Last week, when I watched the movie 12th Fail based on struggle and success of an IAS aspirant Manoj Kumar, I was deeply moved to see the challenges he had gone through while preparing for civil services. But this week, when I came to know about the pain and suffering of IAS qualified Ummul Kher, I wondered why a film was not made on her struggle, determination, pain and agony when her challenges were more severe than Kumar’s.
Many times, during preparation for competitive exams candidates get disheartened and give up, thus missing their goals and aspirations. But it wasn’t the case with Kher who despite all odds never gave up and qualified civil services in her very first attempt and got All India Rank 420.
Born in a conservative Rajasthani family in Marwar, Kher moved to Delhi with her family when she was just five. They lived in Nizamuddin slum. Her father sold clothes on streets. When the slum was demolished, the family relocated to Trilokpuri slum. Kher had 16 fractures, underwent eight operations,and suffered from fragile bone disease.
Kher studied till Class V at Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute for the Physically Handicapped. Thereafter she completed Class VIII at Amar Jyoti Charitable Trust. When her mother died,her family barred her from continuing her education after Class VIII because they believed as a girl she had got more-than-enough education already.
She was told she would be disowned if she went to school more when she insisted on studying further. Her intention was also questioned. Kher made the difficult choice to move out of her family and live alone in Trilokpuri’s Jhuggi Jhopri Cluster. To support herself, she started giving tuition to slum children.
Her schooling and tuition fees for Classes IX and X were paid by Amar Jyoti Trust. In Class XII, Kher got 91 percent and managed to get admission in Gargi College. Her degree was in Psychology with Honors. An injury in 2012 left her confined to a wheelchair for a full year.
Kher passed entrance exam for JNU Master’s program in international studies after receiving her graduation degree. Thereafter she was awarded a Junior Research Fellowship at JNU in 2013, with monthly salary of Rs.25,000. She also worked as a trainee at Duskin Leadership Training in Shunjuku, Japan.
To Kher, the IAS was a dream from Standard II. For her never-say-die attitude, the IAS remained a dream despite pursuing her Ph.D. She is now working with the Finance Ministry as Deputy Commissioner.