Meet man, who lost father at 5, grew up in orphanage, didn't crack UPSC exam but became IAS officer, is posted at..

Success stories of IAS officers offer inspiration to UPSC aspirants who study day and night to achieve their dreams. Thousands of candidates take this most competitive exam (UPSC) each year, but only a few manage to pass. Even fewer are those who crack the UPSC exam on their first try. In this article, we will talk about IAS B Abdul Nasar who beat all odds to become an IAS officer.

Hailing from Thalasseri in Kerala's Kannur, lost his father when he was five years old. He and his siblings were living in an orphanage, while his mother was employed as a domestic worker. Following that, Nasar spent 13 years living in an orphanage in Kerala while completing his studies. At the age of ten, he began working as a cleaner and hotel supplier. He left his orphanage too, but he returned to finish his education. 

Despite the challenging circumstances, he finished high school and received his diploma from the government college in Thalassery. To help support his family, Nasar also took on odd occupations like newspaper delivery man, tuition teacher, and phone operator.

Nasar subsequently enrolled at Kozhikode's Farook College to earn a master's degree and a bachelor's degree in education.

He was employed by the government in 1994 as an official in the Kerala Health Department following the receipt of his postgraduate degree. He received a promotion to the State Civil Service post of Deputy Collector in 2006. In 2015, Nassar was acknowledged as Kerala's top Deputy Collector.

He received a promotion to the position of IAS officer in 2017. He worked for the Keralan government as the Housing Commissioner. As of 2019, he holds the position of District Collector for Kollam.