Madhya Pradesh: Talent cannot remain hidden and need to be shown to the entire world. Here is another tale of success that will make the readers reaffirm their faith in human capabilities. Santosh Kumar Patel is a DSP from Madhya Pradesh Police, who with the power of his hard work, achieved success. He grew up in a straw shed on the banks of the river. He gave the MPPSC exam and got a post in the police department. 

Background

Santosh Kumar’s father was a mason in the Panna district of Madhya Pradesh and his mother worked as a labourer in others’ fields. The financial condition of the household was never good, due to which Santosh had always dreamt of leading a better life. Santosh grew up in a one room house with his two siblings and the family was dependent on the rations provided by the government. 

Despite all the financial constraints, his parents were determined to provide their children with education. With perseverance and commitment, Santosh excelled in his studies and secured an impressive 92 percentile in his class 10th examinations. His family was extremely happy with his performance. He continued his education and earned a bachelor’s’ degree from Government Engineering College due the availability of scholarships. 

His determination eventually led him to clear the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) exams. 

Giving up on pleasures

Santosh never had any money on him. He would watch his friends enjoying conversation over tea and snacks. The cruelty of life prevented him from delighting in such small pleasures and forming stronger bonds with his friends. He completed his engineering from a college that offered free programmes. And after acquiring the degree he returned to his house as he was clueless about his future. 

Weather problems

Santosh and his family lived in a thatched house; there was no concrete roof over their heads. The monsoon presented problems as the thatched roof couldn’t keep the rain out, and everything in their home, including school books and school supplies would get wet. His entire family would go to seek shelter under the trees in the forest department to protect themselves from the rain. 

After the completion of his B. Tech, Santosh decided to pursue M. Tech. Unlike his undergraduate degree, he needed to pay fees for his post-graduation. One day, his father refused to send him the fees money and asked him to do farming with him. He was at the age when his parents expected him to earn money to help them run the household.  On the other hand, his mother reminded him that education was his only way out of their difficult circumstances. 

Taking an oath

Santosh firmed upon the idea of doing a stable government job. On the advice of his fellow villager, he decided to prepare for the PSC exams. He wanted to earn a post of a higher rank and so he vowed not to shave his beard until he achieved a government job with a red-light siren on the vehicle. He wanted to break free from his present circumstances and wished to do better for his entire family.

PSC exams

After 15 months of consistent study, Santosh passed the Public Service Commission (PSC) exams. His family members were astonished to see him secure an impressive 22nd rank in the MPPSC exams. Then, in 2016 he was appointed as a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and received training for the same. He had completed his promise to himself and so he finally shaved his beard.

Marriage

After achieving this significant milestone, Santosh got married on 29 November 2021. Immediately after the wedding, Santosh took his wife to the temple on a bicycle to worship the Goddess and paid homage to his grandparents and thanked them for his success.