Meet IAS officer, who lost his father in childhood, earned wages to support family, later worked at Reliance, quit job to clear UPSC with AIR..., he is...

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) civil service exam is regarded as one of the toughest examinations in the country, given the vast syllabus, multi-stage process and fierce competition. However, there are a few who emerge successful in the exam with their undying passion, perseverance and hard work. 

In this article, we are going to walk you through the journey of Bihar's Vishal Kumar, who secured an impressive All India Rank (AIR) 484 in UPSC civil service exam 2023. 

Who is IAS Vishal Kumar?

A native of Bihar's Muzaffarpur, IAS Vishal Kumar belonged to a destitute household. He lost his father in 2008. Thereafter, Vishal shouldered the responsibilities of the family and used to take care of the expenses by earning wages. Moreover, Vishal's mother, Reena Devi, also shared the burden and started rearing goats and buffaloes to earn additional income. 

In a media interaction, IAS Vishal credited his teacher, Gauri Shankar Prasad, for his success. According to Vishal, it was his teacher who encouraged him to prepare for UPSC. He also helped him during the financial crisis. Gauri paid for his education and kept him in his house during the hardships. 

With his hard work, dedication and a proper guidance, Vishal topped matriculation in 2011 and later enrolled in IIT, Kanpur -- one of the most renowned engineering institutes in India. After this, he secured a job at Reliance. However, Vishal later quit his job to prepare for civil service exam. 

In 2023, Vishal's hard work bore fruits as he secured an AIR 484 in UPSC CSE.