Hemant Pareek (Photo: Screen-grab from YouTube)
From a small village called Biran in Rajasthan to cracking arguably the country's toughest exam, UPSC ranker Hemant Pareek's story is a tale of determination and triumph against all odds.
Hemant comes from a humble background. His father is a local priest and his mother works as a daily wage worker under the MGNREGA scheme.
Hemant first heard the term 'collector' when he saw his mother fighting for her wages with a MGNREGA official and ever since then he wanted to become a District Magistrate. He enquired on how to become a collector which lead him to the UPSC Civil Service Exam.
Pareek's UPSC journey began while he was still in college. In his first attempt, Hemant cleared the prelims but could not appear for mains due to eligibility constraints. With a 'never give up' attitude, Hemant, in his second attempt, emerged victorious, securing 884th rank in the recently released UPSC 2023 results.
In a telephonic conversation with Deccan Chronicle, Hemant answered a few interesting questions:
Narrating his journey, Hemant took us back in time – where he explained his struggles from his Hindi medium schooling to preparing for UPSC. " I faced a lot of setbacks earlier, I failed in the English subject in my Diploma in elementary education and could not finish the course," he said. With a little motivation from his friends, he then did his graduation from SKN Agriculture University in Jobner.
When asked about his parents' reaction to his achievement, Hemant said – his mother was in tears of joy and his father was overwhelmed with happiness and couldn't believe the news. "I always saw my mother's tears of sorrows but for the first time there were tears of joy in her eyes," he said.
When questioned about the importance of coaching, Hemant said there are benefits for some and it is a choice that varies from individual to individual, as for me, i could not afford to pay for any coaching, he said. Instead, he relied on the guidance of mentors, whom he met at the University and learned tough topics by watching videos on YouTube .
Talking about his motivation, Hemant said he draws inspiration from his grandmother and puts a photo of her on his table. "I look at the picture of my nani whenever I feel a little low and instantly feel motivated," he said.
Talking about his future plans, Hemant said his aim was to become a collector and said he plans to reappear for the Civil Services Exam this year.
Advising aspiring UPSC candidates, Hemant said, believe in yourself and keep going. "Just keep at it, and the gods will bless you," he added.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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