Kirit Rathod, the only Gujarati IPS officer in Uttar Pradesh, has had a long and arduous journey from civil engineering to civil services. Born in Kalmad village of Muli taluka of Surendranagar, Rathod’s early life was marked by challenges. Despite these, his love for reading and his parents’ influence as government school teachers shaped his future.
Rathod graduated in Civil Engineering from LE Engineering College, Morbi and initially joined a private company as a site engineer for railway bridge construction. It was here that he got a close look at government work, sparking his interest in civil service.
The devastating earthquake on January 26, 2001, brought about a significant change in Rathod’s life. During the rehabilitation work, he saw the human impact of such disasters and felt the enormity of government service. This experience led him to pursue further studies, completing his post-graduation in Transport Engineering at Vadodara.
While juggling his studies and job, Rathod began preparing for various government exams. The success stories of Hitesh Makwana, a Gujarati IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre and Praveen Solanki inspired him to consider civil service.
After completing his masters, Rathod joined the irrigation department at Bhuj as an assistant engineer. A fellow engineer and friend, Bharat Saxena, further encouraged his dream of joining the civil service. Rathod later accepted a lecturer position in a government engineering college in Bharuch, believing that an academic job would aid his UPSC preparation.
Rathod’s preparation was rigorous. He balanced his job and studies, commuting between Bharuch and Ahmedabad. He focused on limited books, understanding his strengths and weaknesses, and cultivated the habit of reading newspapers critically. For Rathod, the civil service examination was not just a job; it was an obsession and a means to fight socio-economic inequalities.
Rathod gave a total of three attempts and reached the personality test twice. Despite initial setbacks, he persevered. He believes that the form is most important in the personality test and advises aspirants to have a clear answer to ‘why’ they want to join civil services.
Rathod’s hard work paid off when he was selected into the Indian Police Service, securing the 540th rank. He currently holds the position of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) officer in Uttar Pradesh.
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