https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

An IAS Officer Who Came From an Orphanage

Fighting back with strength and determination. This is what young Abdul Nasar did- after spending 13 years in an orphanage of Kerala.
abdul-nasar
Indian Masterminds Stories

Every year with the announcement of the UPSC result, many stories emerge which depict the real struggle of aspirants, not only while appearing for the exam but also about what they experienced in the early stage of their life. This is the story of an IAS officer from Kerala cadre who was orphaned at the age of five, spent many years in an orphanage, and is now serving as a District Collector in Kollam, Kerala.

Mr. Bayyil Abdul Nasar, a native of Thalassery, Kerala was just five, when his father passed away and it became quite impossible for his mother to bear the responsibility of her six children. But she always wanted to provide her children with good education for a bright future, therefore, she started working in the various households to bear the basic expense of the family.

Being a single parent, the responsibility of feeding six children was becoming quite difficult for Manhumma (his mother), therefore after consulting with the relatives, she decided to send her youngest, Abdul, to a local orphanage named Darussalam in Thalassery.

Mr. Abdul Nasar while speaking with the media, said “We were dealing with extreme poverty. My mother was the only one who was earning in the family. It was a very tough time and `Amma’ (mother) was the biggest support system of the family.”

Stayed In Orphanage For 13 Years

Mr. Abdul Nasar had an unlikely childhood, as he did not receive a loving and caring environment. At such an early age he saw his mother struggling to provide food to him and his siblings for survival. However, Kerala’s community-based orphanage system helped him to overcome all the difficulties for a period of 13 years until he turned 17 years old, by providing him with education, food, and shelter.

Darussalam Orphanage in Thalassery (Photo Courtesy: darussalamacademy.weebly.com)

Initially, he was not inclined towards studies. At times, missing his mother and siblings, ran away from the orphanage a few times. But every time he ran out, he used to remember that his mother would get worried after knowing that he ran away from the orphanage. So, he used to return.

Watching his mother working endlessly for the family, he also found places to work wherever he traveled in Kerala. “Being a 10-year-old at that time, hotel jobs were easily available. I have also experienced working as a supplier and a cleaner at various hotels”, he recalled.

IAS Officer Amitabh Kant Ignited The Spark

When Mr. Nasar was studying in upper primary orphanage-run school, Niti Aayog CEO, Mr. Amitabh Kant, who was posted as a sub-collector at that time, visited the orphanage. Watching such a young IAS officer, Mr. Nasar started dreaming to become a district collector one day.

Amitabh Kant while serving as the district collector in Kerala (Photo Courtesy: Social Media)

After a few years, he completed his SSLC (class 10) and was transferred to another reputed orphanage for further studies. After shifting to Vatanapally Orphanage in Thrissur, he completed his class 12 studies.

Soon after getting over with his school studies, he joined a job-oriented course of Health Inspector Diploma in Bangalore, as he was facing a family burden in pursuing higher studies. However, after that, he went back to his native place to pursue graduation and post-graduation in English Literature.

Even while studying BA in English Literature, he continued to earn, giving tuitions to students, working as a telephone operator, and even by delivering newspapers!

The First Government job

In 1994, Mr. Nasar got his first Government job, as a health inspector in the Kerala Health Department. After one year of service in the health department, he went back to his native place to work as an upper primary teacher, but he returned to the earlier job soon.

 Aiming to become a collector, he applied to the Kerala State Civil Service Executive (deputy collector) post and started preparing for it, while working as a health inspector. However, he took leave from the services as his wife M K Ruksana came in support of him. Ruksana took the responsibility of taking care of the family, as she was working as a school teacher.

IAS officer B Abdul Nasar with family (Photo Courtesy: Social Media)

Mr. Nasar was highly dedicated towards clearing the state level civil services exam and went to various places for the preparation. He sat for the prelim’s exam in 2002 and for the mains exam in 2004. He was among the few aspirants who were called for the interview round. And in 2006, he got selected for Kerala State Civil Service and was appointed as the Deputy Collector.

