Karkala truck driver’s son Muhammad Shaukat Azeem secures 345th Rank in UPSC
Mangalore: In a story of perseverance and determination, Muhammad Shaukat Azeem, the son of a truck driver from Jarigudda in Kasaba village near Karkala, has secured the 345th rank in the prestigious Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) this year.
Azeem’s success is not just personal—it is the realization of a long-cherished dream nurtured by his family, especially his mother. “I was a small boy when a Puneeth Rajkumar film was playing on television. In it, he played an IAS officer. My mother looked at me and asked, ‘Will you also become an IAS officer when you grow up?’ I didn’t even know what that meant back then, but I wanted to fulfill her wish,” Azeem recalled, speaking to Vartha Bharati after the results were announced.
The only son of Sheikh Abdullah, a truck driver, and Maimuna, a beedi worker, Azeem has faced many hurdles on his path to success. The family lives in a rented house, and despite efforts, they have been unable to build their own home. “My parents never let me feel the burden of our struggles. My father always gave me money for my needs with a smile, even when it was difficult. My mother constantly motivated me,” he said with gratitude.
A multilingual achiever fluent in Beary, Urdu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, and English, Azeem completed his primary education at a local Urdu school before moving on to high school, PUC, and later a degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering.
He credits his modest academic beginnings and family struggles as the foundation for his determination. After scoring 92% in SSLC and 74% in PUC, Azeem said his mother’s words continued to push him toward his goal. During financially tough times, help came in the form of Karkala-based businessman K.S. Imtiaz Ahmed, who supported Azeem’s educational journey. “He ensured I did not stop my education for lack of funds. His support was a turning point,” Azeem said.
To prepare for the UPSC exam, Azeem joined the reputed Hundred Study Circle in Delhi, where he also worked alongside his training. His first success came in the 2022 UPSC exams, when he was selected for the Indian Defence Audit Service and posted in Pune. Not content with that, he continued his preparation and has now achieved an even higher rank in the 2024 results, increasing the likelihood of an IAS posting.
“I may have studied hard, but this achievement belongs to my parents and everyone who stood by me. I only hope to serve the country with honesty and dedication,” Azeem said, expressing happiness over fulfilling his mother’s dream.
With his inspiring journey from a humble background to the doorstep of the Indian Administrative Service, Muhammad Shaukat Azeem stands as a shining example of how dreams, when combined with dedication and the right support, can come true.
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MP minister's veiled remark on Col Sofia Qureshi sparks major row; he apologises, Cong seeks ouster
Bhopal/Indore, May 13 (PTI): Madhya Pradesh Minister and BJP leader Vijay Shah has sparked a major controversy with objectionable comments that appeared to be directed at Col Sofia Qureshi, whom he tried to project as a "sister of terrorists."
Under severe flak, Shah said if anyone is hurt by his statement, he is ready to apologise ten times, adding that he respects Colonel Qureshi more than his sister.
The Congress has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack Shah from the Madhya Pradesh cabinet.
Colonel Qureshi had conducted regular press briefings, sharing details of the 'Operation Sindoor' launched by Indian armed forces to strike terrorists, joined by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh.
"Those people (terrorists) who had wiped out the sindoor (vermilion) of our sisters (in the Pahalgam terror attack)..We avenged these 'kate-pite' people by sending their sister to destroy them," Shah said.
"They (terrorists) killed our Hindu brothers by making them remove their clothes. PM Modi ji responded by sending their (terrorists') sister in an Army plane to strike them in their houses. They (terrorists) made our sisters widows, so Modiji sent the sister of their community to strip them and teach them a lesson", the BJP leader said while addressing a gathering in Ramkunda village near Indore.
He said, "Revenge was taken for the honour of our country (India), respect, and for the (slain) husbands of our sisters by sending a sister from your (terrorists') community to Pakistan".
The tribal welfare minister clarified that his remarks should not be construed otherwise.
Shah's remarks drew wide-scale condemnation, with Congress demanding his immediate dismissal from the MP cabinet.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said Shah, who made 'derogatory' remarks in reference to Colonel Sofia Qureshi, should be dismissed immediately.
"A minister of the BJP government of Madhya Pradesh has made a very derogatory, shameful and cheap remark about our brave daughter Colonel Sofia Qureshi. The terrorists of Pahalgam wanted to divide the country, but the country was united during the entire 'Operation Sindoor' to give a befitting reply to the terrorists," Kharge posted on X.
He alleged that the BJP-RSS harbours an anti-women mentality.
"First, the wife of the naval officer martyred in Pahalgam was trolled on social media, then the daughter of Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri was harassed, and now the BJP ministers are making such indecent comments about our brave woman Sophia Qureshi," Kharge said and appealed to PM Modi to immediately sack Shah.
Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari shared the video of Shah on X and asked whether the BJP agrees with the minister's "low thinking"?
The MP Congress Committee alleged that Shah's "indecent' and hate-filled" statement is not just a personal attack, but an open attack on India's military dignity, national unity, and women's honour.
Amid the raging controversy, the BJP's Madhya Pradesh general secretary Hitanand Sharma summoned Shah to the state headquarters in Bhopal.
According to sources, Sharma reprimanded the minister, who also met the state BJP president, Vishnu Dutt Sharma.
Speaking to reporters, Shah sought to attribute the intemperate remarks to his "disturbed" state of mind in view of the brutal killing of innocent people in Pahalgam by terrorists.
He claimed many members of his family have a military background and many were martyred.
"Sister Sophia has brought glory to India by rising above caste and religion. She is more respected than our own sister. I salute her for her service to the nation.
"We cannot even think of insulting her in our dreams. Still, if my words have hurt society and religion, then I am ready to apologise ten times,'' he added.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Manoj Shukla and the party workers blackened the nameplate of Shah at his bungalow and raised slogans seeking his resignation.
'हमारी सेना की जांबाज बेटियां आतंकवादियों की बहन हैं'
— Congress (@INCIndia) May 13, 2025
- ये घटिया बात मध्य प्रदेश में BJP सरकार के मंत्री विजय शाह ने कही है।
भारत की जिन बेटियों पर सबको नाज है, उन बेटियों को लेकर ये शर्मनाक बयान दिया गया है। उन्हें आतंकवादियों की बहन बताया गया है।
ये हमारी पराक्रमी सेना का… pic.twitter.com/y591M3ky8G
