UPSC results 2019: Jaipur gardener’s son cracks the exam

Passers-by would scarcely notice a man quietly watering plants at the BJP headquarters in Jaipur. But of late Murlidhar Meena has been garnering attention and congratulations after his younger son cleared the UPSC exam.

His son, Brijmohan Meena, got 713 rank in the UPSC exam in his second attempt. Meena is basking in his son’s success with people in the BJP office coming up to congratulate him.

Wearing a white dhoti-kurta and a white cloth tied around his head to shield him from the hot sun, a beaming Meena says he is proud of his son.

Meena, 57, who is employed as a gardener in the PWD department, says it was his dream that his children should become IAS or IPS officers. “I was posted at the secretariat, the state legislative assembly and other government offices during my tenure. I used to see all the officers and I realised that if I could give a good education to my sons, they too could become officers.”

Meena who hails from Haradi village on the outskirts of Jaipur studied up to Class 5 but had to leave studies to take on his family’s responsibilities. He began work as a daily wager in the PWD department at the age of 13 and became a permanent employee at 18 years.

However he dreamed of a better future for his children. “I used to consult officers about his sons’ studies and upbringing. I sent them initially to government schools in my village but later shifted them to a private school in Jaipur.“

While his elder son is a senior auditor in the Accountant General’s office in Goa, his younger son was doing his post-graduation from Delhi University and also got selected in the Central Excise and Customs Department in 2015 but left the job to prepare for the UPSC.

“I wanted to become an engineer but my father and brother coaxed me to sit for the UPSC exam. I am grateful to my family for their support,” says Brijmohan, 24, who stays in Delhi where he was preparing for the UPSC. He says he will give the exam again next year to try and better his rank.

“My parents have made a lot of sacrifices for us. Though we were not rich, my father never denied us anything. He struggled to give us the best he could. I want to make my father and my family proud and happy,” says Brijmohan who also has two sisters, both of them married.

Though both his sons are now well-settled, Murlidhar continues with his job. “I will continue to work. One should not give up working. I don’t want to be a burden on my sons. Gardening is my passion. Even after I retire, I will continue to do something,” he says.