Birdev Siddhappa Dhone, a shepherd from Karnataka, hit the headlines on April 22 after clearing the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examinations for the third time. Though he encountered great hurdles, the 27-year-old got a rank of 551, making him one of the select few to do so.
Dhone’s journey started in Belgaum, where he was taking care of his uncle’s goats when the life-altering news reached him. His celebration was rooted in cultural practices: “The initial celebration was simple and true to our cultural ethos—my uncle put a yellow pheta (turban) on my head and applied the holy bhandara (turmeric powder) on my forehead. Someone clicked my photo, which somehow went viral,” Dhone told the Indian Express.
A College of Engineering Pune graduate, Dhone finished his degree in civil engineering in the year 2020. His education started with his 10th standard in his home village’s Zilla Parishad school and then senior secondary at Jai Maharashtra School.
Born in Yamage village, Kagal taluka, Kolhapur, Dhone belongs to a traditional sheep herding community, the Dhangars. His parents stood by him at all times, and he has an elder brother who is working as a Naik in the Indian Army. Sheep and goat rearing are the main income sources for the family, and they possess an acre of land.
In 2020-21, Dhone was employed as a postman at Indian Post, yet his dream of joining the civil services remained unbroken. He took a daring step by resigning from his job and solely focusing on UPSC preparation, even shifting to Delhi with the help of a friend’s monetary assistance. “It was always at the back of my mind that I needed to break the civil services, it was going to be tough, but I knew I needed to do it,” he added. “It was tough financially, but one of my friends assisted me, and my keen desire to be in bureaucracy pulled me through the preparation.”
Though Dhone would love to become a member of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), he is willing to take a career path in the Indian Police Service (IPS) as well, declaring, “As an officer, I would like to listen to people – and ensure they are heard.” Commenting on his success, he said, “My triumph appears like a dream.”
