Meet Sreenath K - A 'Coolie' Who Cracked UPSC (IAS) Using Free Wi-Fi

IAS Sreenath K's life exemplifies how one can achieve anything in life with just sheer determination and will. Every day we encounter numerous stories of ordinary people who get out of their comfort zones and achieve something so extraordinary that they fill our hearts with motivation and optimism.

UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) is India's one of the toughest exams. Candidates devote hours of studies and take tuitions to try to crack it, and even then, only a few percent of people are able to clear it. And now imagine Sreenath K, a coolie (porter) from Kerala who passed UPSC exams not by coaching or tuition, but with the help of a phone, his earphones, and free Wi-Fi. Let's meet this extraordinary human being who has become a role model for millions of IAS aspirants.

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Who is Sreenath K?

A native of Munnar, a town in the Western Ghats mountain range, Sreenath K worked as a coolie in Ernakulam to make money for his family. Being the sole breadwinner of the family, he worked hard by carrying the luggage and baggage of people. Soon, he passed the essential physical test and became an authorized "Coolie Number 343," and continued his job for the next five years.

When he turned 27 and had a beautiful one-year-old daughter, he realized his meager income wasn't sufficient to support his growing family and expenses. He started working at night but still fell short of money to take care of his family. When he realized that earning a mere INR 400-500 income per day wouldn't be enough, he decided to pursue UPSC.

"You can crack UPSC with just a smartphone and free Wi-Fi"

In 2016, as a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Digital India initiative, free Wi-Fi service was launched throughout the country. Under this scheme, passengers are provided free Wi-Fi under Railwire, the retail broadband distribution model of RailTel Corporation of India Limited.

When Sreenath K came to know about free Wi-Fi, he saw the silver lining. Books surround UPSC aspirants, but he didn't let his lack of money deter him. Since the financial constraints didn't allow him to buy books or take tuition, he invested in a smartphone, a memory card, and a pair of earphones.

While listening to online lectures on his earphones, he hauled luggage. Eventually, his hard work led him to pass the written examination of the Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC).

"I will keep studying while I work as a coolie because I have the pressure of running my house... I will keep studying and appearing for exams. If I appear for enough exams, I am bound to get a good job", said Sreenath K.

He shared about his future aspirations and said he wanted to improve the future of his own family and the entire village. He wanted to work as a village field assistant under the land revenue department of the government.

Sreenath's journey: How did this coolie from Kerala crack UPSC?

After passing the written examination of KPSC, he set his eyes on the country's toughest exam - UPSC. Sreenath took advantage of free Wi-Fi and the Internet as a high school pass-out. He downloaded practice question papers at a speed of 20-40 Mbps and solved them while working as a coolie.

Sreenath gave four attempts but never accepted defeat. He said, "It's only a matter of practice and patience. I will keep giving exams. Until the exams become easy for me and I get a good score." He further added, "I have appeared thrice for the exam, and this is the first time I used the Wi-Fi at the station. I put on my earphones and listen to the study material as I carry the luggage or solve questionnaires in my mind. This way, I can study while I work, and I revise all my work at night when I get free time."

He was optimistic about scoring 82% in the examination. And when he passed the exam, he quoted: "Now my dreams are unstoppable."

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What can we learn from Sreenath K?

Sreenath K is the perfect example of how you can achieve everything in life with just sheer will and an attitude to never accept defeat. He never let the excuse of not having enough money to buy books but instead made use of all the things at his disposal.

He taught millions of aspirants not to be affected by the failure. Instead of getting dejected, one should keep on trying because you will learn how to better yourself with every step. He gave the UPSC exam four times, each time more determined to do well for his family.

Make use of the time judiciously. Use whatever time you have. Sreenath would study if trains would get late and listen to audio lectures while carrying luggage.

Broaden your horizon because there is no limit that can't be scaled. Such stories can never fail to lift our hearts.

About UPSC

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is a nationwide competitive examination in India conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for recruitment to higher Civil Services of the Government of India, including the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Foreign Service, and Indian Police Service.
It is conducted in three phases - a preliminary examination consisting of two objective-type papers (General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper-II), and a main examination consisting of nine papers of conventional (essay) type, in which two papers are qualifying. These two phases are then followed by a personality test (interview).
Touted as one of the world's most challenging competitions, a successful candidate sits for 32 hours of examination during the complete process.

Shivangi Vatsal

Sr. Associate Content Strategist @Unstop

I am a storyteller by nature. At Unstop, I tell stories ripe with promise and inspiration, and in life, I voice out the stories of our four-legged furry friends. Providing a prospect of a good life filled with equal opportunities to students and our pawsome buddies helps me sleep better at night. And for those rainy evenings, I turn to my colors.