Two qualities – patience and determination – have proved time and again how important they are in the journey towards success. A person bestowed with both is sure to reach his goal, even if it takes some more time than others. Just like the story of the hare and the tortoise, as long as one keeps moving and doesn’t stop, he is sure to reach the finishing line of a race. That slow and steady wins the race is proven by the story of Saurabh Suman Yadav, a 2019-batch IAS officer from Nalanda district of Bihar. It was his dream to become an IAS officer and he fulfilled it after a long and laborious journey that didn’t lower his morale at any time. It took him five attempts, but he managed to enter his dream service IAS in 2018 with AIR 55.
Indian Masterminds spoke to IAS Saurabh Suman Yadav, currently posted as SDM Sadar in Motihari, the headquarters of East Champaran district, and learned about many unseen aspects of his inspirational journey.
BEGINNING
Saurabh is a resident of Narsinghpur village of Nalanda district’s Sarmera block. His father is a clerk in Food Corporation of India (FCI), while his mother is a homemaker. In 2016, he married Dr. Nanita Kumari.
Saurabh had a dream of becoming an IAS since his school days. But the financial condition of his home was not such that preparation could be started immediately after studies. So before preparing for UPSC, he planned for his future first, and immediately after completing his studies, he took up a job.
EDUCATION
Saurabh Suman studied in Julian Day School in Kalyani. He secured around 93 percent in 10th and 90 percent in 12th. After that, he did his B.Tech. in Electrical and Communication from Heritage School of Technology, Kolkata. Thereafter, he completed his MBA from IIM Lucknow.
After getting his MBA in 2012, Saurabh worked in the private sector for about three and a half years. But his main target was IAS, so he started preparing for UPSC.
He says, “It was always my goal to join civil service. Even when I was working in the private sector, I had a dream somewhere in my mind that one day I have to join civil service.”
UPSC PREPARATION
Regarding UPSC preparation, Saurabh says that full dedication and focused studying are both necessary. The journey of UPSC is very long and full of problems. So, it is important to not get discouraged. He advises to keep an eye on one’s target, come what may. At the same time, it is also important to follow one’s hobbies. “Play some sport, try something new, go somewhere and give yourself time to prepare for long hours without getting tired,” he says. Saurabh himself loves to play football and badminton.
Saurabh cleared UPSC in 2014, but his rank was 1068and so he got Indian Information Service. He was appointed as Assistant Director in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. While discharging his official duties diligently, he kept on preparing and attempting CSE to get a higher rank that would make him eligible for IAS. Finally, in the year 2019, he achieved his goal in his fifth attempt and became an IAS officer after her scored AIR 55.
LONG GAP
Saurabh had to wait till 2019 for a better rank after cracking UPSC for the first time in 2014. When asked about this long gap,he replied, “The exams do not go as planned at all times. I had a lot of patience. I knew that hard work never goes in vain. The problem with me was my writing skills. There I was getting low marks. My optional subjects were also getting me fewer marks.When I corrected both, I got the success I wanted.”
ADVICE FOR ASPIRANTS
Saurabh says that civil service is a very challenging job. So,anyone who wants to join it must be ready for all kinds of challenges. “From the government to the common people, everyone has expectations from you. So, there is a lot of differences in life before and after civil service. Just keep trying and keep getting better.” At the end of the day, every civil servant’s goal should be to serve society for its overall development, he concludes.
