Chandigarh, Aug 4 (IANS): This civil services topper from Haryana firmly believes, "If one has determination, he or she will achieve success."
Pradeep Singh, who hails from Haryana's Sonepat district, on Tuesday topped the Civil Services Examination of 2019.
"If I, who is from a modest background, can top the civil services examination, anyone can top it. For this, one needs determination to score," a happy Singh told the media.
"If I can do it, anyone can do it," he said.
He said his father Sukhbir Singh, who is a farmer by profession, was the inspiration for him.
"My father motivated me much. Also my teachers and mentors played a crucial role in my success," said Singh, who believes in self-study.
This was his fourth attempt in the civil services.
"At one point in time, I thought to stop preparing for civil services, but my father told me not to lose patience. Self-motivation is the key to success," he said.
Currently, he is under training as an Indian Revenue Service Officer in Faridabad.
Singh's father is the former Sarpanch of Tewri village in Ganaur block. His mother is a housewife.
For Singh getting quality education with limited resources in the family was the real challenge.
"I want to serve my home (Haryana) cadre and want to serve the downtrodden through the government schemes. But I will not mind serving them even in my personal capacity," he said.
"I love reading books, newspapers and periodicals and watching videos for knowledge," he said.
After completing his graduation in engineering, he took coaching for the Staff Selection Commission and got his first job as an Income Tax officer in Delhi five years ago.
He studied in his village school till Class VII.
His elder brother Ajit is married and younger sister Manisha has a postgraduate degree in mathematics.
"My son has proved that a candidate even from a humble background can become an IAS," his father Sukhbir Singh added.
The second rank in the civil services exam was secured by Jatin Kishore. Pratibha Verma at rank three was the highest scorer among females.