NRI husband left her in 15 days of marriage, she cleared India’s toughest exam UPSC, became IAS

Transition in every individual’s life is obvious if one gives absolutely everything to fulfill the goal. Ask a successful person about how they did it and they would simply say there are no shortcuts to real success.

One must realize that only hard work, great diligence as well as commitment is required to touch the pinnacle of success. Above all, believing in oneself is also one of the great ways to outsmart challenges.

Komal Ganatra has done something special that others can only dream of. Despite facing the difficulties in her career, she didn’t let the negativity get the better of her as she managed to tackle every snippet of move to clear one of the toughest UPSC civil service exams.

Komal has been very fortunate to have never faced gender disparity or fight for her rights as her father gave education the highest priority. She got to know about the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) from her father when she was just four years old.

Hailing from Savarkundla, a small town in Amreli district, Gujarat, Komal always dreamt of becoming an IAS officer. Her father provided her with an environment where she never experienced discrimination on the basis of gender equality. She was always encouraged to think independently and make her own decisions.

She decided to start preparing for the UPSC, but the same year her marriage was also fixed in 2008 with an NRI from New Zealand. She got married at the age of 26 as she never wanted to hurt her family. 

However, her husband’s parents started demanding dowry from her and threw her out of their house for her inability to produce enough dowry. Her husband deserted her and left for New Zealand. All this happened just two weeks after her wedding day.

Komal resorted to the police and the government to find her husband but her efforts went in vain. She even wrote to the Governor General of New Zealand with a hope to find her husband. Though she was replied to her letter, but no conclusion came out.

“At one point, I realised that chasing a man who left me would only disturb my mental peace. I channelised all my emotions and feelings to clear the UPSC exams,” says Komal.

The village, where she was teaching, had no access to the internet, smartphones, English dailies or laptops. She had no money to buy books. Having studied in Gujarati medium was also a challenge for her.

She had gone through a lot of struggles, but she never gave up and accepted all challenges in a positive manner. Despite all the difficulties and hardships she had faced, Tapasya touched the pinnacle of success.

Only a successful person knows how many obstacles lying in her way to success, she had to clear to accomplish her ultimate mission. Many would argue that success is an everlasting journey, however, every one of us would agree that turning the biggest dream into a reality is no less than success since it brings a smile on face and happiness in life.

When Komal appeared for the examination, she came out with flying colours securing 591 rank in UPSC. All leading newspapers highlighted her story. Komal says, “If it weren’t for my struggles, I would never have become so strong. My past taught me the virtues of independence and self-sufficiency.”

As the famous English proverb clearly says “all’s well that ends well”. She has now become a source of inspiration for many youths who dream to be IAS or IPS. She has achieved what others dream of. Many people read her inspirational story and get motivated. Let’s praise her for a big achievement.

Writer, historian, and activist Dharam Sikarwar is a very active author The Youth. He writes on national and international issues, environment, politics. He is an avid book reader as well.