Chandigarh For this UT cop, his memories
of the Manimajra police station will always remain close to his heart. It was
here, after all, that Kuldeep Chahal (27) burnt the midnight oil and covered the
distance between an ASI (assistant sub-inspector) and an IAS. He has scored 82nd
rank in the UPSC exams, the results of which were declared on Monday.
Coming from Ujhna village in Jind district of Haryana,
Kuldeep’s father is an illiterate farmer. On receiving the news of his son’s
success, his first reaction was: “Is IAS bigger than ASI?”
A student of the Government School, Ujhna, Kuldeep did a
Master’s in history from Kurukshetra University and came to Chandigarh. He
cleared the police recruitment exam and joined the UT police as an ASI three
years ago, before starting preparations for the IAS.
“It is a dream come true for me. I am happy that my hard
work has paid off. I was quite hopeful of getting a good rank,” said an elated
Kuldeep. During his tenure as an ASI, Kuldeep has been part of teams that
cracked several robbery cases.
He said: “Tables have turned and an ASI from a small
village has become an IAS. It was the endless hard work and determination that
helped me achieve my aim. And it is my elder brother, Suresh Chahal, a lecturer
with the Government College, Panchkula, whom I owe my success. I can never
forget the reaction of my father after he came to know of my success.”
Kuldeep added that his father had no idea what was
education all about and did not know what his children were doing. “All he used
to ask us was if we were performing well in our respective fields. Just an
answer in the affirmative would bring a smile on his face,” he said.
“I came to Chandigarh in 2004 and had joined a coaching
centre. But I did a lot of self study at the Panjab University library. I used
to initially study for around four hours. Though it was a little tough to manage
my time after joining the police, I used to squeeze out every single minute at
the Manimajra police station to be with my books,” said Kuldeep.
This was his third attempt. Kuldeep had failed to clear
the final interview in the previous two chances.
His brother Suresh said: “It is nothing short of a Diwali
for us. My younger brother has cracked the toughest exam in the country, after
all.”
