Greater Noida: At 18, he was told to leave NDA, at 30, he clears UPSC

30-year-old Surajpur resident, Manuj Jindal, is now a step closer to fulfil his dream to become an IAS officer

When he was 18 years old, Surajpur resident Manuj Jindal, now 30, was asked to leave the National Defence Academy (NDA) due to a back injury. The rejection that came quite early in his life only steeled his resolve to find another way to serve his country.

Manuj Jindal (30), a resident of Surajpur, Greater Noida, secured the 53rd rank in the civil services examination.

On Thursday, 12 years later, he secured the 53rd rank in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination 2017 and is now a step closer to fulfilling his dream of becoming an IAS officer.

In those 12 years, Manuj also acquired a bachelor’s degree from a reputed US university, worked in a foreign firm and even took the UPSC exam 2016, in which he scored a low rank.

“In 2016, my rank was in the 600s and I was put in the reserve category. Then I got placed with India Post and telecom finance services and I have been working there. But IAS was always my dream,” Manuj said.

Born and brought up in Greater Noida, Manuj comes from a humble family of five. His his father is a retired bank manager and mother a homemaker. Manuj’s younger brother is an entrepreneur, while the youngest sibling is a student.

After being rejected by the NDA, Manuj managed to receive a scholarship to the University of Virginia, US, where he pursued a bachelor’s degree in commerce.

“I returned from the US in 2010 and got hired by Barclays, a wealth management firm, where I worked for four years. I used the money I received from my work to pay off my student loans,” he said.

It took him two years to start the preparation of the civil services exam. Like other IAS aspirants, he slogged for eight hours a day to cover the vast syllabus. He has a unique tip for prospective candidates.

“Avoid being on social media when you are preparing for the exams. I deleted my Facebook and WhatsApp accounts and cut all ties with my friends. That ended up making them angry, but I am sure that they will understand me,” Manuj said.

His father Thansain Jindal could barely contain his happiness over his son’s success.

“He always had the potential to make it big. He had worked hard for the exams and, today, we are happy that he has secured a good rank,” Jindal said.

Asked why he opted for IAS, Manuj said, “The IAS is a unique and noble profession because it comes with a responsibility to serve society.”