Manoj Kumar Sahoo, the son of a tea vendor in Orissa’s Jagatsinghpur district, has made it to the IAS. He secured the 34th rank in the Civil Services exams (the results came out a few days back). And what’s more, he did it without quota.
Manoj (26) didn’t have fancy schooling. He went to a village school and then to a local college. From there, he did an MSc in agriculture from Junagarh University in Gujarat, where he bagged a gold medal. Today, he is the toast of his village. The district administration is planning a civic reception for the young achiever. District collector Satyabrat Sahu says Manoj is a role model for other students.
Proud father Babaji Charan has already decided to down the shutters of his stall, saying: “Running the stall may affect my son’s reputation. Besides, why should I work as my mission has been accomplished?”
As for Manoj, he attributes his success to his hard work -- not coaching classes, not fancy school, and not quota.