Photo of the Week: How a Shepherd’s Son Made It to the IPS

Birdev Siddhappa Done’s early years unfolded far from classrooms and coaching centres. They passed in open fields in rural Maharashtra, where tending sheep was part of everyday life. Responsibility arrived early. Work shaped the day. Education had to find its place around it.

He studied in government schools, carrying books alongside duties at home. Progress came through routine rather than ease. College followed the same pattern. Time was managed carefully. Effort was steady, even when resources were limited. The idea of the civil services took shape slowly, informed by observation and a growing sense of purpose.

The long road to UPSC 

The journey from those fields to the UPSC examination halls did not move in a straight line. Birdev appeared for the exam more than once. Each attempt demanded reassessment. Study plans were refined. Mistakes were revisited. What remained constant was discipline and the support of a family that believed education could change outcomes, even if the process tested patience.

Clearing the UPSC Civil Services Examination marked a clear shift. From a life shaped by grazing routes and seasonal movement, Birdev stepped into a role defined by structure, authority, and public responsibility. His IPS allotment carried weight, not just for him, but for the community that had watched the effort unfold quietly over years.

Training introduced a new environment. Formal systems replaced familiar rhythms. Travel expanded horizons. For Birdev and his family, boarding a flight together for the first time became a marker of how far the journey had travelled, from village fields to national institutions.

Today, Birdev Siddhappa Done stands at a different point than where he began. The distance between grazing sheep and cracking the IPS is measured in years of persistence, learning, and collective belief. The journey reflects change built patiently, step by step, without losing sight of where it started.