Ajay Kumar Vishwakarma, a research scholar at Dr. Harisingh Gour Central University in Sagar, has secured All India Rank 6 in Uttar Pradesh's PGT Lecturer Selection Exam-2026, and is now expected to take up a lecturer's position at a college in Lucknow. But this success did not come overnight, it is the result of years of hard work, passion, patience, discipline and sacrifice.
Four Interviews, Four Near Misses
Ajay's path to this rank was far from smooth. Before this exam, he had reached the interview stage in four separate Assistant Professor selection exams conducted by the Public Service Commissions of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, only to fall short each time at the final stage. Instead of letting these setbacks break him, he used them to pinpoint exactly where he was going wrong, and then set out to fix those very gaps.
Cutting Off Home, Friends and Social Life
To close those gaps, Ajay made significant sacrifices. He stopped visiting home, stopped meeting friends, and kept away from social and family functions altogether. He would get so absorbed in his studies that he often forgot to eat or drink. His study spots varied between the university library, a private library, and a personal study space set up at home. Studying 10 to 12 hours a day became his routine, and on Saturdays and Sundays that stretched to as much as 14 hours.
No Coaching, Just Self-Study and Mock Tests
The 27-year-old Vishwakarma hails from Siddharthnagar district in Uttar Pradesh, near the Nepal border, and has been living in Sagar for the past five years while preparing for these exams. His father's name is Rakesh Vishwakarma, and among three brothers and three sisters, Ajay is the youngest. Notably, he never took the help of any online or offline coaching for his preparation, relying entirely on self-study. He prepared his own short notes from books and revised them repeatedly. He also had a specific trick for mock tests, as an exam approached, he would take tests to check himself on which topics he was making mistakes in and which areas remained weak, then work on those very areas to perform better each time.
Balancing PhD Research With Exam Preparation
Vishwakarma is also pursuing a PhD on the Tharu tribe from the Sociology department. This meant he had to carry on his research work alongside his exam preparation. To manage this dual responsibility, he cut off social media use entirely, so that his focus would not be divided between the two. Following news of his success in the Uttar Pradesh Shiksha Chayan Ayog's selection exam, there has been a wave of celebration at the university.
Credit to Parents, Teachers and Friends
Ajay has credited his success to his parents and teachers as well as his friends. For students who give up midway after facing failure, his message is clear, effort should never be lacking. Instead, when failure comes, it is important to analyse exactly where things went wrong, fix that gap and push forward again with full strength. He believes that following this path leads to success sooner or later.
