It takes years of hard work and perseverance to crack one of the toughest exams in the country - the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) or the Civil Services Examination. Apart from these, a dose of positivity, perseverance, patience and a never give up attitude can bring success.
Today, we're sharing the inspiring tale of Pranjal Patil, who overcame all odds to become India's first visually challenged IAS officer. Her inspiring success story is full of struggles she underwent to accomplish her goal.
Know who is Pranjal Patil
Pranjal Patil is from Ulhasnagar, Maharashtra. She lost her eyesight in her childhood. But Pranjal did not give up. She has done her schooling at the Kamala Mehta Dadar School for the Blind in Mumbai and she pursued a degree in political science at St. Xavier's College.
Later, she completed her postgraduate degree in international relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi before pursuing her PhD and M.Phil. Pranjal appeared twice on the exam first in 2016 and once in 2017. In 2016, her rank was 744, and in her second attempt, she achieved AIR 124.
She completed a postgraduate degree in international relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi before pursuing her PhD and M.Phil.
It is worth mentioning, Pranjal never attended any coaching for IAS preparations. She used special software that read the books to her aloud. She took advantage of her earring ability despite the absence of one of her senses.
She was appointed Assistant Collector in Ernakulam, Kerala, in 2018 after securing the 124th rank in the 2017 Civil Services Examinations. Pranjal Patil is the Sub-Collector of Thiruvananthapuram at the moment and is assigned to Kerala.
She was refused a job in the Indian Railway Accounts Service due to her visual impairment.
