Visually impaired headmaster cracks UPSC

Sanjiv Kumar Bakshi

Hoshiarpur, July 5

Yograj Singh, a visually impaired (75% loss of vision) school headmaster of Government High School, Beerampur, in the backward Bet area of Hoshiarpur district, has cleared the UPSC with rank 1213.

Yograj was born in a poor family and his father was a labourer. He along with his three brothers and two sisters could pursue regular studies only till Class X. Thereafter, they had to work to sustain the family. Talking to The Tribune, Yograj said he could not see properly due to an accident in childhood, in which he had suffered serious burns. However, he said, he was keen on continuing his studies and so he appeared as a private candidate in board and university exams. Yograj completed his MA as a private candidate and got selected in State College of Education for B.Ed. He got the job of Social Studies Master in 2001 and joined the service but had a zeal to do something more. He took the UPSC exam twice but could not make it in the interview round. Then he shifted his focus to the PPSC and cleared twice but again could not make it in the interview round. “In my second attempt, I missed it in the interview by just 0.22 marks. Me and my mother were very upset. Seeing her affection, I made up my mind to go for the UPSC again with double enthusiasm and finally got a positive result,” said Yograj.

Fatehgarh Sahib: With 263rd rank, Anu Bansal from the sleepy Amloh town is the only candidate to clear the civil services exam from this district. She did her matriculation from GPS School, Mandi Gobindgarh, and BBA from SD College, Chandigarh. She took coaching in Delhi and cleared the exam in her first attempt.