Odisha woman defies odds, cracks Civil Services exam using YouTube

A woman from a remote village in Odisha has defied all odds to crack the prestigious Civil Services Examination (CSE) by using YouTube videos as her primary source of study material.

Bini Muduli prepared for the Odisha Civil Services (OCS) Examination by watching YouTube videos and taking online mock tests.

When the results were announced on Saturday evening, she made history by becoming the first person from the small Bonda community, a group recognized as particularly vulnerable by the government, to pass the state civil service exam.

Even though she didn't make it to the final merit list on her first attempt in 2020, Bini remained hopeful and this time achieved a rank of 596.

“I knew that my parents would not be able to afford my coaching. But I decided that would not hinder me in achieving my dream of becoming a civil servant,” the 24-year-old told The Indian Express.

Bini shared that she began her preparation by watching YouTube videos and using other online study materials. She focused on videos from successful candidates to understand their exam strategies.

Getting internet access was challenging for her. She had to leave her home village, Mudulipada in Malkangiri district, and move to the nearby town of Govindpali, where internet services were available.

Her father, Ram Muduli, works as a cook and caretaker at a government high school, while her mother, Sunamali, is an anganwadi worker.

Bini attended a government school in Bonda Ghat, Malkangiri, before moving to Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya for her further education.

“After completing my post-graduation in Botany from Vikram Devi (Autonomous) College, Jeypore, I started working as an ayurvedic assistant to financially support my studies. After I failed to make it to the interview round (previously), I realised that my preparations were not enough and that I had to work harder. Then I appeared for the online mock tests, which helped me a lot,” Bini said.

Bini mentioned that her parents and relatives have always supported her and were even happier about her achievement than she was. As a civil servant, she plans to focus on the overall development of the tribal community, particularly by promoting education for girls. She also aims to make sure that the benefits of all government tribal development schemes reach those who need them.

The Bondas are one of the 13 particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) in Odisha, and they primarily live in the Malkangiri district.