Stories
From Slums to IFS: Son of a Garbage Picker Becomes an Officer, Fulfilling Mother's Dream
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News18•24-09-2026, 22:28
From Slums to IFS: Son of a Garbage Picker Becomes an Officer, Fulfilling Mother's Dream
- •Gautam Padibhar's journey from Mumbai's slums to IIT Madras and then to the Indian Forest Service (IFS) is inspiring.
- •His uneducated mother, Sakhubai Padibhar, chose to give him books instead of a garbage-picking sack, changing his destiny.
- •Gautam's childhood was marked by extreme poverty; after his father's death, his mother worked tirelessly, including picking garbage, to support the family.
- •He studied at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Jalna and prepared for JEE without coaching, securing admission to IIT Madras.
- •Gautam Padibhar is currently serving as the Director of the famous Kanger Valley National Park in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh.
Key Questions Answered
Gautam Padibhar is an IFS officer of the 2023 batch in the Chhattisgarh cadre who currently serves as the Director of Kanger Valley National Park in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh.
Despite financial hardships, his uneducated mother Sakhubai worked as a daily-wage laborer and ragpicker in Mumbai to support him with books instead of letting him work.
After completing his schooling at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Jalna and clearing the JEE without formal coaching, Gautam secured admission and graduated with a B.Tech from IIT Madras.
