On 4 July, 2023, Sunil Khachakad achieved his dream. He topped the MPSC PSI (Maharashtra Public Service Commission — Police Sub-Inspector) exams.
This result was a testament to seven years of hard work by Sunil. Growing up in a farming family in Ranjit Nagar, a village in Maharashtra, he faced several hardships.
With their land being in the dry Vidarbha region, income was scarce. Sunil recalls that his parents worked on road construction sites to educate their five children.
He studied till Class 12 in his village and completed his graduation through an open university. He managed all this while working on the farm and did odd jobs to help his family throughout.
In 2016, he moved to Sambhaji Nagar, a hub for MSPC coaching, to fulfil his dream of joining the police force.
Since Sunil couldn’t afford classes, he studied with his friends there. He first attempted the exams in 2018 and cleared the written round.
However, since two other candidates got the same marks as him and were senior in age, they were given first preference. In 2019, he lost by four marks.
Then the MPSC 2020 exams were held late due to COVID, lengthening Sunil’s wait again. Having no income to afford tuition, he turned to books and free classes on YouTube to help him prepare for the exams.
“It doesn’t matter where you come from. All that matters is what you want to do. These seven years were a tough phase for me,” he adds.
Sunil now wants to help others like him and has already sent his brother to Sambhaji Nagar to prepare for the exam.
On his advice to candidates preparing for the exam, the PSI trainee says, “No matter how challenging it may be, keep going and never give up. Give your 100 percent effort. You don’t need fancy classes or money to succeed, just have the grit.”