Shepherd's son in Karnataka cracks Civil Services Exam: 'I knew I had to do it,’

On Tuesday, 27-year-old Birdev Siddhappa Dhone was out grazing goats—his own and his uncle’s—near Belgaum in Karnataka when life took a dramatic turn. News reached him that he had cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams, securing an All India Rank of 551.

‘The immediate celebration was simple and true to our cultural ethos- my uncle tied a yellow pheta (turban) on my head and smeared the holy bhandara (turmeric powder) on my forehead. Someone took my picture, which somehow went viral,’ Dhone said, as quoted by the Indian Express.

Dhone hails from Yamage, a village in Kagal taluka of Kolhapur, and comes from a humble background rooted in the Dhangar community, known for its traditional shepherding. His family, which relies primarily on goat and sheep rearing for livelihood, owns just an acre of land. Alongside his encouraging parents, Dhone also has an elder brother serving as a Naik in the Indian Army.

Dhone completed his civil engineering degree from the College of Engineering Pune in 2020. His academic journey began at the Zilla Parishad school in his village, where he studied till the 10th standard, followed by his senior secondary education at Jai Maharashtra School.

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‘My education till class Xth was done in the Zilla Parishad school in my village with my senior secondary education from the Jai Maharashtra High School there,’ Dhone said.

In 2020-21, Dhone worked as a postman with India Post, but his ambition to join the civil services remained unwavering. In a bold move, he resigned from his job to focus entirely on preparing for the UPSC exams. He relocated to Delhi to pursue his dream, with financial support from a close friend who helped him settle in the city.

‘It was always there in the back of my head that I had to crack the civil services—it was to be difficult, but I knew I had to do it," he said. ‘Financially, it was difficult, but one of my friends helped me and my intense desire to be in bureaucracy saw me through the preparation.’

While Dhone aspires to join the prestigious Indian Administrative Service, he’s equally enthusiastic about serving in the Indian Police Service. “Becoming a police officer would thrill me just as much,” he said, adding that his goal as an officer is to truly listen to people and make sure their voices are heard. Reflecting on his success, he admitted, “It still feels like a dream.”