(SUCCESS STORY) K Jaiganesh (156th rank) : From serving food to serving people

K Jaiganesh : From Serving Food To Serving People

K Jaiganesh For the last eight months, K Jaiganesh (29) served food to hungry customers at a small eatery next to Satyam Cinemas in the city. Now, he will continue to serve people, though in a different capacity " as a civil servant.

Battling poverty, Jaiganesh has fought his way up to emerge the 156th rank holder in the Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Exam 2007.

Born in an impoverished, backward class family in a remote village, Vinavamangalam, near Ambur in northern Tamil Nadu, Jaiganesh is now looking forward to moving away from cleaning tables and taking food orders to learning the nuances of administration at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy for Public Administration in Mussourie.

Jaiganesh passed the exam after six unsuccessful attempts

Jaiganesh, who managed to acquire a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the Government Thanthai Periyar Institute of Technology in Vellore, had to take up odd jobs in order to pursue his dream to join the IAS.


The eldest of four siblings, he had landed in Chennai after graduation. "I had tried unsuccessfully to appear for the civil services examinations thrice from my village. I realised that I needed to be in Chennai to be able to make it. Therefore, I secured admission at the government-run All-India Institute for IAS Coaching at Anna Nagar. Having come here, I had to take up whatever work I could get to pay my monthly mess bill of Rs 600 and travel," he recalls.


At first, he worked in Satyam Cinemas, issuing tickets for a monthly salary of Rs 3,000. "But soon, I found myself caught in a 10 am to 8 pm job that did not give me enough time to prepare for the civil services. As a result, in 2004 I failed in the main examination. I decided to quit the job and moved from one job to another before landing up as a waiter. Thankfully, at the eatery I had time to study," Jaiganesh says.


During his three years in Chennai, Jaiganesh stayed with his friends and used their phones to stay in touch with others. Today, after his success after six unsuccessful attempts, Jaiganesh has this to say: "It's been a struggle all through."


Meanwhile, another TN candidate, Vinod Seshan of Villupuram has emerged as the all-India third ranker in civil services this year.


Courtesy : timesofindia.indiatimes.com