Meet Mangesh Khilari, a tea-seller’s son who cleared UPSC in his third attempt

There is no substitute for hard work and Maharashtra’s Mangesh Khilari has once again validated the statement. Khilari proved that if you set your eyes on a goal and make dedicated efforts towards it, there's nothing that can stop you from achieving it. 

Son of a tea-seller, Mangesh Khilari cracked the prestigious UPSC exam in his third attempt in 2022, setting an example for everyone that it is not the lack of resources but the lack of strong willpower that gets in the way of us and our dreams.

Mangesh Khilari hails from Sukewadi village in the Sangamner taluka of the Ahmednagar district and has had several financial problems while growing up.

According to a DNA report, Mangesh left his village and relocated to the Sangamner Taluka after completing his Class 10. He then moved to Pune to get his political science degree.

Mangesh said that he had two dreams. Firstly, he wanted to go to IIT and the second was to clear the UPSC exam and become an officer.

However, due to financial constraints, he was unable to fulfil his first dream. So he was determined to fulfil his second dream and worked with great dedication and hard work.

He also worked as a part-time teacher in the coaching institute where he studied to supplement his income as he didn’t want to become a burden to his parents.  He also helped his father at his shop after his college.

Despite failing two times, Mangesh didn’t let it hamper him and he remained focused on achieving his dream and gave it all. He even stopped using social media.

“I succeeded in the third attempt after reaching the interview stage twice. I lost the rank by only three points last time. I used to study daily for 15-16 hours and stopped using social media,” Mangesh was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

Finally, his hard work and dedication paid off and he successfully cleared the UPSC exam in his third attempt with 396th rank in the 2022 Civil Services Exam.