Friends in school, college and after, now clear PCS

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 14

They studied from the same school, same college and nurtured the same aspirations. And now, both city students have cracked the Punjab Civil Services examination, standing closely rank-wise too.

As the result was declared by the PPCS, Dilpreet Singh, who got the 12th rank and Rahul Bassi, who stood 14th, were also the first ones to congratulate each other and have planned to party together tomorrow in the city.

Dilpreet (23) and Rahul (26) knew each other since they studied at Swami Sant Dass School, though the latter was three years senior.

“We both were toppers in our classes and would often look forward to see each other getting prizes on the annual day and stand proud getting our pictures clicked with our teachers and principal. Both of us were basketball players in the school,” shared Rahul, a resident of Grover Colony.

Dilpreet, a resident of Kalia Colony, said, “Call it sheer fate, we took admission to the same college – Punjab Engineering College in Chandigarh. While Rahul did B Tech electronics, I pursued B Tech mechanical. Both of us planned to take up preparation for civil services examination since our college days. Both of us did not appear for campus placements for our goals were different. Both of us shared a lot of information through social media and often used to catch up. We were also roommates for some six-seven days in Chandigarh.”

Rahul, however, said, “I cleared the PCS in the second attempt, the first being in 2015, while Dilpreet did it in his first.”

Rahul has appeared for the Indian Civil Services exam thrice and has three more chances, Dilpreet too has appeared in his first prelims conducted by the UPSC recently.

The boys have more in common. While Dilpreet’s father Manmohan Singh is DGM with the Power Grid Corporation of India, Rahul’s dad Raj Kumar is serving in an allied department, PSPCL, as assistant accounts officer in Ludhiana.

Like them, their siblings are also well-settled in their respective careers. Dilpreet’s sister Amanjot Kaur is pursuing MD in ENT from DMC Ludhiana while Rahul’s brother is pursuing MS in computer sciences in New York.

Dilpreet’s mother Davinder Kaur is the headmistress of the government school at Lidran whereas Rahul’s mother Meenakshi Bassi is a housewife.