Facing hardships is a part of life, but fighting those hardships and emerging victorious is what makes a person’s story special.In the course of life, one gets to deal with taunts and demotivation but it depends on them whether they wish to take those taunts to their heart and feel sad about themselves, or take it as an opportunity and work hard to prove themselves to the world.
IAS officer Mr. Nirish Rajput chose the latter, which is why he stands as a proud civil officer of the country today. He worked hard to achieve his goal, overlooking every betrayal or disappointment that came his way.
THE SON OF A TAILOR
Belonging to a poor family, Mr. Rajput hails from the Bhind district of Madhya Pradesh.He lived in a 15 by 40 feet (300 square feet) house in village Mau in Gohad tehsil of the district and worked odd jobs – at times even as a newspaper hawker- to make both ends meet. His father, Mr. Virendra Rajput is a tailor in the district who knew that a person’s most important weapon is his education. He therefore motivated his sons to study hard, without worrying about the expenses, and accomplish their dreams.
Mr. Rajput studied from a government school and a modest college in Gwalior. His father and two elder brothers, who are contractual teachers, started investing most of their savings, energy and courage to make his dream come true. After the officer’s mother died when he was still very young, it was his father who played all the
roles in his life and kept his children’s spirit alive.
“Even when my mother was alive, I never saw them disgusted and heard them grumbling for poverty that has stricken our family,” he said.
AN INCIDENT THAT CHANGED HIS LIFE
While still young and full of hope, Mr. Rajput came in contact with a well-educated and considerably rich and respected family friend and started working for them. He treated their family like his own. So much, that when they asked him to accompany them to Uttarakhand to set up their coaching institute, he agreed at once.
In return, they promised him that they would help him by providing him with material to prepare for his Civil Services examinations – a dream that he had been dreaming of since he was young. But two years later, after the coaching institute started paying rich dividends, he was insulted, disgraced and literally thrown out by the “respectable” family.
“What is your worth? You are good for nothing. We no longer want you”, that were the last words I heard from the members of that educated and rich family,” said the officer. “Next moment, I was jobless, homeless, penniless and remained hungry for a week, till help came to me”, he narrated.
A PLEDGE TO BECOME STRONGER
This incident of betrayal changed Mr. Rajput’s life. Now, his pledge to crack the UPSC examination and get into civil services became even stronger.
“I did not know how to become an IAS officer, but I knew clearing the country’s top examinations can change my fortune”, he said, adding that poverty cannot be a hurdle if one has determination and is willing work hard.
Mr. Rajput left his village and went to Delhi for studies. “In Delhi, I became friendly with Ankit, who was preparing for competitive exams. I started living with him at Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar and studied 18 hours a day. I did not attend any coaching classes nor paid any hefty fees. I studied from the books and notes of Ankit,” he said.
As the dates of the examination came closer, Mr. Rajput cut himself off from the world to study harder. Unfortunately, he failed the examination not once but thrice. But defeat did not lose him his heart. “Even after I failed repeatedly, my father told me not be disheartened and to reappear in the entrance exam next year.” Mr. Rajput’s dream finally came true in his fourth attempt, when he scored All India Rank of 370 and got selected into the Indian Administrative Service.
Mr. Rajput also broke the myth that only public school students can do well in these exams. He always advises people like him and the students to never give up and keep working hard. He believes that poverty comes only from the body and not from the mind. Success does not distinguish anyone.
