Lost both palms at 10, cleared RAS on 2nd attempt: How a Rajasthan man became Tehsildar

RPSC has begun allocating services to candidates who cleared the Rajasthan Adminstrative Service 2024 recruitment examination. Among those who have secured a place in the state administration is Rajveer Gurjar of Dausa, who has now been assigned the post of Tehsildar.

Gurjar’s path to the service began with an accident in childhood that changed the course of his life. At the age of 10, he found what appeared to be a toy lying on the road outside his home in Salempur village.

He took it home, intending to play with it. The object exploded when he tried to use it, and Gurjar lost the palms of both his hands.

The injury, however, did not end his education or his ambition.

In a conversation with NDTV, Gurjar spoke of the years that followed and the manner in which he taught himself to write. He holds a pen between his hands and writes with it, a practice that enabled him to complete his schooling and college education before turning to the RAS examination.

“I believe that no matter what physical disability you have, you should not let it overpower your mind. It is important to keep your mind strong. If you have strong intentions, you can do anything,” Gurjar said during the interview.

He had long wished to become an officer. As a child, he would watch officers and imagine himself in such a position one day.

His disability meant that the Rajasthan Police Service was not an option for him, but the desire to enter public service remained.CONTINUOUS STUDY LED TO SUCCESS

Gurjar holds master's degrees in Hindi and Political Science.

The RAS 2024 examination was his second attempt. His first attempt did not bring the result he wanted. He chose not to abandon the effort and prepared again through self-study. On his second attempt, he cleared the examination and secured the fourth rank in the Divyang category.

His account to NDTV also reflected the importance he places on persistence. During his preparation, he said, he believed that success would come, even if it arrived later than expected. For him, the delay was not a reason to stop trying.

Gurjar comes from a family in which his father, Vikram Singh, serves as a head constable in the police department and his mother is a homemaker. He also has a younger brother. The family, he said, stood by him through his studies and preparation.

Now, after his selection, Gurjar has another purpose before him. Coming from a rural background, he said he understands some of the difficulties faced by people around him and hopes to work towards easing them.

“I will work with complete honesty. I want to provide every possible support to disabled and hard-working children like me so that they too can fulfill their dreams,” he said.

For Gurjar, the examination was not merely a test of academic preparation. It was another stage in a pursuit that had begun much earlier, when the loss of his hands might have been enough to alter the ambition he had carried since childhood. He continued instead, learning to write in a different manner, appearing for the examination again after his first failure, and eventually entering the state administration as a Tehsildar.- Ends