Meet IAS officer, who can't speak or listen, still aced UPSC in his first attempt with AIR...

There is not an iota of doubt that Union Public Service Commision Exam (UPSC) is one hard nut to crack. However, our country is not deprived of young talents who aspire to crack the examination, despite harships and adversities. 

One such example is D Ranjith, a differently-abled candidate from Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore having hearing and speech impairment, who clinched an All India Rank (AIR) 750 in his first attempt in the UPSC CSE 2020 exam. 

The journey was not smooth for Ranjith. He faced multiple rejections during college placements. Instead of giving up, he chose to walk on tha path of struggle and today, he is no stranger to success. 

Who is D Ranjith?

Hailing from Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore, D Ranjith belongs to a middle-class family. His mother Amruthavalli, who worked as a school headmistress, taught him lip-reading, which helped him learn faster. 

With his hard work and dedication, Ranjith scored 80 per cent in his grade 12th examination, which further fuelled the passion towards his career. Aspiring to become an engineer, Ranjith opted for B.tech. However, during the college placements, companies turned him down due to his hearing and speech disability. 

Determined to achieve something in life, Ranjith told his mother that he wanted to prepare for UPSC. His mother extended him unwavering support. 

Ranjith aced UPSC in his first attempt at the age of 27 

The moment came for D Ranjith when he got to know that he had cleared the UPSC Civil Service Examination (CSE) in his first attempt with AIR 750, defying the odds. K. Sabarinathan, one of the teachers who coached him on current affairs, recalled that "he would sit in the front row and read our lips while attending classes.”

Ranjith is currently posted as Assistant Collector in Palakkad, Kerala.