UPSC 8th ranker Raj Krishna Jha from Sitamarhi, Bihar: ‘Had a premonition of my success’

His success has sparked a wave of pride and celebration in his village and across the district. Speaking to Hindustan Times over the phone from Kolhapur, Jha who had failed to qualify the preliminary examination in the first two attempts, said he approached the examination with clear intention to grab a rank.

“After I secured 739 marks in my fourth attempt in mains and missed the boat (selection) by a meagre two marks, I made it a point go for the first ten ranks in the examination. But the elements of the risk was always there,” said Jha, who is posted at Kolhapur as assistant manager for Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL). He said, “I was a tad confident about my success as I was doing quite well in mock tests as well.”

Raj Krishna completed his early education from a school in Nepal, near the Bhitamore border, and passed his Class 12 examinations under the Bihar School Examination Board. He went on to pursue B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from the Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT), Allahabad. After graduation, he joined Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) in 2018 and is currently serving as an assistant manager in HPCL’s City Gas Distribution (CGD) wing at Kolhapur in Maharashtra.

Jha said his father Sunil Kumar Jha’s experience in the academic sector as a private school teacher helped him a great deal in shaping his career. “He is a great source of inspiration and my mentor as well,” said Raj Krishna Jha, a mechanical engineer, who joined BPCL as assistant manager in 2019.

Attributing his success to his parents and other family members, Jha said it was his father who encouraged and mentored him for a bigger role in the society. “Yes, the first two attempts were eventful. But, then I prepared for the UPSC consistently and devoted 14 to 15 hours on preparation during examination time,” said the UPSC topper, who had opted for geography as the optional subject.

“He has been a bright student since the beginning,” said Anil Jha, his uncle, who ekes out his living working as an astrologer in Muzaffarpur.

Sharing his joy, Tripurari Kumar, deputy mukhiya (deputy chief of Athari Panchayat, said, “The entire village is proud of Raj Krishna’s extraordinary success. He has become a role model for the youth of our area.”

Raj Krishna’s father, Sunil Jha, is a teacher in a private school in Nepal and often visits their ancestral village. It was this connection that led Raj Krishna to complete his schooling in Nepal before embarking on his academic and professional journey in India.

His grandfather Sulpani Jha was a headmaster, Raj Krishna’s sister is an MBBS doctor.

In the UPSC examination, Raj Krishna opted Hindi and Geography as his main subjects.