SANDEEP KUMAR- A DALIT FROM DELHI SLUM CLEARS CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION
In a transit camp for slum
dwellers displaced from the Kathputli colony in west Delhi, youngsters are
discussing everything from studies to national politics. One among them in the
small room is Sandeep Kumar, who cleared the civil services examination this
year.The 28-year-old son of a Dalit autorickshaw driver lives in a 10 x 12-feet
makeshift cabin at Anand Parbat, along with his mother and younger brother. It
is in this camp that he transformed his dream into reality, without coaching or
help from anyone. He won the 780th rank. For the past two years, he had been
putting in 10 to 12 hours of hard work every day in a small room next to the
cabin to do what seemed impossible then.
The odds were always heavy against him. Mr. Kumar, who graduated
in Political Science through a correspondence course in the Hindi medium, left
his accountancy job in 2014 after his father passed away. He wanted to prepare
for “something better” in life. His younger brother Surendra Wankhade, who
works in a private company, has been the breadwinner since then.“It was my father’s
dream that I become an IAS officer and this achievement is like fulfilling his
dream. However, I am not completely there. With this rank, I will be able to
get either IPS or IRS. I want to make another attempt next year to improve my
rank,” Mr. Kumar said. His neighbours, mostly migrant labourers, see a ray of
hope for their children after Mr. Kumar’s success.“I am extremely happy that my
brother has been selected for the civil services. I feel that all my hard work
has paid off,” Mr. Wankhade said.
Mr. Kumar, who will soon join the country’s newest batch of
bureaucrats, mostly depended on books rather than online notes, which are
popular with English medium students, to clear the exam. He believes that it is
the quality of what you study that matters more than the time. “Dedication and
continuous hard-work is the only key to success,” he said.He also teaches
youngsters from his locality in the same room. With the batch of students he is
currently teaching, he wants to set an example like “Super 30” in Patna, where
children from underprivileged background prepare for admission to the IITs. He wants
to call it “Special 26”.His mother says: “I am very proud of him and always
believed that he will do something big in life.” Mr. Kumar cleared the exam in
his second attempt. He, however, wants to go for another attempt next year to
improve his rank.
Prof. John Kurakar
No comments:
Post a Comment