Daijiworld Media Network – Assam (MS)
Assam, Apr 7: The story of IAS officer Narayan Konwar echoes that of fellow IAS officer Manoj Kumar. Like Manoj, Narayan faced academic challenges, dropping out of 12th grade. Despite once being drawn to join the ULFA extremist group, Narayan pursued a career in the civil services and currently serves as a secretary-level officer in the Assam Secretariat.
Born into a family struggling for survival in a remote village in the Morigaon district of Assam, Narayan faced considerable hardship. His father, the family's sole provider and a teacher, passed away when Narayan was young. Left with financial burdens, Narayan's mother took up daily wage labor and sold vegetables to support the family. Despite their efforts, making ends meet was a constant struggle. Narayan also assisted his mother while studying but fell short of passing the 12th-grade examination.
Despite his impoverished background, Narayan exhibited remarkable determination from a young age. Until he enrolled at ADP College, his mother relied on selling vegetables for income. Narayan supplemented the family income by selling fried chana and papad in the evenings. At one point, Narayan, faced with financial hardship, contemplated joining the ULFA extremist group.
Recalling those difficult times, Narayan says, "The village where I grew up was infested with ULFA extremists. We saw them daily, clad in uniforms and armed. Seeing one of my classmates join them, I too contemplated following suit."
After completing his 12th grade, Narayan graduated from a local college with second-class honors. He went on to earn a first-class postgraduate degree from Gauhati University.
Narayan secured a lecturing position at ADP College in Nagaon after completing his postgraduation. It was during his time at ADP College that Narayan first entertained the idea of attempting the UPSC exam. Although he initially failed, he persevered and achieved All India Rank 119 in his second attempt in 2010.
The stories of Narayan Konwar and Manoj Sharma parallel each other. Both faced poverty and academic setbacks, yet they embraced their failures as opportunities for growth, working tirelessly to attain the highest goals.