Meet man who is 47, aspires to crack UPSC, has taken 73 Prelims, 43 Mains, Vikas Divyakirti is his...

Cracking the UPSC exam is a feat that is aspired by many but not achieved by all. Many people make it their life's mission to clear the exam. One such person is Pushpendra Shrivastava, the oldest government job aspirant who resides in New Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar. He is 47 and has already appeared for 73 preliminary examinations, 43 Mains examinations and 8 interviews for State and Union Public Service Commissions in the last 27 years.

Shrivastava came to Mukherjee Nagar 24 years ago and has studied with the likes of Vikas Divyakirti of Drishti IAS coaching institute, IPS Manoj Sharma and IRS Shraddha Sharma, among others. 

Shrivastava’s parents were both teachers and wanted him to become one too. He belongs to Madhya Pradesh's Chatarpur district. After completing his Master’s degree in science, he filled out my B.Ed and MPPCS forms and cleared both exams, but in his heart, he didn't want to become a teacher, he told The Print.

He had his eyes set on bureaucracy and went to Allahabad and started preparing for the UPSC, before relocating to Delhi after three years. He has been living in the same one-room apartment in Mukherjee Nagar since 2009 and used to pay Rs 750 as rent which has now increased to Rs 12,000.

Shrivastava has attempted the examination for each public service commission nine Hindi speaking have held over the years. 

His family supports him financially and he also works in a coaching institute. Shrivastava's younger brother Jayendra, is a lawyer in Madhya Pradesh.

He is positive about finding success in the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission, and just in case, he doesn't, he still has the Block Education Officer [in Bihar Public Service Commission] exam in his kitty.