1. Here’s The Story Of A Man For
Whom Change Wasn’t An
Impossible-Indian-Dream
By Daphne Clarance

2. With humility of heart and vitality in
his eyes
• Mr. Gyanesh Kumar, an IAS Officer and the Resident
Commissioner of Kerala House, Delhi, enhances the
definition of success of a country; how is he an inspiration for
the youth today?
• As a youth, he wanted to be a doctor.
• But the future had something else placed in a platter for him;
something that not only served the purpose for his life goal
but also for the country’s.
• “A country’s success lies in the success of its youth.
• The youth needs to possess perseverance,” he says with a
smile.

3. • Coming from a family in Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Gyanesh Kumar’s
father was a Government doctor and his grandfather, a
freedom fighter and later a Principal in Agra, UP.
• Most of his childhood, he was enveloped with the seeds of
education that evolved from his mother.
• She had a passion for learning and education and a
grandfather who motivated him to strive for excellence.

4. The Uphill tasks
• “I got my inspiration from my parents in 1979, when I topped
the UP Board in Queens College, Varanasi in high school amidst
the ten lakh kids who appeared for the exam. Then in 1981, to
maintain my position as a topper, I had this uphill task. When
my father was transferred to Lucknow, I topped the UP Board
again in intermediate. And that was when I wanted to work for
the Government of India so I cracked IIT and did Civil
Engineering from IIT Kanpur.”

5. How can the youth help in India’s
development? He says…
• “India’s maximum population is the youth. Most of the youth
that I have interacted with have very blurred ideas about their
future. Unfortunately, in India, the competition is extremely
tough and the highest in the world where only the best of them
are able to reach to a position, be it private industry or
Government and business. Very few are there who desire to
impact a change on the society. Having so much potential, if
they can only set a constant dialogue and a strong vision to
charter a cause for themselves, they will definitely succeed.
India’s youth should have a clear purpose for their lives. It is not
just by entering the Government and being part of the politics
that they can contribute but being successful will automatically
bring success to the nation.”

6. A tough road
• These obstacles can be anything that can cause a jumbled up
Rubik’s cube difficult for anyone to solve but not impossible.
• Mr. Kumar won a scholarship to Cornell University to pursue
management studies but the road was tough.
• “Since my grandfather was a freedom fighter and fought
against the British he did not want me to go. He was against
the idea of going to the British and serving the foreigners. So, I
dropped the idea and India became the core parameter for my
aim. That was when my struggle to bring changes began. Since
I got selected for Cornell, I did not attend any campus
interviews. I appeared for IAS and got selected in 1988 which is
when I got to serve the state of Kerala.”

7. One of the many
• After that, seeing the condition of India’s Government for a
long, he wanted to bring changes for the society and the
nation.
• One of the main projects that he covered was the bridge
between the Cochin Islands and the city.
• “There were pregnant ladies who had to get to the hospital and
the only means of transport was the boat from the Islands to
the city. And many a times the pregnant ladies would die, even
though they could see the hospital from the island but couldn’t
reach on time. So, we planned to build a bridge that could fill
the gap and transportation could be faster and quicker.”

8. • Sometimes to see changes you have to change yourself and
so, Mr. Gyanesh Kumar is still serving for the State to bring
out more improvements and developments for the people.
• It took Mr. Kumar 25 years of struggle to actually be able to
provide changes in the society. And that’s the message he
wants to lend to the youth of India.
• He says, “Step one is to achieve success because you have to
come at a position where making a change is of no issue. Have
a clear vision and work hard by using what is being given and
return it back by service. It might take a long time to achieve
success but have patience and achieve it. Step two is to bring a
change. No matter what, provide world-class service to the
society. For me the common man is my inspiration because I
work for him.”

9. The change that is needed
• So many years of struggle but the future is still a long way to
go.
• Mr. Gyanesh has taught how the youth can build forces to
make India a better place to live in and subdue the pleasures
of lurking listless in the hot brazen sun of unemployment and
is an inspiration to the youth of the country.
• For him the youth needs to change because when you
change yourself then can you change the society.
• Change is the vital factor to thrive.
• “With change in time I had to change myself too,” he says.

10. • Read more on Youth Ki Awaaz at http://bit.ly/16lalJV