Sukhbir Singh Malik, a Haryana farmer, was working in his fields on August 4, when his son Pradeep Singh called to tell him that he had cleared the civil services examinations. “So you have become an IAS, but did you make it to the list of top 100 candidates,” Malik asked. “Top hundred? I am on the top, at No. 1.” In an exclusive interview to Harish Manav, Pradeep, 29, speaks about his journey.Excerpts:
Did you ever believe that you would be a topper?
Frankly, I had expected to be among the top 100, but not No. 1. I could not believe it when I saw my name and roll number on the list of successful candidates. My father left his work unfinished in the fields, came home and hugged me. People kept coming home all through the day to congratulate me. My entire family could not sleep that night because of an overwhelming sense of happiness.
Tell us about your educational background?
I studied till Class 5 at a private school in my village. I passed my Class 12 board examination from Sonipat. Thereafter, I did my BTech in computer science from Deenbandhu Chhoturam University for Science and Technology.
You had cleared the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) examination earlier.What was your four-year-long journey like?
After getting my BTech degree in 2012, I cleared the SSC examination and worked as an income tax inspector for four years. I was the first person in my family to be in government service, so I did not want to take any risk by leaving that job to prepare for the civil services. Apart from the agricultural income from the one acre of land owned by my father, my family had no other source of livelihood. In 2016, I appeared in the UPSC examination while working with the income tax department, but could not even clear the prelims. When I could not do it in my second consecutive attempt the next year, I seemed to have lost all hope. I thought it would be difficult for me to clear the examination while doing my job alongside. But after the success of Anu Dahiya, a housewife and mother of a four-year-old kid from Sonipat, who bagged the second position in the UPSC examination in 2017, my family boosted my morale. Thereafter, I appeared again and cracked the examination in my third attempt. With determination, hard work and self-confidence I got the top rank.
How many hours did you devote to studies daily?
I have never prepared any time-table as such. I just studied without having any fixed schedule. For four years, I tried to improve my writing skills.
Was there specific question during your viva-voce that made you feel at ease?
There was one question that made me feel proud of being a farmer’s son. During my half-an-hour-long interaction, I was asked if income of farmers would be doubled by 2022. I replied that it looks difficult, but itwas possible if farmers are allowed to sell their produce anywhere and get more than the minimum support price.
Did you join any coaching institute?
No, I didn’t. I made my own notes at home on my optional subject and general studies. For current affairs, a lot of materials are available online these days. Repeated practice helped me improve my creative writing skills.
You have become an overnight celebrity with your success. How does it feel?
A farmer’s son making it to the top position in the UPSC examination is obviously being talked about now. On the day of the results, the number of my followers on Twitter exceeded 10,000 in just one day.
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