Meet man, son of farmer, grew up in poverty, cracked UPSC exam with AIR..., now holds this prestigious position

It's a dream for countless people across India to crack the extremely competitive Civil Services Examination (CSE), annually conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). But not all of them come from the same background. In fact, many are faced with tremendous challenges as they come from significantly disadvantaged backgrounds. And yet, they remain determined to snatch success despite the obstacles facing them. One such example is of Aditya Patel, who grew up in poverty but wrote his own destiny through strong commitment and sheer hard work. Read on to know more about his journey.

Father's dream for son
Hailing from Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh, Aditya is the son of a farmer. While the family had significant financial constraints, his father didn't let that come in the way of his children's education. Aditya completed his primary education in his village before graduating from the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and becoming a teacher. But his father had bigger dreams for him and wanted to see him become a District Collector. Aditya, who initially did not have much knowledge about the UPSC CSE exam, decided to give a try. In 2017, he cleared all rounds of the prestigious exam, securing an all-India rank of 919.

Top job with govt
Aditya, who also holds a master's degree in Regional Development and Planning from the Delhi School of Economics, today serves as deputy director of the Armament Research and Development Establishment within the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Previously, he served as an Intelligence Officer at the Ministry of Home Affairs. He is also a Visiting Fellow at the Centre of Policy Research and Governance (CPRG India), according to his LinkedIn profile.
Reports say he also teaches free of cost at a UPSC coaching center in Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar, where he was once a student. He also provides guidance and motivation to aspirants through special sessions.
Aditya's elder brother works as a senior manager at a State Bank of India (SBI) branch.