His vision was to become an IAS officer, and the first step to conquer the dream was already accomplished. He was named the `best Deputy Collector in Kerala’ for the year 2015.

IAS Officer B Abdul Nasar (Photo Courtesy: Social Media)

It was in October 2017, when the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension issued an order regarding the elevation of Mr. Abdul Nasar to the rank of an IAS officer.

He worked as Housing Commissioner to Government of Kerala before he was appointed as the District Collector of Kollum, Kerala, in July 2019.

IAS Officer B Abdul Nasar (Photo Courtesy: Social Media)

The sheer hard work and dedication of Mr. Nasar have been applauded by many, and his story of becoming an IAS officer after living for 13 years in an orphanage is admired by several young civil services aspirants.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Haryana gov resized
Haryana Set to Promote Two IPS Officers to Director General of Police
Complaint
Complaint Filed Against Senior IPS Officer for Sending Inappropriate Messages
Jammu and Kashmir Government
Three IAS Officers Assigned New Postings in J&K; Check Names Here
IAS Officers Indian Administrative Services
Senior IAS Officer Rajendra Ratnoo Opts for Voluntary Retirement
SEBI
SEBI Appoints 3 New Executive Directors: Amit Pradhan, Avneesh Pandey & Sanjay Purao Take Charge
Lateral_entry_resized
No Reservation in Lateral Govt Job Entries, Centre Tells Rajya Sabha Citing Single-Post Rule
DelhiPolice
Top-Level Shake-Up in Delhi Police: 3 IPS Officers Reassigned Amid Security Concerns; Chahal Named DG, Civil Defence
mp
MP’s ₹3 Lakh Crore Infrastructure Boom: 255 km Greenfield Highway, ₹5,500 Cr Tiger Corridor Among Key Road Projects
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
Resisted Flawed Schemes, Transferred Thrice In Three Months, Found Solace In Writing
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
IAS SVR Srinivas on Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Tough Calls, and the Real Power of IAS Officers | Video Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
Dharavi Redevelopment: IAS Minds Turning 100-Year-Old Slum into a Modern City | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Minnu P M
“Lazy, Sleepy, Yet Determined”: Minnu P M’s Honest Take on Cracking UPSC
Minnu PM, once a clerk in Kerala Police, cleared UPSC with AIR 150 after five years of struggle. Her...
IPS Ashish Tiwari
From IIT and Investment Banking to Public Service, Meet IPS Ashish Tiwari 
Ashish Tiwari, IIT graduate and former investment banker, chose public service over global finance. As...
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-12 at 7.27
First Attempt IRS, Fourth Attempt IPS: The Relentless Pursuit of Jitendra Kumar Yadav Who Cracked UPSC 3 Times
IPS Yadav is originally from Chhattisgarh. He was first selected for the IRS through UPSC and later for...
Social Media
Masahiro Hara
From Go Board to Global Use, How QR Codes Changed the World: IRAS Officer Ananth Rupanagudi Spotlights Masahiro Hara’s Vision
IRAS officer Ananth Rupanagudi shared a video on Masahiro Hara, the inventor of QR codes, highlighting...
IFS Susanta Nanda Video
A Mother’s Duty: Tigress Watches Over Cubs Splashing in Waterhole — Heartwarming Video Shared By Retd. IFS Officer Susanta Nanda
A tender wildlife video shared by Retd. IFS officer Susanta Nanda shows a tigress keeping watch over...
Mohanmala
Kaziranga Mourns: Beloved Elephant Mohanmala Passes Away After Five Decades of Service
Kaziranga National Park mourns the loss of Mohanmala, a beloved elephant who served over 50 years as...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Puducherry
Scientific, Strategic, and Sustainable: How Dr Arulrajan is Transforming Puducherry’s Ecology
Haryana gov resized
Haryana Set to Promote Two IPS Officers to Director General of Police
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT