On 5th attempt Bengaluru cop clears UPSC, 'never give up' is his message

Santosh Bheemaiah, a sub-inspector with the Bengaluru traffic police is all set to join the Indian Revenue Services

The Bengaluru traffic police department is a proud force. One of their own is all set to make a mark in the Indian Revenue Services. Sub-inspector in Bengaluru, Santosh Bheemaiah who cleared UPSC examinations on his 5th attempt has one message to all, never give up on your dreams.

The 35-year-old Santosh Bheemaiah comes from a family of civil servants. His father is a retired IAS officer while his brother is serving as an IAS officer in Bengaluru. For this married cop, his family is the biggest strength. Having been in the police uniform since 2007, Santosh is all set to turn an Indian Revenue Service officer. Will he miss his uniform? Yes, says the Bengaluru lad.

"I became a police officer in 2007 and have been posted in Bengaluru since 2010. This is my fifth attempt. I made it to the interview round in 2012 but could not go further. I never gave up. My family and friends encouraged me and I am here today," said Santosh Bheemaiah talking to OneIndia.

Being a policeman is not easy. Finding the time to study and crack UPSC is no child's play while being in the police force. So how did this man manage it all? We asked him and he said that his seniors in the Department played an instrumental role. "I opted for a non-executive post in the department. I would study two hours before office and a couple more after office hours. If not for the encouragement and motivation from my seniors it would have been difficult. Whenever I faced failures they encouraged me not to give up. and the results are here," he said.

So proud was the Bengaluru police about Santosh's achievement that the Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) tweeted congratulating Santosh. "My first choice was of course IAS. IPS was my second choice and IRS was the third. With the ranking that I have received, I am likely to be posted as an IRS officer. It is still what I hoped for and I am glad," Santosh said.

"It is definitely not easy to sustain for so many years. Like I said this is my fifth attempt and it is not just academics and the support one receives from family and friends also matters. My family has played a major role in this and my friends have helped me academically," he added. Santosh Bheemaiah who was inducted into the police department after an examination thinks of it as a stepping stone. "I thought, if I could crack the exam to become a police officer, I should definitely try something bigger," he said.

Being a police officer, Santosh says, has given him a rich experience of being in civil services. "Government services are all about Human Resource Management, Personnel management and interaction with people and the police department has helped me gain vast experience in all of this," he said.

OneIndia News