Giving Administration A Healing Touch

A farmer in Piravom town in Kerala's Ernakulam district sowed the seeds of sacrifice decades ago.

- Sanjay Pinto

And the harvest reaped has been more than bountiful. Circumstances had forced a bright John Varghese to discontinue his education after Class X to shoulder the responsibility of the family. Neither his humble earnings from his grocery shop, nor that of his wife Salomy Varghese, a Lab Assistant in the Health Department ever came in the way of giving their children the best possible education. As the couple scrimped and saved every rupee earned, their two sons – Alby and Athul would get more books than toys. Vacations were more in the form of travelling together for inter-school quiz competitions and debates.

Alby went on to study medicine at the Jubilee Mission Medical College, Thrissur and Athul completed a BTech degree from NIT, Calicut. But the Johns were not doubting Thomases. Their dreams were bigger than joining a hospital or opening a clinic or working in an industry.

Alby John was enamoured by the IAS. But having studied in small town schools, he didn't quite have the confidence to take on the rigours of this fiercely competitive examination. “During my internship, a senior friend had cleared the exam. That boosted my morale and right after my internship, I wrote it and by God's grace and my parents blessing, cleared it in the first attempt.” By 'cleared', Alby meant getting the All India 4th Rank! Preparation over eight months was in between his part time job in a hospital. Alby picked Medical Science and Malayalam Literature as his optional subjects. “Many small things I did in school and college helped me.