Dreams defying odds: Son of civic sweeper cracks UPSC exam

Thane: 32-year-old Prashant Suresh Bhojane, whose mother is employed as a civic sweeper in Thane city, Maharashtra, has achieved his long-cherished dream of cracking the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam. Despite facing numerous challenges, he remained steadfast in his pursuit.

The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2023 final results were announced on Tuesday, revealing Prashant’s remarkable achievement of securing the 849th rank.

Prashant embarked on his journey towards fulfilling his aspirations back in 2015, when he first attempted the exam. After nine determined tries, he finally succeeded, proving that perseverance knows no bounds.

His achievement gave a reason to cheer for the residents of Khartan Road Sweepers Colony, where his family lives, as they took out a procession in celebration on Wednesday night. A few local politicians also took part in it.

Prashant’s mother works as a sweeper with the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), while his father is a Class IV employee in the civic body. He completed his engineering degree, but was not interested in doing a job in that field as becoming an IAS officer was always his dream, his family members said.

Prashant said that while appearing for the UPSC exam, he started working in Delhi in 2020 at a competitive exam coaching centre, where he was given the job of checking mock exam papers of students. “That way I could study as well as earn my livelihood,” he said.

He said his parents would regularly ask him to stop giving the exams and return home, but he was confident and determined that he would achieve his goal one day.

“When I was appearing for the UPSC exam, my parents silently suffered throughout, but it has now paid off,” he said.

His father Suresh Bhojane said he was very happy to see his son passing the UPSC exam.

“Earlier, I wanted my son to start doing a job, but now we feel that what he had decided was just right,” he said.

Jagdish Kairalia, general secretary of ‘Shramik Janata Sangh Union’ that controls the labour union in several civic bodies, said Prashant’s success story was celebrated in every house in the locality.

“One should not underestimate the sweepers as their children also have talent. This boy has proven it and made us proud. He is a role model for others in the colony,” he said.