For Ankit Kumar, becoming a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) in Bihar was the result of years of hard work, self-study, and perseverance despite financial hardships. A resident of Saran district, Kumar secured the 333rd rank in the 70th Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) examination, proving that limited resources need not stand in the way of ambitious dreams.
Coming from a financially disadvantaged family, Kumar prepared for the competitive examination while living in his village. Alongside his studies, he ran a coaching institute in a tin-roofed structure and taught students for nearly 10 years to support his education and shoulder family responsibilities.
"I taught children for nearly 10 years, and while teaching them, I continued my own preparation," Kumar said.
His journey was far from easy. With limited financial resources, he could not afford to enrol in expensive coaching institutes. Instead, he relied on self-study, analysed the BPSC examination pattern and previous years' questions (PYQs), and prepared at home.
"My financial condition was very poor. My father came from a very poor family and could not afford to send me to big institutions for my studies. So, I started preparing on my own at home by analysing the BPSC examination pattern and previous years' questions," he said.
Ankit Kumar on the controversies surrounding the 70th BPSC exam
The 70th BPSC examination was surrounded by controversies, with allegations of question paper leaks and corruption emerging after the preliminary examination held on December 13. Kumar said these reports also affected candidates preparing in remote villages, prompting doubts about the examination process.
"Even in our villages, far away from the centres of these controversies, we were affected by the reports. We wondered whether the allegations were true. But when I appeared for the examination, I did not find anything of that sort. If cheating or manipulation were involved and seats were sold for money, poor candidates like us would never get selected," he said.
सारण के एक छोटे से गाँव में रहकर तैयारी करने वाले अंकित कुमार ने 70वीं BPSC में 333वीं रैंक हासिल कर यह साबित कर दिया कि हालात चाहे जैसे हों, मेहनत रास्ता बना ही लेती है। बेहद साधारण परिवार से आने वाले अंकित ने अफवाहों को नजरअंदाज कर सिर्फ अपनी मेहनत पर भरोसा रखा और यह साबित कर दिया कि जो नहीं भटकता, वही आगे बढ़ता है। #BPSC #BPSCExam #BPSCNotice #BPSCUpdates #BPSCNotification #Motivation #SuccessStory #BPSC70th #BPSC70thResult
— Bihar Public Service Commission (@BPSCOffice) August 9, 2026
Kumar also spoke about misconceptions surrounding the interview process, particularly the perception that candidates from villages receive lower marks than those from more privileged backgrounds.
"People often say that village candidates get lower marks in interviews. That is completely false. I prepared at my coaching institute, where I also taught students, and I received good marks, which helped me secure the DySP post," he said.
He also praised the interview process, saying the lottery-based system for selecting candidates for interviews had contributed to transparency.
"This time, the interview system involved lottery-based selection of candidates. The level of transparency I witnessed made me feel that even the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) does not have as much transparency as the BPSC," Kumar said.
Ankit Kumar's message to aspirants preparing in villages
Kumar's achievement is a reminder that candidates can pursue their ambitions even without access to expensive coaching or the resources available in larger cities. He urged aspirants from villages to remain patient, work consistently, and prepare with a clear strategy.
"If you have the capacity to work hard, the patience to keep going, and the right strategy, you can analyse previous years' questions and hold on to your dreams. You can live in a village, stay in a hut, dream of becoming an officer, and achieve it. I have proved that by doing so," he said.
