(TOPPER) : Meet Manoj Kumar(461 Rank) - Railway man cracks UPSC

Today he checks tickets of passengers on trains, tomorrow he could be a top-notch officer in the Indian Railways.

Meet Manoj Kumar (32), a train ticket examiner (TTE), who has been ranked 461 in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) results declared recently.

It was a dream come true for the TTE posted in the Ranchi division.

“It was the goal of my life to qualify in the UPSC exam. I am happy that my midnight toil for the past six years has finally borne fruit,” said Kumar, originally a resident of Bikramganj in Bihar.

In a country where political contacts work everywhere, Kumar could have chosen the easy way out.

For, his father is Sant Prasad Singh (80), a former MLA in Bikramganj.

But Kumar joined the railway in 1997 as a TTE in Nagpur and was transferred to Ranchi division in 2002.

The desire to upgrade himself motivated Kumar to work hard despite several hours of rigorous duty.

He could not clear the test five times but that did not deter him.

“When I reached home every evening after work I was left with little energy to study for the examination. But an inner urge to succeed in life kept pushing me,” he said.

Though he had completed his degree in sociology from BHU in 1995, Kumar chose to compete in the examination with geography and history as his subjects.

Kumar was so focused that he decided not to get married until he cleared the UPSC exam.

“I decided not to marry till I crack the civil services examination,” said Kumar, who has been working in the railway for 11 years.

Now that he has achieved his dream, is he getting ready for married life?

Not immediately, said the TTE, as he wants to take a “break from his worries” first.

But he has fallen in love.

The “chhuk chhuk” sound of trains has him hooked and he has opted for the railway service.

However, he is not sure if he would be given his choice of service — the Indian Railway Traffic Service or the Indian Railway Personnel Service.

“As I have a rich experience working with the railway, it would be good for the Indian Railways if I am allotted this commission,” the TTE added.

Courtesy : telegraphindia.com