BMTC bus conductor clears UPSC Mains

Here is an inspirational story of a bus conductor who cleared the UPSC mains exam by studying five hours a day. Madhu NC, who hails from a small town of Malavali in Mandya joined as a bus conductor with BMTC at the age of 19.

Recently, Madhu cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Mains exam which results were released this month. Now the sky is the limit for his joy.

According to the Bangalore Mirror, Madhu cleared the prelims in June 2019 and after which he started preparing for the mains. He had to study Political Science & International Relations, Ethics, Language, General Studies (divided into three parts), Maths and Essay Writing. Madhu chose Political Science and International Relations as his optional subject. Interestingly, Madhu gave his preliminary exams in Kannada but his mains in English.

For eight hours, Madhu wears his conductor uniform and issue tickets to the passengers on the crowded bus. Once he clears the interview, he plans to give up his job and become an IAS officer like his present boss, C Shikha, the managing director of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation.

For two hours every week, Shikha has been guiding him to prepare for the interview. "She has always been very supportive and has guided me on how to write the exam. Now she is preparing me for the interview," he added.

After having failed in the Karnataka Administrative Services (KAS) exams in 2014, Madhu says he was not demotivated, rather it inspired him to do better. In 2018, he gave the UPSC exam but did not clear it. However, that did not stop him from appearing for the exam again and he finally cleared it this time. "I always wanted to achieve something big in life," Madhu asserted.

I started working early to support my family but that did not stop me from studying further. I used to study for 5 hours a day. My subjects were Ethics, Political Science, Maths and Science. I would study every day, before and after work. I would also wake up at 4 am and finish my studies before proceeding to work."

Rather than opting for the conventional way of joining a coaching class, Madhu prepared for the exam through self-study with some guidance from his seniors at the BMTC head office. "I watch a lot of YouTube videos to learn how to prepare for the interview. I am learning the art of answering questions with confidence. I am very positive and confident that I will clear the interview too," Madhu said.

The 29-year-old conductor is now preparing for his interview which is slated for March 25.