He wanted to become an IAS officer, but with a 92nd rank in the UPSC exams, he was selected for the IPS. "It was frustrating for me at the time, but now, after 30 years in the police service, fate has brought me to a position that was once held by an IAS officer." These are the words of 1993-batch IPS officer Hasmukh Patel, who was appointed as chairman of the Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) on October 28 and took charge on Monday. He succeeded retired IAS officer Nalin Upadhyay. Hasmukh Patel is the first-ever former-IPS officer to be appointed GPSC chairman. Every year, around 10 lakh candidates appear for GPSC exams, but only about 3,000 to 4,000 succeed. Patel has already shown his capabilities; as GPSSB chairman, he took strong steps to prevent a series of recruitment exam paper leaks.Mirror spoke with Patel on Monday. He opened up about his journey and shared memorable moments from his IPS career, including a particularly significant interaction with the office of former President APJ Abdul Kalam. The message from Kalam's office was a rare acknowledgment of Patel's compassionate act of getting treatment for a girl who had been blinded by an attacker during his tenure as SP Bhavnagar. Patel also discussed the challenges ahead as GPSC chairman.Excerpts of the interview: Q. Which investigation from your career remains fresh in your memory? A. In 2004, when I was SP in Bhavnagar, we had a case of rape and murder involving a minor girl. During the investigation, we discovered four to five similar cases. The city was rife with rumours about child kidnappers, but we managed to solve the case.Q. Could you share more about your interaction with former President APJ Abdul Kalam's office? A. In 2004, a minor girl was blinded by someone in Bhavnagar. With the help of an NGO, we arranged for her treatment in Mumbai. Later, I received a message from the secretary of former President APJ Abdul Kalam, commending our efforts to help the girl. However, there is still a sense of sorrow, as the case remains unsolved to this day.Q. What message would you like to share with GPSC aspirants? A. This is a sensitive and challenging role. GPSC has been functioning professionally, and my duty will be to uphold that standard. There is always room for reforms, and I am committed to building on the progress achieved during my tenure as GPSSB chairman. The candidates should prepare with full trust in the establishment and that will make their preparations better.

For GPSC's new chief, an old dream realised

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