Ahmedgarh DSP turns mentor for students who want to crack UPSC

LUDHIANA: Suraj Devgan, a 21-year-old youth from Ludhiana’s Haibowal Kalan, travels all the way to Ahmedgarh over the weekend to avail free coaching for UPSC exams. His motivation and mentor is none other than Ahmedgarh deputy superintendent of police Rajan Sharma, who takes these classes for aspirants who want to crack the UPSC code.
Rajan (32) had cleared Punjab Police Service (PPS) exams in 2015 in the first attempt and appeared for UPSC thrice, making it to the interview once.
The cop’s initiative — ‘Prajanasthal – Wisdom to impart’ — is an attempt to help youth achieve their goals in life, especially those who want to do well in competitive exams. Anyone interested in pursuing civil services could avail free coaching classes in both offline and online modes. The sessions are posted on YouTube and offline classes are conducted at a school in Ahmedgarh every weekend. The initiative was started in August 2022.
“To date, we have around 60 students who have been enrolled, and around 45 students are regular in classes. Students have diverse academic backgrounds ranging from Class X to postgraduate level. Some aspirants are working professionals from public as well as private sectors. The classes are scheduled over the weekend with an average duration of 3 hours for each class,” Rajan says. He said a lot of people do not have enough resources and exposure in tier B and C cities unlike people living in metropolitan cities. “And, the aspirants who cannot make it to the class, opt for online classes available on our YouTube channel,” the DSP adds.
Rajan says, “I, myself, used to study at PAU reading room, but had the confidence to crack the examination. Besides this, I have myself faced financial and social problems, hence I can understand reasons which often prove a hurdle for aspirants from living their dreams. With the advancement in the education system, everything is on fingertips nowadays. But still, the role of teacher, guide and mentor can never be ruled out nor underestimated.”
The passion to go the extra mile while being posted as a DSP is what keeps him going in the hectic schedule. He says, “Balancing the routine is important for me. I wake up early on weekdays to prepare notes, PPTs and lectures for weekends. Besides a constant push, giving aspirants a positive atmosphere is really important for me.”
Highlighting the role of Rajan ‘sir’ in shaping up his dreams, Suraj pursuing BA LLB from Panjab University Regional Centre says, “Though a lot of information is available online and books, personal guidance is key to success. I feel lucky that I am being taught by a person who has cracked a similar exam and is working in the field. I ensure that I don’t miss his classes.” Just like Suraj, many students from Ludhiana, Malerkotla, and Ahmedgarh are benefiting from classes.