Inspirational Story of IAS Officer Ramesh Gholap

The Civil Services Examination conducted by the UPSC is one of the toughest examinations across the country. Millions of aspirants sit for this challenging exam with the hope to become an IAS officer, but very few make it to the final list. This is a success story of an aspirant among them, Ramesh Gholap, who faced and conquered numerous challenges and even managed to reach his destination with a lot of hard work and determination. His success story stands testimony that with strong determination, nothing is impossible.

Initial Struggles: Battling Polio and Poverty

Ramesh Gholap’s life was not born with a silver spoon but instead into circumstances of a hard childhood with polio taken as a child, leaving his left leg in defect. Adding to this was the family’s financial crunch. The family was solely dependent on the small bicycle shop owned by his father, but the father’s alcoholic condition worsened the entire family’s situation. Eventually, Ramesh’s father fell critically ill and was hospitalized. Finally, in the midst of this crisis, Ramesh’s mother took the reins of the family and began selling bangles on the streets to support her family. Ramesh, despite the disability, assisted his mother and younger brother in this venture.

Education Through Hardship

Ramesh completed schooling in his small village before moving to an uncle’s house in Barshi for further education. During his 12th grade, Ramesh was told of his father passing away. The moment was difficult because he could not manage the 7 rupees needed to go back home. Claiming reduced fare because of the disability, he was only asked to pay 2 rupees, but even that was not managed because of the financial condition of the family.

Taking up Responsibilities: Teaching and Studying Together

Soon after completing the 12th-grade studies, Ramesh took the economic responsibility of his family at heart. He enrolled for a diploma course and started working as a teacher in his village, and meanwhile, he cleared his Bachelor’s degree. All this while, Ramesh never looked back on his education, but kept on reaching for his dreams, through tough periods.

The UPSC Dream: The Struggle That Goes Into It

Ramesh decided to pursue his long-awaited dream of becoming an IAS officer in 2010, which he took up by attempting the UPSC examination. Unfortunately, he could not pass the first attempt. However, his mother took loans from villagers and sent him to Pune for further education. Ramesh began his UPSC preparation entirely on his own without using coaching and is all set to make it crack.

An IAS officer with victory against all odds:

The year 2012 saw her smart study pay off when she put up an impressive performance that won her the 287th rank in the annual UPSC exam. With the qualification under the disability quota, Ramesh Gholap finally fulfilled his dream of becoming an IAS officer. His life is an example of strength and tenacity and will become a great inspiration for people, especially those who believe that there is no hope for them in life.

The Journey of Ramesh Gholap: A Wonderful Inspiration

It’s a true inspiration that a premature newborn who suffered from polio has now turned into a successful IAS officer. The beauty of the story lies in teaching that with an appropriate attitude and continuous effort, anything can be achieved and greatness can be reached.