From a slum dweller to an aspiring IAS, here’s the inspiring story of Ummul Kher

UPSC exam is undoubtedly one of the toughest exam to crack, and even candidates with no worried in the world but of studies find it hard to pass the exam in one go.

However, this year, 28-year-old Ummul Kher has managed to clear the exam in one shot, bravely crossing all the possible hurdles that she could have faced in her journey.

Born with fragile bone disorder, Ummul was just five when her family moved to Delhi from Marwar, Rajasthan, where she lived with her parents in a slum near Nizamuddin.

Her father, a street vendor, sold clothes in nearby areas, and Ummul’s formative years were spent in struggle.

Being physically unfit, she studied in Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute for The Physically Handicapped till Class V.

The family had to shift to Trilokpuri in 2001, after their shanties were demolished by the Delhi Development Authority. Once there, to make ends meet and for her financially deprived family, the bright Ummul started giving tuitions to slum children.

She was just 11 then.

Her inclination towards academics was not well supported by her parents who did not believe in educating girls beyond Class VIII. After failing to convince them for letting her study further, she took the bold decision and moved out of her house.

In her quest for knowledge, she was supported by a trust that funded her education, because of which she got admission in Gargi College, Delhi.

However, her struggling days were far from over. In 2012, she met with an accident that left her with 16 fractures and bound to a wheelchair for around a year, requiring eight surgeries.

Undeterred, she cracked the Junior Research Fellowship for her Masters in International Studies in Jawaharlal Nehru University, after which she was paid Rs 25,000 per month. After clearing JRF-NET, she started her M Phil from JNU, and is currently pursuing her Ph.D from there.

Having a strong will to make a name for herself, Ummur secured 420th rank in the UPSC exam, and is now determined that she would become an IAS officer and serve the people of her country.