Delhi Police head constable Ram Bhajan Kumar always wanted to be an IPS officer since he has great attachment to the uniform. However, his wish would remain unfulfilled as he couldn’t qualify Prelims 2023. The tough CSAT paper abruptly halted his march. This was his ninth and last attempt. So, the journey ends here.
But, another new and equally prestigious journey awaits him. He has cracked UPSC CSE 2022 with the all India rank 667, and is now looking forward to joining Indian Revenue Service (IRS). His last posting in Delhi Police was at the cyber crime unit in the south district.
Ram Bhajan Kumar passed Civil Services Exam in Hindi medium. In an exclusive conversation, he shared his difficult UPSC journey with Indian Masterminds.
PARENTS DAILY WAGE LABOURERS
To change the “majdoor” (read labour class) and “majboor” (read desperate) situation at home, Ram Bhajan joined Delhi Police as a constable in 2009. He had studied in a government school in a small village called Bapi in Dausa district of Rajasthan. He did his graduation and post-graduation from Rajasthan University after joining Delhi Police. In the service, he was greatly inspired by the senior police officers, some of who were from the IPS. He enquired and found out how to become one. He gave Rajasthan Civil Services exam three times and failed all times. However, in 2011, he could crack the all India JRF (Junior Research Fellow) exam. This gave him much confidence, and from 2015, he started his UPSC journey.
CLEARED CSE IN HINDI MEDIUM
He appeared for UPSC CSE in Hindi medium. Seven times he failed. But, in his eight and penultimate attempt, he cleared it with AIR 667. Referring to his preparation, he admits it was very difficult. The not-so-easy availability of books in Hindi was one of the hurdles he faced. So, he decided to tackle it by studying in English and writing in Hindi. “I laid stress on understanding, not on memorising. The output that came out of thorough understanding of the subject made it easier for me to write,” Ram Bhajan explained.
PREPARATION FOR UPSC
His optional was Hindi Literature. Besides the books, he also made it a habit to read Hindi magazines. He gave 40 tests and did a lot of answer-writing practice (2000 pages). He studied Laxmikant, NCERTs and Spectrum (Hindi).
In 2015, he had joined Civil Service Chronical Coaching for a six-months period, borrowing money from his mother’s savings, as he could not afford it with his then Rs 15000 salary. But, he had to forego the last month of coaching because of duty shift. Earlier, he was on night duty and attended classes during the day.
BALANCING DUTY AND STUDY
To waste less time on travelling, Ram Bhajan would take up a room near his posting. He studied around 8 hours daily, either during the day or night, depending on his duty. “I made viable targets to balance work and study. I used to get very tired, but that helped me to value time more,” he said. He made it a point to squeeze in around six hours of sleep daily to get rest.
He also trained himself to muti-task, something he became adept in. “I learned to balance between my family, job and study,” he said. He was already married with two children by this time. He married Anjali Kumari in 2012 and helped her to become a graduate. “It is very important for both the spouses to be on an equal level“, he said.
He credits his success to his wife and two children. “They all contributed to my success. They never complained about getting less of my time. It was a joint struggle and we all won,” he said. It was the thought of the sacrifices of his family that pushed him harder, as he felt that their sacrifices should not go in vain. “How can I let them down?”
DID 7 FAILED ATTEMPTS DEMOTIVATE HIM?
“No, not all. I get disheartened only when I cannot identify my mistakes. I got inspired every time I could identify the mistakes I made in the exams,” was his reply. After every attempt, he analysed his mistakes, and focussed on building on his weak points. “I think you fail only when you stop trying,” he said. This mindset kept him going till his successful eight attempt.
QUESTIONS HE WAS ASKED IN INTERVIEW
Sixty per cent of the questions were on his police job, like tackling cyber crimes, why policemen often sleep on duty, and why crimes against women are increasing. The last question was asked by a woman panelist, but his answer floored all the panelists.
His reply was: “Our very focus is wrong. It is women centric, whereas we should focus on the men and give them good sanskar (values) from childhood so that they grow up learning to respect women.” As for the women, he said the focus should be on training them to become both physically and mentally strong. “Mentally, so that they learn to recognise the threats around them, and physically, so that they can tackle the danger on their own,” he explained.
HELPFUL TIPS FOR HINDI ASPIRANTS
Nine UPSC attempts and a tough life have matured Ram Bhajan beyond his 34 years on this earth. The first and foremost advice he would like to give to Hindi medium aspirants is to focus on the basic syllabus and limit the resources. “Instead of many books on one subject, stick to one book and do thorough study many times,” he said.
The first graduate from his family and, now, the first civil servant too, Ram Bhajan Kumar has another advice, and this one is for all UPSC aspirants: “Never lose heart. Poori jaan laga do (give your all), as if it is your last attempt!”
