Wasima Sheikh’s inspirational journey to becoming a civil servant

Story by  ATV | Posted by  Aasha Khosa • 2 Years ago
Wasima Sheikh
Wasima Sheikh

 

Shahtaz Khan / Pune

Many of the young Indians who clear the public service examinations have inspiring stories to tell to the world.

One such story is of Wasima Sheikh of Nanded, Maharashtra, who struggled against all odds to become a civil servant and yet continues to work towards achieving more.

In June Wasima Sheikh had cleared the state Civil services examination that would entitle her to be posted as a deputy collector after her training. However, due to Corona, her training was delayed and, like other candidates, she is awaiting her posting. In the meanwhile, she has started preparing for the UPSC examination as she aspires to join the Indian Administrative Services.

Wasima Sheikh's gutsy mother

Coming from where she is, Wasima Sheikh’s journey is a story of grit, family’s unity and determination. Hailing from a small village of Joshi Sanghvi, about 45 km from Nanded, Wasima went to the district council school in her village. She was spotted as a bright student after she scored higher marks in the tenth and 12th board examination.

Life wasn’t rosy for her at home; her father suffered from a mental illness for many years. The responsibility of providing for the family fell on her mother. She worked in the fields and sold bangles in the evenings to make both ends meet and take care of her four daughters and two sons,

However, Wasima’s mother wanted her daughter to study well and she never allowed her poverty to hamper her dream.

Washima Sheikh with her family

Wasima Sheikh had to walk for several kilometers to reach Osman Nagar to attend her classes after 10th. At times, she would stay at her maternal grandfather's house. Now after completing her school, she knew that for her joining a college was impossible in view of the family’s financial condition.

She enrolled herself in the Yashwant Rao Chauhan Open University and obtained her graduation degree from there in 2015.

By now she has set her eyes on clearing the State Civil services. With support of her mother and brother she moved to Pune the next year to prepare for the examination.

Her brother was so devoted to the family that he left his studies and started living with Wasima and her other sister in Pune. He supported them by earning from driving an auto rickshaw.

Wasima Sheikh says that her family gave her two years to try her luck in realising her dream. She knew she had to clear some competitive examination to get going. She managed to pass the competitive exam for the Sales Tax Inspector.

Wasima Sheikh with husband Hyder Sheikh

She cleared it in second attempt and was posted in Nagpur in 2018. This gave her independence as she was no longer dependent on her family for money. However, she continued to work on getting her dream job of the Deputy Collector.

Finally in 2019m, she wrote the examination for it and cleared it the next year when the result was announced. In the meanwhile she had got married and the news of her clearing the MPSC examination came within days of her marriage to Hyder Skeikh.

While she is dreaming of sitting soon on the coveted seat of deputy commissioner, she is now aiming higher and wishes to become an IAS officer.