“Didn’t Even Know What UPSC Was…”: Constable Cracks Prestigious Exam

Jaipur:

It’s been an extraordinary journey for Ram Bhajan, a former constable with the Delhi Police’s cyber cell, now set to become an officer after cracking the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams. The story of Mr Bhajan, a native of a small village in Rajasthan’s Dausa, is a tale of resilience and hard work.

Mr Bhajan joined the police service in 2009. But even as he worked in the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO), a specialized unit that handles complex and sensitive cases of cybercrime, his aspirations never ended. His inspiration came in 2015 when he learned about another police official who had cleared the UPSC exams.

The Civil Services Examination conducted by the UPSC is one of the most challenging competitive examinations in India, with a rigorous process spanning around one year and requiring extensive preparation. The exam recruits candidates for higher Civil Services of the Government of India, including the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Foreign Service, and Indian Police Service.

“I could never imagine that this was possible,” Mr Bhajan said. “All I knew was that I had to think big, really big to change the circumstances into which I was born. In fact, I did not even know what UPSC was until I joined the Delhi Police Service.”

Despite the odds, Mr Bhajan displayed a tenacity that saw him sit for the exam seven times, clearing it on his eighth attempt with a rank of 667. Born into a family where his parents did manual labour to support their children, Mr Bhajan’s achievement was truly extraordinary.

But Mr Bhajan is not done yet. He has one more attempt left and plans to take the prelims exam again on May 28 in the hope of a better rank. His journey so far has seen him spending months away from his family, dedicating 7 to 8 hours a day to his studies despite his duties in the Delhi Police’s cyber cell.

Mr Bhajan’s resilience extended to his personal life as well. In 2012, he married a woman who had dropped out of school after 8th grade. Inspired by her husband, she resumed her education. Mr Bhajan credited his wife as his biggest supporter, saying she took over family responsibilities while he focused on his studies.

“My wife took on the family responsibilities, and I in turn motivated her and empowered her. I made her go back to regular school, and it was a challenge in the village that a daughter-in-law of the village who traditionally stayed in purdah should go to school in uniform,” he said.

His journey has also brought pride to his parents, especially his widowed mother, who did manual labour to support him. His father passed away in 2020, but his mother, Dhapi Devi, remained a beacon of support for him. “We did everything for him, one does for one’s children,” she said, teary-eyed. “I made cow dung cakes, I grazed cows, buffaloes, and goats, I even worked on construction sites.”