City’s Saurabh Khekdestands 2nd in IIS exam

Staff Reporter

Nagpur’s Saurabh Khekde stood second in the Indian Information Service (IIS) examination conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Saurabh is presently working with Hindi Daily ‘Dainik Bhaskar’, in city. Saurabh, a resident of Manewada, hails from Saunsar in Chhindwara district of neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. While securing second spot in the IIS in the country, Saurabh scored 75 out of 100 marks. He missed first All India Rank (AIR) by only one mark as first topper Ankit Kumar scored 76 marks. Saurabh started his career in journalism in Nagpur in the year 2015. While in journalism for the last eight years, he has been covering several aspects of education, legal and human rights. He did graduation in Mass Communication, MA in Political Science and Bachelor of Law (LLB).

In the year 2019, Saurabh received late Satyapal Patait Best Youth award. He was also jointly honoured by Vidarbha Seva Samiti, Nagpur and Tilak Patrakar Bhavan for his outstanding work in journalism. His grandfather Bhaurao Chaudhary, a resident of Ramakona is a senior journalist working for Hindi Daily Navbharat. His father Vitthal Khekde is a businessman and mother Rekha Khekede is a housewife. Sharing his achievement with ‘The Hitavada’, Saurabh said, “I was preparing for the examination for the last three years. The advertisement for this recruitment process was released in the year 2021. Nearly 2,000 candidates from across the country had applied. About 200 of them were invited to the UPSC headquarters in Delhi where the interviews were conducted from March 14 to March 19.”

It was a direct entry recruitment system where candidates like Saurabh having experience of journalism got an opportunity to crack the exam. They faced a rigorous test of three-and-a-half hours for Hindi language after which the selection was done. Saurabh will have to undergo 11 months training after which he would be posted as Assistant Director in Central Government agencies. The results of the appointment process of 34 senior level posts of the IIS were declared on Thursday. Indian Information Service is an arm of the Indian Administrative Service, which comes under the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Saurabh has attributed his success to his maternal grandparents, parents and all his associates.