Some stories offer new hope, and a way to make life beyond the traditional patterns. They showcase the reality of a bold, confident and an aspirational India
On Monday evening, at New Delhi's elite Civil Services Officers Institute, Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha, in his eloquent style complimented young IAS officer Ravindra Kumar, for his tenacity, and resolve to set big goals and make his way to achieve these.
Sinha was unveiling Kumar's book, Many Everests: An Inspiring Journey of Transforming Dream Into Reality. Kumar is the first IAS officer to have climbed Mt Everest, and this book is about this, and many other highs, and lows in his life.
Kumar said, “This is a thought-provoking book, which has tremendous potential to change the way you look at your life. It reveals to you, the hidden potential lying idle in you. It offers you a new approach, and a new way to make, and live a happy, successful, and peaceful life. It aims to ignite minds of many, who have lost hope, especially the youth and students.”
Sinha nicely captured the journey of this officer — after being born in a small farmer's family in Bihar to cracking two of the toughest, and prestigious examinations, the IIT-JEE, and Civil Services.
People like Kumar, who grew up in adverse circumstances, and yet made it to the top service in the country, deserve more kudos for such feat, than someone like me, who got the best of education, and environment to be able to qualify for the IAS, said Sinha.
The Cabinet Secretary was highlighting a unique shift in aspirational quest of our society of our times — where students from modest backgrounds, were rising up the ranks to pursue, and acquire, excellence.
Kumar epitomises a quiet, yet resolute yearning of the little India to aspire to compete with the big and bold India. In many parts of India today, students in rural and backward areas, are aiming high, and striving to get the best for themselves. It is also a cultural shift.
This trend can be attributed to the massive lift in aspiration, caused among others, by the amplification of success stories, and the virtues it bestows on the achievers by the mass media, especially television.
It is this perennial pursuit of supremacy, that drives millions of young men and women in India, to acquire greatness. Yet the path could be replete with challenges, and Kumar's book nicely captures these, besides offering solutions, and hope.
However, what makes Kumar's case stand out is not the book per se, but the passion to go higher even after getting into the IAS, a job millions aspire for. What's interesting, the breed of Kumar is growing, and this brings to fore, a new generation of super achievers, who possess a voracious urge to excel.
Amritsar-based Suhail Sharmawould have got a cushy job, after doing his BTech in Electronics & Communication. However, the fire within kept pushing him to get better, and he went on to join the elite Indian Police Service in the Maharashtra cadre.
His urge to excel continued, and this sports enthusiast went on to climb the Mt Everest, and became the first officer to do so from the North ie China side, which is considered more daunting. “Everest is not just about the mountains. It's all about emotions of trust, courage, sacrifices which brings the mountains alive. Any goal which has the ingredients of these emotions is an Everest in its entirety, and one must find one's own Everest and win over.”, says Sharma.
And, then there is Aparna Kumar, the first lady IPS officer to climb Mt Everest earlier this year. And with this, she has become the first civil servant to scale the highest peaks in six out of seven continents.
“She has an unswerving resolve to scale peaks, and set new goals. Aparna's determination is as tall as the Everest, and steadfast as Kanchenjunga. Her story of courage and triumph, is inspiring”, says IAS officer Sanjay Kumar, Aparna's husband and District Magistrate of Allahabad.
The new-age achievers have set a new benchmarks of success for India's youth to emulate. They are the country’s new outliers.
(The writer is a strategic communications professional)