Inspiring stories of 5 differently-abled people who cracked UPSC CSE
What's the story
The Civil Services Examination (CSE) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is one of the most challenging competitive exams.
Cracking the UPSC CSE isn't easy; many spend years preparing to clear it. However, there are some UPSC CSE rank-holders who have cleared the exam despite physical challenges.
Here are 5 differently-abled people who cracked the UPSC CSE and their inspiring stories.
#1
Krishna Gopal Tiwari, the first visually-challenged collector in India
Krishna Gopal Tiwari of Uttar Pradesh's Ambedkar Nagar district not only battled his visual impairment but also extreme economic hardships to clear the UPSC CSE in 2008.
The son of a farmer, Krishna, cracked the coveted exam in his third attempt, securing AIR-142 and topping the physical disability category.
In 2014, Krishna also became the first ever visually-challenged District Collector in the country.
#2
UPSC-ranker Ashish Kumar Verma suffered from cerebral palsy since birth
Ashish Kumar Verma from Bihar's Patna, who was suffering from cerebral palsy since his birth, overcame all odds to crack the UPSC CSE 2011.
Despite being wheelchair-bound, Ashish didn't let his physical challenges come in the way of his preparation for the CSE. He completely depended on self-study as he couldn't go to coaching institutes.
He secured the 726th rank in the prestigious examination.
#3
Ira Singhal, the first differently-abled woman to top UPSC CSE
The story of Ira Singhal IAS is truly inspiring. Despite clearing UPSC CSE-2010, her candidature was canceled because of her spine-related disorder, scoliosis.
However, she fought for what she deserved at the Central Administrative Tribunal. She later became the first differently-abled IAS topper when she cracked CSE-2014, securing AIR-1.
She is also working to bring more differently-abled and transgender candidates into the Civil Services.
#4
Satender Singh cracked UPSC CSE-2018, despite being visually challenged
Satender Singh's journey is another inspiring one. Despite being visually challenged, he cracked CSE-2018, securing AIR-714.
He lost his eyesight completely when he was just one-and-a-half years old due to a wrong injection that damaged his optic nerves.
Singh, a farmer's son, however, didn't give up. He worked hard and studied with the help of screen-reading software, cracking CSE-2018 in his third attempt.
#5
Vaishali Sharma topped in physical disability category, battling 80% hearing-loss
Vaishali Sharma, an MBBS degree-holder with an 80% hearing impairment, cleared the UPSC CSE not once but twice.
She cracked the exam in 2016 and emerged as the second rank-holder in the physical disability category. However, she was found "temporarily unfit" as she was overweight.
She, however, didn't give up, lost weight, and cleared CSE again in 2017, topping in the physical disability category.