The journey of Former Lt. Col Amol Awate, who served 20 years in the Indian Army before cracking the UPSC CSE with an AIR-678 in his only attempt in 2021 is awe-inspiring. Born and brought up in Maharashtra, Mr. Awate always wanted to serve his country.
Having joined the Rashtriya Rifles in 2008, he was part of the counter-insurgency operations in J&K besides the Northeastern states. The Army Veteran, who joined the Civil Services at the age of 41, is a complete team player and believes in “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”
In this second part of his interaction with Indian Masterminds, we come to know some of the key battles he fought before joining IAS.
EMBRACING CHALLENGES
Mr. Awate’s journey as an army officer was fraught with challenges. He says every position has a distinct flavour, especially in its first few years. What the armed forces do is train you to enjoy your challenges, he explained.
“The job can be emotionally draining at times. It isn’t easy to stay away from family. It is a physically demanding job, but it also is enjoyable. I relished every obstacle that came my way and savoured every moment,” the veteran officer recalls.
INVOLVEMENT IN OPERATIONS
In a twist of events, Mr. Awate was also injured during one of his key operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Now fully healed, he is eager to begin his new career as an IAS officer.
Aside from the Congo operation, he was also involved in counter-insurgency operations in Assam and Meghalaya and spent over a decade working along the Indo-Pak border in Rajasthan and Punjab. His life, he says, has been very interesting, and he truly loved his time in the army.
WINNING LBSNAA POLO
As he prepares for his stint as a civil servant, he continues to gather accolades along the way. Recently, LBSNAA introduced Polo in the academy curriculum. Last played at the institution under the British administration, the Polo tournament was held on April 8th this year.
In the inaugural match, the LBSNAA team won the trophy after defeating IMA Dehradun, and Mr. Awate’s horse won the tournament’s Best Polo Pony title. His training with army horses came handy in winning the trophy.
As he continues to serve as an inspiration to many his journey from a military man to an IAS officer demonstrates that everything is attainable with hard work, devotion, and a sense of purpose.
