From backbencher in college to top IPS officer: Meet DGP of Tamil Nadu C Sylendra Babu
Meet Dr C Sylendra Babu, the Tamil Nadu’s Director General of Police today who rose from being a backbencher to becoming a coveted IPS officer.
UPSC Success Story: The UPSC exam is undoubtedly one of the toughest exams in India to crack. The exam which holds the key to the most prestigious bureaucrat positions in India, carries several myths around it. One such myth is that clearing the exam is a task only for the toppers and weak students or backbenchers have no chance. This story debunks this myth to the very core. Meet Dr C Sylendra Babu, the Tamil Nadu’s Director General of Police today who rose from being a backbencher to becoming a coveted IPS officer.
Serving as an inspiration for lakhs of UPSC aspirants is the story of C Sylendra Babu who rose from being on the backbenches of his college to ace the UPSC examination and choose to join the Indian Police Service.
The 59-year-old DGP is an IPS officer of the 1987 batch from Tamil Nadu cadre. After completing early education at a government school in Kuzhithurai, Sylendra Babu aimed to become a doctor. He was unable to but did get admission in a college. He struggled there and ended up on the backbenches, the senior IPS officer once reportedly opened up in an interview. However, a chance moment changed his life as he decided to shift priorities.
An alumnus who had returned to the college for a speech after cracking UPSC imparted words that spurred Sylendra Babu towards an inspirational career. The alumnus said that even those who are found sitting on the backbenches of classrooms can become IAS and IPS officers. The line remained with Sylendra Babu who then set his eyes on the prestigious civil services examination.
An inspiring officer, Sylendra Babu has kept the fire of curiosity alive in him, collecting several academic qualifications on the way. Sylendra Babu pursued his BSc in Agriculture from Madurai and then went to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore. He also holds BGL and MA degrees in Population Studies from Annamalai University. He also holds a PhD for his thesis on ‘missing children’ from the University of Madras and is an MBA in Human Resources. He has written several books.
Sylendra Babu is also known for his fitness regime and athletic ability. He represented India at the Asian Masters Athletic Championships in Bangkok in 2004 in the 100 meters event. His photos of regularly cycling, distance running and exercise regimen are much-admired on social media.
READ | Rising above hardships to become India’s youngest IAS officer: UPSC success story of Ansar Shaikh
Photos: Instagram screengrab