Manoj’s success is the result of years of struggle, financial hardships, and maintaining self-belief amidst continuous setbacks. Manoj Pal, a resident of Khapariya village in the Narmadapuram district of Madhya Pradesh, appeared for competitive examinations consistently for about 12 years. He tried his luck in nearly 40 exams but was not successful for a very long time. Eventually, he was selected for the post of Assistant Director (Finance) in the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission’s State Service Examination 2024.
Manoj received his early education in his village. Coming from a family with limited resources, continuing his higher education was not easy for him. Despite this, he did not give up; he moved to Narmadapuram to pursue college studies. Speaking to NDTV, he mentioned that the pandemic disrupted work and sources of income, depleting whatever savings he had. His financial situation became so dire that continuing his exam preparation seemed nearly impossible, he added. During this time, Manoj returned to his village and worked as a laborer to raise funds. Later, he moved to Indore to begin his preparation for the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission exams. There, too, he tutored children and worked at a coaching centre to cover his educational expenses. Speaking with NDTV, Manoj highlighted that he made nine attempts at the MPPSC exam. Across these nine attempts, he successfully cleared the preliminary examination every single time. He passed the main examination eight times, reaching the interview stage, and appeared for the interview seven times. Despite this, he did not secure final selection. Even though the results did not go his way repeatedly, Manoj persisted with his preparation. During his preparation, he took numerous mock tests, analysed his mistakes, and discussed topics with friends. He devised his exam strategy based on past years’ question papers.
He completed his schooling up to Class 12 locally, passing with approximately 50 per cent marks. The most difficult phase of Manoj’s struggle came during the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, he was selected in the State Services Exam 2024. After studying there until midnight or 1 am, he went to teach students at the coaching centre in the morning. He studied for approximately 6 to 8 hours daily.
Alongside his studies, he earned money to meet his needs by tutoring children while simultaneously preparing for competitive exams, Pal told NDTV.
