For the last eight months, K Jaiganesh (29) served food to hungry customers at a small eatery next to Satyam Cinemas in the city. Now, he will be serving the people in a different capacity — as a civil servant after emerging the 156th rank holder in UPSC exam.
Born to poor parents in a little known village, Vinavamangalam, near Ambur in TN, Jaiganesh is looking forward to moving away from cleaning tables and taking food orders to learning the nuances of administration. Though Jaiganesh holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, this eldest of four siblings, had to take up odd jobs in Chennai to fund his IAS dreams.
"I had tried unsuccessfully for civil services thrice from my village. I realised I needed to be in Chennai to be able to make it. Therefore, I secured admission at an IAS coaching centre at Anna Nagar. I had to take up whatever work I could get to pay my monthly mess bill of Rs 600," he recalls.
At first, he worked in the Satyam Cinemas for a salary of Rs 3,000. "But soon, I found myself caught in a 10 am to 8 pm job. As a result, in 2004 I failed in the mains. I decided to quit the job and moved from one job to another before landing up as a waiter. At the eatery I had time to study," Jaiganesh says.
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