Son of a poor farmer, Pawan Kumar has grown up in a mud house in extreme poverty.
Pawan Kumar's house is now buzzing with his well-wishers. Past a tricolour fixed on the facade, a narrow passage opens to a small courtyard. Half a dozen cattle are tied under the thatched cowshed, trying to beat the summer heat. There isn't a lot of space, but that's enough for the crowd that has gathered to meet the soon-to-be IAS officer.
Mr Kumar, belonging to a nondescript village in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, has cracked his UPSC dream, ranking AIR 239 in the civil services exam.
Son of a poor farmer, he has grown up in a mud house in extreme poverty. An asbestos roof above his head, he had all the reasons to fight it out, scripting a fresh tale of perseverance for the youth of his village, Raghunathpur.
His father Mukesh Kumar wanted him to land any job that could help him run the house, but Pawan had just one dream - to become an IAS officer and help the people of his village.
"He wanted to be an IAS (officer) since childhood. I often asked him to get a part-time job. But he used to tell me not to disturb him. He has had no hobby apart from studying," said his father.
Considered difficult by even the best minds, the UPSC exam is a mandatory step for any student looking for a career in administrative services. Mr Kumar too was unable to clear the exam twice, but he kept trying until he had what he wanted. The third attempt saw him passing with flying colours.
The family owns four-bigha agricultural land and a thatched kutcha. His father tilts and works as a labourer to somehow run the family. This extreme poverty concerned Pawan Kumar. He wanted to remove the poverty of his family and he knew, education was the only way. According to his sister Goldie, he only studied whenever he was home.