Home Newsroom Skipped Meals To Save Money, Became IAS At 22; Motivational Story Of A Rickshaw Puller's Son

Skipped Meals To Save Money, Became IAS At 22; Motivational Story Of A Rickshaw Puller's Son

Shreeya Thakur

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Skipped Meals To Save Money, Became IAS At 22; Motivational Story Of A Rickshaw Puller's Son

0 min read

Each year, lakhs of students pin their hopes on the toughest exam in the country- the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services exam. For many candidates, the exam day condenses years of hard work, dedication, sacrifices, and a lot more. In many ways, the exam is a leveller that is known to upturn people’s lives and careers. And one such exceptional story is that of Govind Jaiswal- the son of a rickshaw puller who cracked the exam against all odds. Today, he is serving as an IAS officer- one of the most powerful positions in India. Inspiring? Let’s take you through his journey.

An indelible childhood incident that paved the way

“Our world is horizontal - it is the people's perception that makes it vertical and places some people as superior to others." - Govind Jaiswal

During his childhood, Govind was insulted for attending a party at his rich acquaintance’s house. The incident shook him and he decided to rewrite his destiny. He wanted to take his family out of poverty and be treated with respect. So he set his eyes on becoming an IAS officer.

But preparing for Civil Service exams requires time and money. And for Govind, both of these were scarce resources. After his graduation, Govind’s family needed him to get a job soon as his father was financially struggling to get his daughters married. However, when Govind shared his ambition of becoming an IAS officer with his father, he had his full support. Having full faith in his son, he sold off his only piece of land to send Govind to Delhi- the epicenter for IAS exam preparation.

Do or Die

Govind had no other option but to win that too in his very first attempt. Considering his family’s financial condition, he could afford to take another year to prepare for an exam that has a success rate of as low as 0.1%!

Not bucking under pressure, Govind braced himself up for every challenge. Being a math graduate, he started giving tuition in the subject. He studied for 18-20 hours a day and at times, even skipped his meals to save time and money. In the end, Govind’s dedication triumphed. At the age of 22, he became one of the youngest candidates to crack the UPSC Civil Services exam in 2006, securing 48th rank amongst thousands of aspirants! And for aspirants who are not comfortable with English and wish to take the exam in other languages but are somewhere hesitant, Govind says,

“I came from a Hindi medium background. But this did not deter me. If you are confident enough to articulate your thoughts, then no one can hinder your success. No language is superior or inferior. It is an unwanted perception made by society. I took the exam in Hindi. Later, I developed a grip on English at the IAS Academy.”

Govind’s journey shows that with dedication and sincerity, no dream is too big to achieve. Today, his story has become a source of inspiration for movies and millions of dreamers who want to break the glass ceiling and flip over to the brighter side of life.

We hope this story has pushed you to achieve your dreams and be #Unstoppable. For more inspirational stories, stay tuned to Unstop.