BELAGAVI: Residents of a sleepy Maharashtra village erupted in joy after one of their own -- a shepherd's son -- cracked the prestigious UPSC exam.
Beerappa Siddappa Doni from Emage, who secured the 551st rank, heard the news while he was grazing sheep in a field in Nanawadi, near Belagavi.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah personally called and congratulated Beerappa on his achievement. His father Siddappa, mother Balavva and other family members honoured him by performing a traditional aarti and garlanding him. The family also gifted him a lamb on the occasion. An elated Beerappa expressed his ambition to become an IPS officer.
Meanwhile, the residents of another village across the border in Karnataka were also celebrating -- and for the same reason. Hanumanthappa Yellappa Nandi, the son of another shepherd from Kodliwad in Belagavi, bagged the 910th rank.
His father Yellappa, mother Kalavva, wife Yashodha, brother Anand, other family members and the entire village were proud of his achievement in overcoming all odds and clearing the UPSC exam.
Hanumanth studied from Class 1-7 at the Government Higher Primary School in his native village, Kodliwad. He then completed his Class 8-10 at the Government High School in Sattigeri. Hanumanthappa pursued his PUC in Karnataka College Dharwad and then passed his BE in Mechanical Engineering from Gogte Institute of Technology (GIT), Belagavi.