UPSC IAS topper Pradeep Singh
Whenever Pradeep Singh (29) felt he was struggling to keep up with demands of his job and preparation for the competitive exams, it was his father, he says, who inspired him to stay the course. On Tuesday, the 29-year-old son of a Sonipat farmer topped the UPSC exam in his fourth attempt. He topped the list of 829 candidates who have qualified for the prestigious civil services, including the IAS, the IPS and the IFS.
“When I felt that I would not be able to prepare (for the competitive exams) along with the job, my father inspired me. I got his support and motivation at every moment. He is a source of inspiration for me,” said Pradeep, who hails from Sonipat’s Tewri village where his family owns eight acres of agricultural land.
Pradeep had cleared the UPSC civil services exam last year too, securing rank 260, and was currently undergoing training as an Indian Revenue Service officer at the National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes and Narcotics (NACIN) in Faridabad.
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Soon after the results were announced on Tuesday, Pradeep said, “It’s quite unexpected. I was confident that I would get some rank but I did not know that I would get the first rank.”
Talking to The Indian Express, his father, Sukhbir Singh, said: “For initial 3-4 years, Pradeep studied at a private school in the village but in the year 2000, we moved to Sonipat town to ensure better studies for the children… Pradeep topped Sonipat’s Shambhu Dayal Modern School when he appeared for Class 12 exam in 2008.”
After that Pradeep went on to pursue his BTech from Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology, Murthal (Sonipat). In 2013, he was selected as inspector for the Excise and Taxation Department.
“When I started preparing for the competitive exams, I took coaching initially. But for a long time now, I was engaging in self-study,” said the UPSC topper.
Describing his achievement as a “dream come true”, Pradeep said on Tuesday that he wants to join the Indian Administrative Service as he is keen to work for the deprived and poor sections of the society.
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“I will try to do something for the people from the poor sections of the society and will try to contribute in the development of the country,” he said while listing out his priorities as a civil servant.
Replying to a question, he said that challenges do increase when one is balancing between studies and job, adding that “staying focused may seem difficult, but one has to stay determined to achieve the goal”.
Underlining consistency and focus as attributes needed the most to crack the civil services exam, he added that future aspirants must stay confident and remember the reason that made them start preparing for the exam. “Some motivating factor must be there,” he said.
While a close relative Sombir Panwar said that Pradeep was so focused that he rarely visited his relatives during his studies, the 29-year-old thanked his friends and family members for standing by him throughout his preparation period.
“My father is very happy today. My entire family is very happy,” he said.
While Pradeep’s mother is a homemaker, his elder brother, Ajit Singh, has done a degree in mechanical engineering while his younger sister, Manisha, has done MSc in mathematics.
“Neither Ajit nor Manisha are preparing for the civil services. Manisha has plans to go into the teaching profession,” said Sukhbir Singh, a two-time village sarpanch.
Family members said that Pradeep’s grandfather had remained village sarpanch for two terms and his grandmother for one term.
“The family led village politics for 25 years till 2015. When Sukhbir was village sarpanch from 2000 to 2005 and 2010 to 2015, he used to stay mostly in the village while other family members, including Pradeep’s mother Sheela Devi, a house-wife, stayed in the town for sake of children’s studies,” said Sombir Panwar.
Extending his wishes to Pradeep, Haryana Chief Minister Monahar Lal Khattar tweeted, “I hope that with inspiration from you other youths of the state would also be inspired for higher targets continuously.”
The CM said that the youth of Haryana have been securing top positions in All India Services Examination for the last few years, which shows that the youth of the state have excelled in studies along with sports.
Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala tweeted, “Pradeep Singh, son of an ordinary family of Haryana has not only made the entire state proud by topping UPSC Civil Services Examination but has also proved that the youth of Haryana always excel in bravery, talent and hard work. Congratulations Pradeep.”
(With PTI Inputs)
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