In the heart of Bastar’s conflict-ridden forests, where schools lay in ruins and silence replaced laughter, a classroom came alive, not in a building, but inside a CRPF security camp. It was here that Raju Wagh, a young Assistant Commandant of the Central Reserve Police Force, began teaching tribal children amid daily threats of violence and the constant shadow of Maoist insurgency. The black flag of fear that once fluttered over the region was replaced by the tricolor, thanks to efforts led by Raju and his unit.
“When I saw children wandering aimlessly because there was no school, I decided to turn our security camp into a school. That’s where everything changed. For them and for me,” Raju shared in an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds.
This moment wasn’t just about helping others. It sparked something inside him too. Amid chalkboards and textbooks, he found the urge to revive an old dream: cracking the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
FROM VILLAGE CHALKBOARDS TO NIT NAGPUR
Raju was born and raised in Indori, a small village in Maharashtra’s Nashik district. His early education was humble. First in a Zilla Parishad school, then in Navodaya Vidyalaya. His journey from those modest beginnings took him to NIT Nagpur, where he graduated in 2014 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
His first job was with Coal India Limited as an Assistant Manager, where he worked for five years. But something didn’t feel right.
“The work was purely technical and started to feel mechanical. I kept thinking, ‘can I do something that impacts lives directly?” he recalls.
The turning point came when a local doctor from his district cleared the civil services and became an IAS officer. Inspired, Raju began studying for the UPSC, even as he continued working full-time.
CAPF AND THE FIRST BRUSH WITH BASTAR
In 2018, he cracked the CAPF examination conducted by UPSC and joined CRPF in 2019–20. His first posting? One of the toughest: the Sukma border in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, a stronghold of Maoist activity.
It wasn’t just another assignment. He and his team established a CRPF camp in a former Maoist training center, something unheard of since Independence. For the first time in 75 years, the Indian tricolor was hoisted in a place where only the black Maoist flag had flown.
Raju’s days were filled with high-risk operations. He lost colleagues to IED blasts and had to lead with strength and composure. He detected 32 IEDs and received the Inspector General Commendation Disk for his contribution.
But even in those hostile conditions, he never stopped connecting with people.
MORE THAN A COMMANDANT
Education wasn’t the only thing Raju brought to the region. When he noticed extreme poverty – women without clothes, families without basics – he reached out on social media, asking people to send essentials.
“I didn’t do much. I just became a bridge between those who had, and those who didn’t. People started sending sweaters, gumboots, even school supplies. And the bond with the locals grew stronger,” he shared.
He also stepped into legal aid. When villagers told him that their relatives were in jail under suspicion of Maoist links but were innocent, he spoke to the SP and an advocate. After reviewing the cases, 25 undertrial prisoners were released.
That act of empathy won hearts. Locals began pushing back against Naxals. “This officer listens,” they said. Eventually, four to five hardcore Maoists surrendered to Raju, not with force, but with trust.
INSPIRED BY THE PEOPLE, DRIVEN BY A DREAM
The transformation he witnessed – roads built, electricity brought in, Aadhaar cards and voter IDs made, and a functioning school built with DM support – fueled his own passion to join the civil services.
“If I can help this much as an Assistant Commandant, imagine what I could do as a civil servant. That thought kept me going.”
By then, his wife Poornima Wagh, a Chief Officer, had entered his life. Both were preparing for UPSC together. Her constant support and belief in his ability played a huge role.
“She always told me, ‘You have it in you.’ We made a pact: we’ll try together.”
LIFE ON THE FRONTLINES, UPSC AT DAWN
Preparing for one of the toughest exams in the country while leading counter-insurgency operations is not a task for the faint-hearted. Raju made it possible by waking up at 4:00 AM to study for two hours before duty. After returning, he would study again for another two to three hours. His weekends were for revision and practice.
“I had a small table by my bed, and I had written on it: ‘We have to crack this UPSC.’ It reminded me every day.”
Despite night operations, unexpected missions, and emotional challenges like losing a colleague in an IED blast, he never skipped study hours. “The hardest part wasn’t danger, it was staying consistent no matter what happened around me.”
He says the mains stage was the most grueling. “To write nine papers well, you need to study at least nine hours a day. But I could never afford that much time, so I had to make each minute count.”
THE RESULT DAY: OPERATION ON ONE SIDE, CELEBRATION ON THE OTHER
When the UPSC 2024 results were announced, Raju was preparing for one of the largest anti-Maoist operations at the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border. He got the news of securing AIR 871 just before leaving for the operation.
There was no time for celebration. “I knew I had cleared UPSC, but duty came first. I wore my gear and went into the field. There was no greater way to honor the journey,” he told Indian Masterminds.
NOW WHAT?
He is currently posted as Assistant Commandant in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra. His wife narrowly missed clearing the interview stage, but they continue to prepare together.
His long-term vision? To bring policy-level change, especially in neglected regions like the one he served.
“The ultimate solution to insurgency is not just guns, it’s development – schools, health, and dignity. That’s what I want to work for.”
ADVICE TO ASPIRANTS
For those juggling full-time work and UPSC dreams, he offers simple but powerful advice:
“Study before duty, not after. Even two hours a day can add up. Stay disciplined and consistent. And remember, if you’re doing it for the right reasons, you’ll always find a way.”
THE LEGACY BEGINS
Raju Wagh’s journey is not just about cracking the UPSC or surviving Naxal territory. It’s about redefining what’s possible when you care deeply enough to act. From transforming lives in Bastar’s remote hamlets to proving that courage and compassion can go hand in hand, his story will inspire generations of aspirants, civil servants, and citizens alike.
Because sometimes, a classroom inside a security camp can spark a revolution far beyond bullets and books.
