Meet man who used to sell newspapers at 9, left his job to crack UPSC exam, he is…

P Balamurugan, whose inspiring journey demonstrates the value of tenacity and diligence. He grew up in Keelkattalai, Chennai, in a family of eight and was impacted by poverty at a young age. His mother, a single working parent, instilled in all of her children the importance of education despite these obstacles. Differentiating himself from his siblings, Balamurugan showed an insatiable curiosity. He started reading Tamil newspapers at the age of 9, and in order to fund his passion of learning, he even started working as a paper delivery boy. His teachers gave him additional study materials to advance his education because they saw how dedicated he was to learning.

Following his graduation, Balamurugan attended the Madras Institute of Technology to pursue a degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering. The achievement of landing a job at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) through campus placement marked a major turning point in his career. However, he quit his job in order to succeed in the UPSC exam.

Balamurugan persisted in pursuing his goal of becoming a civil servant in spite of numerous obstacles and three years of UPSC exam failure. Ultimately, in 2018, his resolute perseverance paid off as he passed the UPSC IFS Exam.

After completing his training, Balamurugan was promoted to the esteemed position of Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer in the Rajasthan Forest Department in 2019. He considered his time working in Australia as a crucial experience that gave him a new outlook on his future, and he gained invaluable experience there before returning to India.