Son of a farmer living below the poverty line in Kendrapada district, has cracked the Indian Economics Service (IES).Hailing from the obscure Palakana village under Kora gram panchayat, 24-year-old Dipak Kumar Das has clinched the 25th rank in the IES. While his parents and siblings are overjoyed over the news of his success, residents of the village are also visibly elated.
"There is no shortcut to success. Where there is a will, opportunities galore would come regardless of constraints and stumbling blocks," Dipak said.
"I have seen trials and tribulations of life from early age. My father is a small and marginal farmer. With great hardship, he provided me the monetary support for studies. I did not let him down. My perseverance, parental support besides divine blessings helped me come out successful in IES," he said.
His father Arakhita Das said he owns one acre of cultivable land. Daitari Nayak, a former high school teacher of Dipak, said he had spotted spark of brilliance in him. He is gifted with a sharp memory and adept in debating skills.
Dipak's schooling was in Palakana Primary School and Koro Panchayat High School. He later joined in the BJB Autonomous College in Bhubaneswar for Plus II and Plus III courses with Economics Honours. For post-graduation in the discipline, he switched over to the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.
"In the interview for the IES, I was bombarded with questions right from recession trends in the global economy to poverty in Odisha. But the board members were exceedingly courteous and encouraging. I even fumbled facing a few questions. But they prodded me for the right answers," Dipak said.The board also asked him the ways and means to eradicate poverty and economic backwardness of States like Odisha, he added.
