Belagavi youth tops IFS exam

Belagavi: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced the results of the Indian Forest Service (IFS) examination on Friday, and Basavaraj Dhareppa Kempawad, a native of Savadi village in Athani taluk, secured the first rank in his second attempt.Basavaraj belongs to a farming family of Savadi village. His family owns three-and-a-half acres of land. The achievements of the youngest son in the family, have brought joy to the entire family.Basavaraj was a bright student since his school days. He studied from class I to V at a private school in Savadi and from class VI to X at Morarji Desai Residential School at Alagawadi in Raibag taluk. He did his PUC in Yallatti, Jamkhandi taluk, in Bagalkot district. He completed his BSc (Forestry) in Sirsi, Uttara Kannada. Later, he went to Bengaluru and pursued self-study to crack the IFS exam.Siddu Kempawad, his elder brother, who is a constable in the Mysuru City Armed Reserve Force, said that Basavaraj did not pass the IFS preliminary exam on his first attempt, but his relentless efforts and hard work have paid off. "He secured first place in the entire country. He has shown that nothing is impossible if we don't give up trying. He has continued his studies with the dream of becoming an IAS officer," he said.Celebration in Savadi villageSavadi village in Athani taluk of Belagavi district has attracted the attention of the country due to Basavaraj's achievement. Congratulations are pouring in for the achievement of the son of an ordinary farmer. Villagers are celebrating the achievement of the proud son of the village, and are eagerly waiting for Basavaraj's arrival.Basavaraj Kempawad expressed joy at his topping the IFS examination. "I am currently in Bengaluru, and will reach my hometown in two-three days. I have been able to achieve this as a result of my continuous efforts. I have been educated mostly in rural areas, and it has made me very proud to have reached this stage as a farmer's son," he said."I did not resort to any special coaching classes. Instead, I took up self-study, and studied for 14 hours a day. I was able to clear this exam by studying under the continuous guidance of my elders," he added."Coming from a farming family, I naturally had an interest in forestry, ecology and environmental conservation. I completed my graduate studies by choosing those subjects. I have decided that I should engage in social service," he said."I corrected the mistakes I made during the first attempt, and found ways to improve further and reached my goal. I have a hard-working spirit and a goal-oriented mindset," he said.