Meet IAS officer, who fought against corruption, was shot six times, lost an eye, he is...

Rinku Singh Rahi's life story is one of grit and determination, as he rose from a poor family and became an IAS officer. Rahi, who was among 16 IAS trainees who recently met Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, believes he can now fight corruption more effectively through the Indian Administrative Service.

Rahi's journey began in 2007 when he passed the PCS exam and became a District Social Welfare Officer. In June 2008, he was posted in Muzaffarnagar, where he implemented several reforms, such as making it mandatory to publish the amount of scholarship funds sent to each school and college in newspapers. This transparency exposed many corruption scandals in the Social Welfare Department, which did not sit well with some, according to reports.

His anti-corruption efforts led to violent opposition. In March 2009, while playing badminton, he was shot seven times. Three bullets hit his head, with one still lodged there. He lost an eye, and his jaw was shattered, according to Amar Ujala.

Despite this, he returned after four months in the hospital and took charge of the IAS-PCS coaching centre.

Rahi's fight against corruption saw him staging protests and being suspended in 2018 for exposing various scams. In 2022, he cleared the IAS exam under the disability quota.

His story encourages aspirants to not fear failure, as every setback is a lesson that helps one move forward. Rahi's story is an example of determination and hardwork.