Seven years ago, head constable Dale Ram Sehrawat died in a road accident with one unfulfilled wish. He wanted his daughter Sweety to crack UPSC, something which he could not. Now seven years later that dream became true in the recently declared UPSC results, with Sweety securing 187th rank.
Sweety Sehrawat is a living example of what all can be achieved once we set our minds on something.
After her father’s untimely death in 2013, Sweety decided to give wings to his life-long dream and her brother supported her. But it was not easy for the family to cope with life after the sudden demise of their only bread earner. As a first step to keep the boat afloat, she took up a job.
Residing in North-West Delhi’s Rohini area, Sweety began working as as a design engineer in NXP Semiconductors, a Denmark based company. However, she never forgot for a minute that her ultimate goal was to become an IAS officer.
Speaking with with Indian MasterMinds, she said, “My father was a head constable so since my childhood there were talks of IAS and IPS officers in my home. I became naturally inclination towards civil services. Due to family circumstances, I had to take up a job for a couple of years and then my brother decided to step in and take responsibility of the family. So, In 2017, I left my job and decided to pursue my dream to become an IAS officer.” Sweety’s brother, Harish, is a sub-inspector with CISF.
No More a Dream
On Tuesday, 4th August, 2020, when the UPSC result came, her mother and brother were overjoyed and spread the good news amongst family and friends. Among the stream of congratulatory messages which came rushing in, one was quite important. Commissioner of Delhi Police Mr S N Srivastava called up the family, congratulated Sweety and told her that her father would have been very proud of her achievement.
It is truly remarkable how despite having a well paying job, Sehrawat left it to fulfill her father’s wishes. While talking about the various challenges she faced, Sweety said, “While preparing for the civil services, I had to manage my schedule meticulously and devoted 8-10 hours every day to my studies.”
Early Days
Before pursuing IAS, Sweety did her graduation in engineering. When time came to give the UPSC exam, she had to study subjects which were not only difficult but also completely new to her. She struggled with subjects like geography and world history. Her accomplishment lies in her perseverance and dedication. With an optimistic attitude, she studied hard for the exam. “As an engineering student, It was difficult for me to switch to humanities so I took up coaching for a year to understand the basics. It helped me very much and after that I studied on my own for an entire year before giving the test”, said Sweety.
When asked to give a piece of advice to UPSC candidates, Sweety said, “My only advice is that all the IAS aspirants should put in full efforts to achieve their dreams. Instead of worrying about the results, they should prepare hard give their hundred percent.”
Furthermore, it is impressive to see how, even when faced with numerous problems, Sweety remained resolute. She wanted to make her father’s wishes come true and unwaveringly moved ahead. Now that she has accomplished her dreams, Sweety has aimed to help those who, akin to her, are determined to achieve success. Talking about her future goals, Sweety said, “Aside from the duties that I’ll be assigned, I would like to help those who wish to pursue their dreams but don’t have any support from their families. My family always supported me and for girls, this is rare in our society. I will ensure that I support all those who don’t have anybody else’s support.”
What Sweety has accomplished isn’t an easy feat. Her achievement is exceptional and there is no doubt that if her father could see her right now, his joy would be boundless.
(All photos Courtesy Sweety Sehrawat)
