The hard work, discipline and sacrifices that are necessary to become a member of the Union Civil Services is best exemplified by the family of Sheikh Tanveer Asif. The 24-year-old from Kalaburagi district in northern Karnataka cracked the exam in his second attempt and bagged the 25th rank.
Asif is the son of a retired police officer. After completing a course in engineering from M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology, he went to New Delhi to prepare for the civil services exams. During the two years he was there, his family had to manage on his father’s monthly pension of ₹14,000.
“I attribute all my success to my mother. Without completing formal education, she manages to write in two languages and speak many more. Every time I needed some money, she would mortgage her belongings to ensure that my preparations were not disturbed,” he says.
Another candidate, Naveen Y. Bhat from Mangaluru, decided to get into civil services in the final year of graduation. The graduate from Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute bagged the 37th rank. "As a doctor, I could cure patients but have a limited impact. I wanted to cure the problems of society and have a wider impact. That is why I opted for the civil services," he says.
Movie fan
Dhyanachandra H.M., who bagged the 47th rank, watched one movie a week. Keeping abreast of current affairs by reading The Hindu every day helped the 24-year old sail through the tough UPSC exams. His father, S.L. Haleshappa, works as an assistant engineer in the Karnataka Housing Board while mother Mamata is a home-maker. He started preparing for the exams in May 2014 after completing a course in civil engineering from MIT-Manipal. "This was my second attempt. In my first attempt last year, I could not clear the prelims. But I did not lose hope," he explained. He took Kannada as an optional paper.
"I read NCERT books and The Hindu daily. I knew when and how to study, so I could watch movies too," he explained. His father motivated him to take up civil services. "I have given posting options as Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh," he said. The family is from Davanagere. Dhyanachandra says he knows the plight of farmers first-hand. "I would like to help them. I also hope to be a role model for my brother Poornachandra who has cleared his 10th standard," he said.
