The daughter of a daily wage labourer from Odisha, has secured the 13th rank in UPSC’s IES examination. Successful after fighting many financial constraints, Aparajita Priyadarshini Behera dedicates her success to her father. This is her story.
24-year-old Aparajita Priyadarshini Behera has set a perfect example to show that financial difficulties, daily hardships and a person’s background can never come in the way of achieving whatever we want to achieve in life.
The daughter of a daily wage labourer from Odisha, Aparajita has secured an all India rank of 13 in the reputed Indian Economic Service (IES) examination conducted by UPSC (Union Public Service Commission).
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A resident of Mahanangala village in Kendrapara district, Aparajita completed her schooling from Mohanangala Primary and Kapileswar High School in the village. She then moved on to Marshaghai college near Kendrapara for plus two, and degree courses. With an urge for learning more and to progress towards her dream, she completed her Post Graduation in Economics from Utkal University. As of now, she is pursuing a PHD from Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Aparajita gives the credit for her success to her father, who has been her inspiration and guide. “He sweated it out to financially support me in my studies. He never made me feel the pangs of poverty. Whatever I achieved today is only because of my father. I dedicate my all India job to him,” she was reported saying to PTI.
Her father, Amulya Kumar Behera is a 50-year-old labourer at a fertiliser plant of Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO). He works on a daily pay roll basis with an assignment which is completely contractual in nature. His monthly remuneration comes to less than Rs. 10,000. But in spite of financial difficulties, he never neglected the education of his children – a son and two daughters.
Aparajita, who believes that there are no shortcuts to success, read all the required material extensively as her preparation for UPSC’s IES examination. It is her motto to serve for the country with honesty. She was nervous about the final interview, but says that the panel was very supportive and gave her the confidence to reply to all their questions.
Her family, along with the entire village including her school teachers and friends, are overjoyed with the news of her success. “We all are on cloud nine,” said her mother Jemamani to The Indian Express.