Daijiworld Media Network – Mysuru

Mysuru, June 29: While 53-year-old Channabasappa was busy watering his field under the scorching of an afternoon sun, a phone call from his daughter turned an ordinary day into an unforgettable one. Preethi A C, his younger daughter, had just learned that she had secured the 263rd rank in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2024 — and she couldn’t wait to share it with the man who had first planted the IAS dream in her heart.

A resident of Mayigowdanahalli village in Saligrama taluk in Mysuru district, Channabasappa never attended school himself. A part-time cook by profession, he has toiled for decades to make ends meet and support the education of his two daughters. His dream was simple but ambitious — to see one of them become a civil servant.

“It was one of the happiest moments of my life,” said Channabasappa, who was working at a choultry in Periyapatna when the results came in.

Despite severe financial constraints, he and his wife Netravati, a homemaker, ensured that their daughters received a proper education. Preethi studied entirely in government institutions — from Kannada-medium schools to a government PU college in KR Nagar. She went on to earn a BSc in Agriculture from the College of Agriculture in Mandya and an MSc in Agriculture from Banaras Hindu University.

To achieve her UPSC success, Preethi relied purely on self-study and determination. “This was my third attempt. I didn’t take any coaching. I chose anthropology as my optional subject,” she said.

For Preethi, cracking the UPSC wasn’t just a personal milestone — it was the fulfilment of her father’s long-cherished dream. “He’s the reason I even dared to dream of this. It’s his achievement as much as mine,” she added.

From borewells and cooking jobs to the bureaucratic corridors of India, this is a story of grit, sacrifice, and an unwavering belief in the power of education.