SIVAGURU PRABAKARAN IAS |IAS Officer Inspirational Story

Sivaguru Prabakaran IAS
Sivaguru Prabakaran who cracked UPSC civil service examination in 2017 and secured  101st rank.


Sivaguru Prabakaran



"When you really love something, the entire universe conspires in helping you to achieve it"

The Present-day Health Secretary of Tamil Nadu J. Radhakrishna was a District collector of  Tanjore in the year of 2004.  The same year Kumbakonam was suffered from Fire Tragedy in School and J. Radhakrishnan proactively helped the poor people.  These incidents caught the eyes of Sivaguru Prabakaran which inspired him to become an IAS officer and to serve the people in need.

Sivaguru Prabakaran raised in a poor economic background and his family made a livelihood out of weaving palm leaves.  Born for S.Marimuthu and M Kanaga in Melaottankadu, Tanjore district.  Since his childhood, he was a bright student in the school.  He was attracted by school teachers for his brilliance.  His teacher Velu Ayya taught the importance of Education and Ethical living.  He followed his advice and cultivated knowledge from education consistently.  He believed that Education will weed out the family's poverty and positively contribute to society.

"Poverty is awful
Even more awful, Poverty during the Youth stage"



Since his 8th standard, he wants to pursue Engineering. Later, He became the School Topper in Higher Secondary Education and he was looking forward to joining Engineering.  On the day of Counselling for Engineering at Anna University, he couldn't pay Rs.5000 for counseling fees.  The dream to become an Engineer dropped and he was devastated for not joining Engineering. After two months, he joined Teacher education in Pudukottai for two years.  At the time, he did some farming works to contribute to the family.  He finished the teacher education without any job in hand.  So, he went to his town and worked as a mill operator and in the meantime as a farm laborer Whatever the money he earned, he spent half towards his family expenditure and the other half saved for his education. From 2004-2008, he funded his younger brother's engineering education and helped his older sister to get married.

" Education is the manifestation of perfection already in men"

In 2008, while he enrolled in Thanthai Periyar Government Institute of Technology.  His friends finished their engineering course and his brother was a senior to him.  For the first two years, the days went like normal engineering life.  The turning point of his life came when he met Ruben and inspired him to join IIT.

Ruben, the senior of him found his mathematical skills, motivated and sent him to Chennai for coaching.  On weekdays, he spent in an Engineering college and on the weekend gone for a coaching class in Chennai.  He slept in the St.Thomas Railway Station platform, Chennai every Saturday weekend.  Two years later, he finished an Engineering course and cracked the IIT entrance in the final year.  He joined MTech in IIT Madras(2012).  While coming for coaching, sir motivated him to prepare Indian Engineering Service.  So he started coming to St.Thomas in Chennai for IES coaching till 11.30 every night.  He used to sleep only 4 hours a day.  Hard work paid a price with All India Rank 75 in Indian Engineering Service in 2013. In the same year, he cracked the Gate exam with All India Rank 30.  With all job offers and 15 lacs salary, he neglected everything even though in the condition of Poverty.  He finished MTech in IIT Madras and joined in Railways later.

Before 4 months of joining Railways, he started preparing for the UPSC examination and joined Manithaneya IAS Academy, Anna Nagar.  Without celebrating the success of the Indian Engineering Service, he started putting efforts into preparing for the civil service examination in 2014.  In his first attempt, he scored only 27 marks.  He never regrets the marks but keeps trying for the civil service examination.  In his 3rd attempt, he secured a 910 All India Rank in 2016.  He secured 955 total marks in that attempt.  He found the shortcomings of becoming an IAS officer.  He matched the difference of 85 marks above than him those who got IAS in 2016.  He worked consistently for reaching the benchmark of 85 marks.  The second came when his friend informed him that he secured 101 AIR and fulfilled the dream of becoming an IAS officer in his 4th attempt.

The journey from Mill operator to Indian Administrative Service (IAS) fought against all odds in life and realized his dream of becoming a civil servant.

Thousand splendid Sun might burn you together
Pain and obstacles in life slowed down your effort
But Patience and Perseverance will make the determined soul succeed!


Read about Impactful Journey of Surya Sai Mohan who explored paths beyond UPSC. Click Here…




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