a shoe-string budget.

Hailing from the small town of Sivasagar in Assam, he cleared the UPSC examination in his third attempt, gaining an All India Rank of 286 in CSE-2018. His father Mr. Om Prakash Gupta runs a small paan shop in the district. In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, he opened up about his struggles and how he finally achieved his dream.

IAS Rahul Gupta made his family proud

FAILING IN THE MASTERS BEFORE CLEARING LAST HURDLE

Mr. Gupta completed his Masters in Development Studies from the prestigious Jawahar Lal Nehru University, New Delhi in 2019. Most of his friends and batch mates were preparing for Civil Services at the time, which also motivated him into going for it. His uncle helped him with the preparation too. He took a few years off and decided of getting into Law, which he couldn’t. After three unsuccessful attempts at UPSC, he was finally able to clear it in 2019, making his family proud.

Recalling his days of preparation, he remembers studying along with his group of friends who were all preparing for the examination.

Mr. Gupta’s friends motivated him to start from scratch after failing his Masters

“In 2017, I couldn’t even clear my prelims. It was a shocking year as I even failed my master’s exam in the same year. I had to leave the hostel and hit rock bottom. My friends motivated me to start from scratch and after taking a month off; I started with my preparation again” he told Indian Masterminds.

SURVIVING ON BORROWED MONEY

One of the major challenges that Mr. Gupta had to face was being financially critical. “My parents did not understand the concept of inflation and kept on sending me the same amount from 2011 to 2018. Perforce, I started borrowing from my friends, which I am still repaying,” he chuckled.

Mr. Gupta and four of his friends crammed into one little flat due to a minimal budget, which made studying difficult. To prepare in peace, they joined a library which not only helped them with their learning but also reduced their electricity bill as they only went back home to sleep.

Mr. Gupta along with his roommates when he lived in a small flat in Delhi

“To save money on water, we carried huge water bottles to the library and filled them with water and stored it. So we didn’t need water or electricity, thereby cutting down our expenses by a lot. You have to be jugaadu when you’re living outside and your family doesn’t understand the concept of inflation” he laughed.

A FAKE STORY

Recently on leave, while he was just sitting and looking after his father’s shop in his absence, he caught the eye of a reporter who went ahead and published a report ‘how he left his job as an IAS to help in his father’s shop’.

But he told Indian Masterminds, that this wasn’t the case. “That was my father’s shop and I was just sitting there. The reporter cooked up the entire story. When my father didn’t allow me to run the shop by abdicating studies, why would he do so now,” he asks.

Mr. Gupta with his family

PAAN SHOP TO CONTINUE

Being the eldest of his siblings, he helps with their education through his salary and his father takes care of the other things through the money he earns from the little paan shop. “We are a big family. Before I got into the service, all the things were functioning in a particular way. The revenue coming from the shop went to all the children in the family. My father wouldn’t stop just because I have started earning. I can take care of some of my siblings but I don’t think he wishes to retire anytime, soon.”

His father’s paan shop

JNU – A BLISS FOR THOSE WITH FINANCIAL CRUNCH

Currently undergoing training in Guwahati, he considers himself lucky to have gotten into JNU as the rooms there were pretty low on cost and the competitive environment of the place helped him in preparing well for the examination.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
Devendra Kumar Tiwari Alka Tiwari  IAS Jharkhand
First IAS Couple in India to Hold Both Chief Secretary & State Election Commissioner Posts Consecutively - Know This Powerful Pair
Policing, Trust, and Investment: Insights from IPF - Indian Masterminds
Indian Police Foundation Marks 10 Years, Discussion on How Policing Builds Investor Confidence
Madhya Pradesh football training
Mini Brazil to Germany: Vicharpur’s Young Footballers Get CM Mohan Yadav’s Blessings on Vijayadashami Week
bureaucracy news
Centre Announces Key Bureaucratic Appointments & Deputation Extensions: Neeraj Surendran, Arun G, Anand Mohan Among Key Names
PM Modi CM Nitish Kumar
Bihar Receives Rs. 10,219 Crore from Centre: A Festive Gift On Vijayadashami to Fuel Development & Welfare, Backed by GST Reforms
Chhattisgarh government
Chhattisgarh CM Charts Development Roadmap: Push for Capital Expenditure, Biometric Attendance, & Transparent Governance
Vishnu Deo Sai CM
Chhattisgarh Gets Rs. 3,462 Crore Boost from Modi Government: Here's How CM Sai Pledges To Spend It!
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
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
Devendra Kumar Tiwari Alka Tiwari  IAS Jharkhand
First IAS Couple in India to Hold Both Chief Secretary & State Election Commissioner Posts Consecutively - Know This Powerful Pair
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Siddhartha Saxena UPSC CAPF
Dr. S.K
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT