Many people have the same dream of becoming an IAS or IPS officer, but very few people manage to persevere through the demanding path to achieve this esteemed objective. Hrudaya Kumar Das, an IRS agent from Odisha, is one such person who overcame all obstacles to fulfill his father’s ambition.
Born into a lowly background, Das’s unwavering love for cricket inspired him to pursue his childhood ambition of becoming a cricket player. But life had other ideas, and he never achieved his cricketing goals. A turning point in Hrudaya’s life occurred when, after finishing Class 12, financial difficulties forced his father to sell their land in order to pay for his son’s further education. Willing to conquer hardship, he made the decision to dedicate all of his attention to passing the UPSC exam, a DNA report stated.
Hrudaya started his schooling at his village’s government school. He later attended Utkal University for a five-year Integrated MCA program while preparing for the demanding UPSC exam. Nevertheless, he failed the UPSC Civil Services Examination twice in his first attempts. Undaunted, Das persisted, and on his third try, his diligence was eventually rewarded. He succeeded in 2015, earning an IRS service slot and an All India Rank (AIR) of 1079.
“I’m honored to be the son of a dedicated farmer. My father works hard in the fields to provide for the family on our small 1.5-acre irrigated farm. Hrudaya was quoted by Deccan Herald following his UPSC success, “My younger brother is pursuing an MBA, and my father made the sacrifice of selling a portion of our land to fund my education.”
“In primary and high school, I excelled in studies, but in my plus two science exams, I only managed a second-class result,” he continued, reflecting on his journey. I had a hard time accepting that as a setback. Despite my success in cricket, where I represented Kendrapara district in inter-district competitions, I had to decide between my studies and cricket. After my father gave me the sage advice to pursue further education, I never looked back.
“I really think that hard work is always rewarded. By sheer willpower and determination, I set my sights on the civil service. But what really made this dream possible for me to achieve was my family’s unwavering support,” Hrudaya stated in the interview.
