A bus conductor with the BMTC, Madhu NC from Bangalore cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) mains by studying 5 hours daily. The first in his family to go to school, the 29-year-old cleared the prelims in June last year, the results of which were declared in October following which he started preparing for the mains. For the UPSC exams, he chose Political Science & International Relations as his optional subjects. Interestingly, he gave his preliminary exams in Kannada but his mains in English.
Madhu hails from the small town of Malavalli in Mandya. He started working at the age of 19 as a conductor after completing his school. Later, he went on to complete his graduation and post-graduation through distance learning and holds a Masters in Political Science degree.
He said, “My parents don’t know what exams I have cleared but are very happy for me. I am the first one to be educated in my family.”
He now plans to give up his job as a conductor and become an IAS officer like his present boss, C Shikha, the managing director of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation. For two hours every week, Shikha guided him to prepare for the interview.
Back in 2014, Madhu appeared for the Karnataka Administrative Services (KAS) exams and although he failed, he says it did not demotivate him, rather inspired him to do better. In 2018, he gave the UPSC exam but did not clear it as well. However, that did not stop him from reappearing for the exam again.
he said, “I always wanted to achieve something big in life. I started working early to support my family but that did not stop me from studying further. I used to study for 5 hours a day. My subjects were Ethics, Political Science, Maths and Science. I would study every day, before and after work. I would also wake up at 4 am and finish my studies before proceeding to work.”
He further added, “I watched a lot of youtube videos to learn how to prepare for the interview. I am learning the art of answering questions with confidence. I am very positive and confident that I will clear the interview too.” He is now preparing for his personal interview, which is slated for March 25.
Source: Bangalore Mirror
Posted in National, News
