After six-year cancer battle, Chhattisgarh man cracks UPSC exam in third attempt
Mahasamund (PTI): Overcoming a six-year battle with cancer and resigning from three jobs, Sanjay Dahariya from Chhattisgarh's Mahasamund district has secured the 946th rank in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025 in his third attempt.
The 38-year-old son of a farmer from Beltukri has brought immense pride and joy to his family and the people of his village.
Dahariya's academic journey began at a local government school, but it took a significant turn when he was selected for Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Mana (Raipur), in Class 5.
The path to the civil services was fraught with professional and personal hurdles for Dahariya.
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After a stint with the State Bank of India in West Bengal from 2009 to 2011, he resigned to focus on higher goals. However, in 2012, he was diagnosed with cancer in the salivary glands, leading to a gruelling treatment that lasted six years.
Undeterred, Dahariya, who also suffers from a minor vision impairment, continued his pursuit of civil services and kept his career on track with another stint at a bank in Raipur and at the Mahasamund Post Office.
He began appearing for the UPSC Civil Services Examination in 2022, dedicating himself entirely towards his goal, striking gold in the third attempt in 2025.
"I hope to serve the country through the civil services. Whether I secure an IAS cadre or another service, my commitment to public service remains firm," Dahariya said, crediting his success to the unwavering support of his family and mentors during his illness.
Mahasamund Collector Vinay Kumar Langeh and District Education Officer Vijay Kumar Lahare congratulated Dahariya, hailing his achievement, which serves as an example for courage and perseverance.
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Mangaluru police flag fake ‘sea breeze marathon’ Instagram campaign, urge public caution
Mangaluru: Police have flagged a fake marathon campaign being widely circulated on Instagram under the name “Sea Breeze Marathon” and warned the public against falling prey to a suspected cyber fraud network.
The purported post, which began circulating on April 3, claims to offer prize money of Rs 2.51 lakh for a 5 km race, Rs 3.5 lakh for a 10 km race, and Rs 5 lakh for a 21 km race. It also urges participants to register in advance. However, officials have clarified that no such marathon has been organised in Mangaluru.
The poster also promises to provide participants with free sports shoes, goodies bags and refreshments, in order to lure people.
Police suspect that the poster is part of a cyber fraud attempt designed to lure users into registering through fraudulent links.
Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy cautioned that registering through such links could lead to mobile phone hacking and financial loss.
The campaign is also being amplified through a viral video featuring songs from popular movies, along with visuals of people participating in marathons, allegedly sourced from existing footage, giving the content a sense of authenticity and misleading people.
When Vartha Bharati conducted a reverse image search, the video was traced back to marathons held in Mumbai, further confirming that the circulating content is not related to any event in Mangaluru.
Speaking to Vartha Bharati, Commissioner Reddy confirmed that the campaign is fake and that no organisation has approached authorities seeking permission for conducting a marathon, including traffic or road clearances.
“So far, no complaint has been lodged, and no victim of the campaign has been reported,” he said.
