Published Apr 30, 2025 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Apr 30, 2025 | 9:00 AM
From sheep rearing to civil services: The grit and grace of UPSC topper, Done Biradev Sidappa
Synopsis: When the UPSC CSE 2024 results were announced, 26-year-old Done Biradev Sidappa from Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district celebrated with his family in a viral moment marked by a yellow turban—symbolising triumph. Coming from a humble Kuruba background, Biradev’s inspiring journey from sheep rearing to securing All India Rank 551 has resonated widely as a story of resilience, grit, and hope
Last week, as the UPSC released its final list of Civil Services Exam 2024 qualifiers, joy erupted in a small Kuruba household from Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district.
At the center of the celebration stood 26-year-old Done Biradev Sidappa, his head wrapped in a bright yellow turban—a symbol of pride and triumph in his community.
The moment was captured on video and quickly went viral, not just for the festivity but for the deeply inspiring journey it represented.
Ranked 551st in the country, Biradev’s success is a story of resilience stitched together with threads of sacrifice, perseverance, and unwavering ambition.
Coming from a humble background, Biradev grew up rearing sheep alongside his father in the fields around Yamage village. Access to resources was scarce, but dreams were not.
He studied in a Marathi-medium government school until Class 7 and learned English gradually during his college years. “Studying in a regional language should not be seen as a barrier,” he says confidently, crediting his early academic success to relentless self-discipline and family support.
Though he is hopeful about becoming an IPS officer, Biradev is aware of the variables that go into service allocation. “If not IPS, then IRS is likely,” he notes pragmatically, adding that he’s giving the exam one more time this year in hopes of securing an IAS post.
Much of his strength and drive comes from his elder brother, Vasudev, a Naik in the Indian Army, who set aside his own dreams of becoming a police officer to support Biradev’s education.
“My brother told me to focus only on my studies and not worry about the struggles back home,” he says. The family shifted from sheep rearing to farming on a single acre of land—an uncertain means of livelihood but one that gave Biradev the freedom to continue his education.
He completed high school with an impressive 96 percent and went on to pursue Science in pre-university and then civil engineering at the College of Engineering, Pune. It was there, during a felicitation event for successful UPSC candidates, that the dream of becoming a civil servant truly took root. “I realised they were just like me. If they could do it, I could too.”
After resigning from a job in the Indian Postal Services in 2021, Biradev moved to Delhi for full-time UPSC preparation. Financial support from family friend Ajith Shah and CSR funds from private firms enabled him to join coaching classes.
He followed a strict routine—eight hours of daily study, stretching to 12–14 hours closer to exams. Social media was completely off-limits; only Telegram remained, used solely for academic updates.
This was his third attempt at CSE. He cleared prelims in his second but fell short in the mains. Learning from past setbacks, he took multiple mock tests this time, especially for his optional paper, and left no room for doubt.
He said, “I wrote seven mock tests this time for my optional subject paper so that I am fully prepared to write my final paper. We have four General studies paper and two papers for optional subject. I had also given enough mock tests for prelims. That is the only trick to clear this tough exam. The total marks is 1,750. The marks list will be also released in the coming days.”
He relied on standard books like Indian Polity by Laxmikant, Modern History by Spectrum, and Geography by GC Leong. He insists that aspirants must know the syllabus by heart before starting their preparation and not be overwhelmed by the flood of study materials and classes available.
He says, “there is a prescribed syllabus for this exam. One must go through it thoroughly and carefully. It must be on the tip of your fingers before you start preparing for exams. I read standard books like Indian Polity by Laxmikant, Modern History by Spectrum, Geography by GC Leong and others.”
“Newspapers are an integral part of your exam preparation. Apart from that, I watched a few YouTube videos to clear certain doubts but I was not dependent on it completely. I limited the sources and sticked to one particular book for information,” he added.
“There must be efforts from individuals because this is not school or college. The coaching classes will simply guide you but you must be proactive to achieve what you want. Aspirants can study through online classes also these days. One need not spend lakhs of money to live in bigger cities and prepare for these exams,” he quipped.
As he awaits final service allocation, Biradev reflects on his family’s response to his success. “My parents don’t know the difference between IAS or IPS. They just believe I’m now an officer,” he smiles. “All they asked was that I help poor students who want to follow the same path.”
And with a yellow turban and an iron resolve, Done Biradev Sidappa seems ready to do exactly that.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
