Born in small towns,the stories of struggle and triumph of three young IAS probationers are similar to many IAS aspirants in the country. But the desire to outshine others and do things differently had helped them attain their goals. The three are Harikesh Meena,a native of remote Rajasthan village Sawai Madhopur in Hauntiya district,Dr Richa Verma of Yumanagar in Haryana and Rakesh Prajapati from Uttar Pradeshs Gorakhpur. Currently,they are on their field attachments in Kangra,Solan and Mandi districts. Harikesh,an electrical engineer,had cracked Indian Forest Service (IFS) in 2009. Prior to that,he worked with private sector Vedanta group in Orissa. While Richa is a dentist and a daughter of a government servant,Rakesh holds duel degrees in MTech (Mechanical and Computers) and had worked with NTPC and a private company in Paris. None have gone to English medium schools. I did not have plans to become a IAS officer. But my school teacher spoke about it when I was in Class V or VI. I did not forget his words. But me and my parents only hoped for something good. I always wanted a career which empowers me to do something for the society. I am in Himachal to fulfill my dream, said Harikesh. But for Harikeshs batchmate Rakesh,cracking IAS was more than a dream come true. I was doing well as a mechanical engineer in NTPC. However,one day my boss,perhaps unwittingly,snubbed me by saying dont try to behave like as collector (IAS officer).. that made me want to prove to him my worth and become a collector, he said. Richas is not very different than her colleagues. Having done her schooling at Karnal,Ambala and Panchkula,she wanted to make her mark in medicine. While doing her BDS at Rohtak,she decided to try her luck at UPSC. I feel lucky,as being a girl from Haryana,it is a double victory for me and my family. I do not feel things are so bad as is always projected. Girls are really shining in my state and education has brought about this change in the mindset, she said. Asked what they propose to do in Himachal,Richa added: Himachal has done very well in the education sector. Yet,the quality of education needs immediate attention. Some areas,including the tribal areas,needs better healthcare infrastructure. Disaster management and a sustainable model of growth is also needed. Thats the governments priority,I believe. Maintaining that Himachal is a peaceful state,Rakesh said: I believe use of IT can solve many problems to make the government corruption free and ensure greater accountability and transparency. On challenges faced by young IAS officers like Durga Shakti Nagpal,Richa said: We cannot give up once it comes to enforcing the rule of law. Every profession has hazards and we should be prepared.
