The saying “help those who are helpless” is being proved yet again, this time by a 2018-batch IPS officer Mr. Sagar Kumar Jha. He started an initiative in his village Chainpur, in the Saharsa district of Bihar, to help ten post-matric students preparing for medical and engineering entrance exams.
Half of their coaching fee is being paid by the IPS officer.
The Initiative
Talking to Indian Masterminds, Mr. Sagar, currently posted as ASP cum SDPO at Raxaul, Bihar said that he decided to help his village students. The ten students are selected based on the entrance exam. After that, they get admission to the best coaching centres for medical and engineering studies at the district headquarter Saharsa. Students pay half of the fee, while the fifty percent is paid by him. He also motivates and provides them guidance regularly.
Apart from medical and engineering entrance students, a trainer was appointed by Mr. Jha to guide the students preparing for the Army, Police, and ASI as well.
The IPS officer added, “Now this program is only for his village. But soon, it will be extended to another nearby village.”
His Journey
Mr Sagar got all India rank of 13 in the Civil Services Exam 2017. He could easily have been an IAS officer, but instead he chose IPS. The reason for this, he explained, “while every service is unique, but being an IPS officer you can provide instant justice to the people.”
Mr Jha has always been a meritorious student. He did his BTech from IIT-BHU. He also worked with Samsung Research Institute, Bengaluru. But he left his secure, well-paying job to be in the civil services. He further added that the knowledge of engineering was also helping him in the police service.
He topped the Assitant Commandant exam conducted by the UPSC in 2016. But this he did not join. He said that Assitant Commandant service gives limited sector to serve. But, being a civil servant, one can serve in various sectors.
Music is a Stress Buster
Mr. Sagar is also fond of music. He said that during the preparation of civil services, the music helped him beat the stress.
On being asked about the criminal and political nexus in Bihar, he said no such situation in the state now.
And here is Mr Sagar’s tip for the UPSC aspirants: First analyse the ‘Why’, and this will lead to ‘How’. A somewhat cryptic advice, perhaps, but it also carries a lot of wisdom.