Another name has joined the growing list of small-town youngsters who have made it big. The Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission recently announced the result of the Assistant Professor exam 2024, in which Aditya Kumar Prajapati, a resident of Chandla in Chhatarpur district, secured success in the Geography subject. What makes his story stand out is that he achieved this milestone at just 26 years of age, and that too without leaning on any expensive coaching.
Both of Aditya's parents work as primary teachers in Chandla, so a learning environment was something he grew up with at home. His early and school education took place at Saraswati Vidya Mandir in Chandla, from where he completed both his Class 10 and Class 12.
The Journey from Chandla to Prayagraj and Delhi
After school, Aditya moved to Prayagraj and completed his BA from the University of Allahabad. During his graduation, he had opted for English literature, Economics and Geography. After finishing his degree in 2019, he was advised to pursue post graduation. However, his real intention was to prepare for the UPSC civil services, so he headed to Delhi. Around the same time, he also took admission in the MA Geography course at Maharaja Chhatrasal Bundelkhand University.
The Covid pandemic changed his plans. When the lockdown was imposed, he had to return to Chhatarpur just six months after reaching Delhi. His MA studies continued through this period. Aditya says he was advised that, alongside preparing for the UPSC civil services, one should also keep a second career option ready. With that in mind, he cleared the UGC-NET and JRF exam during his MA itself. He then began his PhD at Maharaja Chhatrasal Bundelkhand University, which is still in progress and is set to be completed this year.
He Refused to Give Up After Setbacks
Aditya's path was far from easy. He appeared twice for the Mains stage of the MPPSC State Service exams of 2021 and 2022, but unfortunately could not clear the Mains on either occasion. On top of that, a vacancy for Assistant Professor in Geography had come out in 2021. He passed the written exam and reached the interview stage, but could not make it to the final selection. Despite these setbacks, he kept trying.
How the PhD Helped in the Exam
Aditya believes his PhD studies proved extremely useful in cracking the Assistant Professor exam. During his PhD at Maharaja Chhatrasal Bundelkhand University, he also had to teach PG students, and that meant he had to keep studying himself. This very habit made him stronger for the exam. He prepared for both his PhD and the exam under the guidance of the person who had become an Assistant Professor in 2017. The HOD and professors of the university's Geography department also continued to support him.
Success Without Coaching, Through Self Study
The most striking part of Aditya's success is that he never stepped out of Chhatarpur for it, nor did he join any kind of coaching. He cleared this exam entirely on the strength of self study. For his preparation, he relied on free classes available on YouTube. He spent no money on buying online or offline courses, and not a single rupee on coaching.
Aditya's Success Mantra
Aditya has clear, straightforward advice for youngsters preparing for the exam. He says that anyone who wants to become an Assistant Professor should first download the syllabus from the official MPPSC website. After that, one should study the standard books that cover the syllabus. According to him, solving the old question papers of Assistant Professor exams from other states is very helpful, so aspirants should make a point of analysing and solving these previous papers. Aditya adds that if you have studied well during your post graduation, your UGC-NET will clear easily, and a student who passes the UGC-NET can crack the Assistant Professor exam with ease too.
