Boy who picked tendu patta back in forest as IFoS officer

RAIPUR: In a story that mirrors the quiet resilience of Chhattisgarh's forest hinterland, a young man who once spent his childhood collecting tendu leaves and mahua has made it to one of the country's most prestigious civil services. Ajay Gupta, son of a tendu leaf collector from Sambalpuri village in Raigarh district, has secured an All India Rank of 91 in the Indian Forest Service (IFS), scripting a journey from forest floors to the frontline of conservation. Ajay told TOI that he also cleared the civil services examination with 452 rank this year.Ajay says NIT opened his vision for bigger goals Amid financial constraints, he remained academically consistent, scoring 92.66% in class 10 and 91.40% in class 12. His performance earned him admission to the National Institute of Technology, Raipur, with scholarships supporting his education for three years.Ajay said his ambitions were earlier limited to his village, but NIT changed his outlook. "It was only after entering NIT that I realised I could aim higher," he said, adding that his forest connection and rural development work in Bastar shaped his civil services goal.Balancing studies with helping his family, he returned during vacations for livelihood work. State scholarships and forest produce support schemes helped him focus on exams. CM Sai said his success reflects forest families' resilience, while forest minister Kedar Kashyap called it symbolic of aspirations from remote regions.