Mother Carries Son to UPSC Success After 5 Attempts

When Nitish Kumar saw his name on India's civil service exam results, his mother Kela Devi was harvesting crops in their village field. The call he made to share his All India Rank of 847 belonged as much to her as it did to him.

For years, Kela carried her son wherever he needed to go. Nitish lost the ability to walk normally around age four or five, and despite trying every treatment his farming family could afford, relief remained elusive. When local doctors couldn't help, villagers suggested a visit to Sajoda Dham in Jodhpur, where his condition finally improved enough to focus on his education.

His path to learning started at home in Khatoti Kala village, Haryana's Mahendragarh district. Nitish taught himself to read through newspapers and books until census workers noticed the bright boy and convinced his parents to enroll him in formal school. He joined Class 7 at the government school, later attended CL Public School in Narnaul on a full scholarship, and completed his postgraduate studies in Hindi.

The 28-year-old faced the notoriously difficult Union Public Service Commission exam five times before succeeding. Moving to a city for coaching wasn't possible because of his physical limitations, so Nitish chose online learning and prepared from home. He analyzed previous question papers obsessively, created concise notes, and revised the same materials seven or eight times rather than constantly adding new sources.

Through every stage, his mother remained his constant support. She carried him when he needed to travel, arranged his books, prepared his meals, and shielded him from discouragement. Though not highly educated herself, Kela showed resilience that shaped everything Nitish became.

"She has sacrificed everything for me," Nitish says. "Wherever I need to go, she carries me. I always felt that I must do something meaningful for her."

Why This Inspires

Nitish's story reveals what becomes possible when determination meets unconditional support. His mother worked the fields by day and carried her son's dreams by night, never wavering in her belief that physical challenges wouldn't define his future. After four failed attempts, many would have given up, but Nitish saw each setback as information, not defeat.

His strategy shifted from consuming endless study material to deeply understanding what the exam actually required. That wisdom, combined with his mother's unwavering faith, turned an impossible dream into rank 847.

Today, the boy who couldn't walk to school will serve his nation as a civil servant, carried there by a mother's love and his own remarkable persistence.