IAS Vijay Amruta Kulange initially wanted to pursue a medical degree but he couldn't due to his family's financial conditions.
IAS Success Story: UPSC Civil Services Exam is one of the toughest entrance exams in India. However, if one prepares for it religiously, then he/she can crack it.
It does not matter whether you are rich or poor, you can become an IAS officer if you have that determination.
Such is an inspiring story of IAS Vijay Amruta Kulange who is currently the Collector of Ganjam district in Odisha. He defied the odds to pass the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in first attempt and became an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer.
1. Family background
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He was born in the tiny village of Ralegan in Maharashtra’s Ahmadnagar district. His father worked as a tailor and his mother was a daily wage worker on farms.
Kulange says his parents always used to give proper attention to his education. "They fulfilled all the needs I required during my education. I never felt a lack of books or other educational materials,” he said.
2. Worked as a primary school teacher
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Vijay Kulange enrolled in a science stream at an Ahmednagar residential high school. After passing class 12, he wanted to pursue a medical degree. However, he was unable to enrol in MBBS due to his family’s financial condition.
Later, his mother advised him to get a job and become self-sufficient, and then pursue a career that suited his interests.
Following that, he began working as a primary teacher in a government school while studying for a Diploma in Education (D.Ed).
3. He first cracked Maharashtra civil services exam
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After securing a diploma from Pune University, he began preparing for the civil services. Later, he applied for Maharashtra civil services but was unsuccessful in his first two attempts.
He finally cracked the Maharashtra civil service and was selected as a sales tax inspector in his third attempt. He joined as a Tahasildar in his fourth attempt.
4. His IAS journey
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While he was working as Tahasildar, his Collector (an IAS officer) suggested him to prepare for the UPSC civil services exam.
Kulange then took and passed the UPSC exam. After scoring 176th in the exam, he was assigned to the Odisha cadre in 2013.
