I am not blind, only my eyes

can’t see: IAS KG Tiwari

 Bureaucracy Today

 1 Jun 2014

 By Soma Chakraborty

KRISHNA GOPAL TIWARI, India’s first blind IAS officer

worst tragedies imaginable. This is also a story of hopes and aspirations. It is the
story of India’s first blind IAS officer, Krishna Gopal Tiwari, who took time out for
Bureaucracy Today to reflect on his darkest hours which he illuminated with the power
of hope, grit and determination and achieved success in life.
 For K G Tiwari, Chief Executive Officer of the Zila Panchayat, Hoshangabad, Madhya
Pradesh, a mocking by his teacher on his dress when he was in Class VIII changed the
entire course of his life and it became his mission to become an IAS officer.
“It was in the 90s. That time I was studying in Class VIII in a Government school in
our village Dasvanpur in Uttar Pradesh. My father was a marginal farmer. We were
unable to afford good clothes. One day I went to the school wearing proper dress, shirt
buttoned up to collars. On seeing me, one of my teachers sarcastically commented that I
am looking like a Collector. I was deeply hurt at my teacher mocking at me. Till then I
had no idea about Collector or IAS officer. I started looking for its meaning and when I
found it, I was determined to become an IAS officer,” Tiwari tells Bureaucracy Today.
TRIUMPH OVER DARKNESS
When in school, little did Tiwari know that he would lose his eyesight permanently
one day. “I am not blind by birth. During my school days I had a night vision problem.
In 2001, when I was pursuing my graduation from Purvanchal University at Jaunpur in
Uttar Pradesh, my day vision started declining. It was detected that I am suffering from
Retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic condition that causes retinal degeneration and eventual
vision loss. In 2003, doctors told me that I fall under the visual impaired category. I was
declared belonging to the visual impaired category. I lost all hope of becoming an IAS
officer,” the 2007-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre tells Bureaucracy
Today.
However, the despair did not last long for the strong-willed bureaucrat and he
regained his composure. “I thought, if not IAS, I can always go in for State Civil Services.
I went to the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission office to know what are the
Even after securing the 142nd rank in the Civil Services Examination, the DoPT told
him that he was ineligible to join the IAS citing reasons that he would be unable to
perform his duties as he could not see, he could not read or write and walk without help.
chances for a visually challenged person to become an officer. There some officials
told me that the prospects for such candidates are very bleak. At best they can become
Section Officer but normally a vacancy does not arise for the post. Instead they
suggested me to complete my postgraduation and go in for the teaching profession. I
then enrolled for my Masters degree in Economics as a private candidate from Kanpur
University. For the first time, I took the help of a scribe to write my PG exams,” Tiwari
says.
While doing postgraduation, he came to know about Braille and became hopeful of
cracking the IAS examination. Tiwari enrolled for a Braille course at a local institute in
Allahabad. “The fee was Rs 50 per class. The amount was huge for me as my financial
background was very poor. So I decided to make the best use of the class time and in six
days I learnt Braille,” he says.
It was also in his postgraduation days when he came to know about the Government-
run National Institute for the Visually Handicapped (NIVH) at Dehradun and the Sharp
Memorial School for the Blind (SMSB) run by a Christian Missionary in Mussoorie.
“After completing my postgraduation, I enrolled at the SMSB and learnt how to
operate a computer and other gadgets that can aid a visually handicapped person.
Thereafter I cleared the NIVH entrance exam and got admitted in the one-year course in
computers,” Tiwari tells Bureaucracy Today, adding that the courses in both the
institutes were free and the NIVH even pay stipend to its students.
THE ROAD TO SUCCESS
 Reminiscing his preparatory days for the Civil Services Examination, Krishna tells
Bureaucracy Today, “After completing the computer course. I moved to Delhi and
started living in a rented accommodation in Christian Colony. I used to pay Rs 1,000 per
month for a one-room accommodation. I started preparing for the Civil Services
Examination. That was the most challenging period for me. Since my vision was
deteriorating, I used to study with magnifying glasses in front of a 100W bulb from a
distance of only 10 cm. I tortured my eyes because I was determined to clear my IAS
Exam.”
On the challenges he faced during the written examinations, Tiwari says, “The
greatest challenge I faced was writing my answers to the Economics Paper that had
visual contents. It was difficult to explain them to the scribes. I used wires to make the
diagrams. The scribes then copied them onto the answer sheet.”
However, success does not come easy. For every accomplishment, there are
countless failures. Tiwari too had to face the vagaries of life. Despite hard work and
determination, he failed to clear the IAS Exam in the first two attempts. “However, I
didn’t lose hope. I sat for the third attempt. It was a do-ordie situation for me as that
was my last attempt. My hard work paid off finally and by the grace of God, I cracked the
Civil Services Examination in 2007 and was ranked 142nd,” the IAS officer tells
Bureaucracy Today. Interestingly, Tiwari did not take any formal coaching for the
Civil Services Examination.
MORE STRUGGLE AHEAD
As the saying goes, “The best things never arrive in haste. God is in no hurry; His
plans are never rushed.” More struggle was in store for Tiwari. Even after securing the
142nd rank, the highest position ever for a person with a physical disability, in the Civil
Services Examination, the Department of Personnel and Training told him that he was
ineligible to join the IAS citing reasons that he would be unable to perform his duties as
he could not see, he could not read or write and walk without help.
“I was disappointed but not undeterred. I was adept in handling computers and
could walk in a secure area without help. I presented my case be- fore the Government
and subsequently, the matter was referred to the medical board and the objections were
waived. Finally in November 2008, I was inducted into the IAS,” the bureaucrat says
proudly.
CHALLENGES ON THE JOB
Now that he has become an IAS officer, what are the challenges he faces on the job?
Tiwari replies, “The challenges are more or less the same any other IAS officers face on
the job. Like other IAS officers I face resistance from antisocial elements and other
quarters. I am not blind, only my eyes can’t see. But definitely I would say I have to
make extra effort to take my superiors and staff into confidence. Also whenever I am
posted somewhere, I have to start from the scratch. I have to get in- stalled computer
software for blind in my office system. Also I select my own Personal Assistant.”
When asked whom he would give the credit for his success, the IAS officer tells
Bureaucracy Today, “I got help and support from different people at various stages of
my life. I am indebted to my parents, my elder brother, Nikunj Kumar Srivastava, the
District Collector of Chhindwara where I was posted as Assistant Collector, my wife and
various other people whose names I don’t even know.”
Tiwari believes no one can stop a person from getting success if he has 5Ds – Dream,
Desire, Determination, Dedication and Discipline. Humming a song from the popular
Hindi movie Umrao Jaan, the inspiring IAS officer concludes, “Mushkil nahin hai kuch
bhi agar thaan lijiye (Nothing is difficult if you firmly pursue it).”