| Rajendra Meena (32) |
| IRS Officer, Central Excise |
"The turning pointing in my life was my admission to JNV"
I was born in a desert hamlet called Thikariya Bajana in Nagore district of Rajasthan. There were no schools in the vicinity. So I went to live with one of my uncles in Jaipur. The JNVs were considered quality schools as they were run by the central government on CBSE curriculum. More importantly, however, they provided free education. That was a big thing for poor families. So my family rejoiced when I got admission into JNV-Jaipur in 1986. For them it was like a scholarship-free and good education. In those days the amenities and infrastructure at JNV-Jaipur was still in the making. Some old buildings were taken up. Power supply was erratic and even food grants were scanty. Despite these problems, JNV was a great school for us poor rural kids. My school sheltered me from the discriminations and divisions of our society. In 2000, I cleared the UPSC exam for the Railways where I worked for some years. In 2004, I got selected in the Indian Revenue Service (IRS). The turning pointing my life was my admission to JNV. So I credit most of my success to JNV.
