Diligent Phek youth clinch NPSC top spot sans ‘backward’ quota

Atono Tsükrü
Kohima, Nov. 6 (EMN): For Riku Khutso, the results of the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) couldn’t have come at a better time: he turned 29 on October 30, the day the result was declared. The day called for double celebrations as Khutso topped the civil service exam to the post of EAC (class-1 gazette, junior grade) with the Personnel & Administrative Reforms department.
Khusto is from Zapami village in Phek district. He is member of a tribe considered in the ‘backward’ quota but has managed to take the examination by merit on his second attempt.
Eldest among eight siblings, Khutso was schooled at Pfutsero, then graduated from Patkai Christian College and completed his Master’s from the University of Hyderabad. Currently at Hyderabad pursuing PhD in history, Khutso told Eastern Mirror that he attributed his success to God’s amazing grace; he marvelled that God had ‘given him more than he could ever imagine.’
Also, Khutso was awarded the Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship to do a research work for ‘literate modernity and cultural adaptations.’ Talking about his passion for learning and research works, he said to have taken up research as part of an intellectual quest. He said,‘I must also add that the research experience had phenomenally contributed to my preparation and boosted a great deal of my confidence.’
When queried about his first attempt, Khutso said his inexperience and ignorance took a toll. He couldn’t complete about 60 marks of comprehension and grammar. Though it was a regrettable experience for him, he nevertheless was elated that the lesson came handy during his second attempt. ‘It was all a part of God’s grand design,’ he said.
Khutso said his preparation was unconventional. Constraint in time was also another problem as he was pursuing PhD too. However, with the little time that he had, Khutso procured best study materials on specific subjects and scoured NCERT textbooks, local and national newspapers and extended help from seniors and the internet.
Reading the newspaper editorials and lead articles on regular basis shaped a lot of his opinions about current affairs, not forgetting critical abilities and writing skills, he said. He has a word for civil service aspirants: ‘We not only need good materials but also necessarily requires devotion to extensive amount of time and effort in a day; find conducive study environment, stay mentally and physically fit, maintain a healthy social balance and most importantly, keep a sincere commitment.’ Such actions can become a habit in due course of time.
This young man looks forward to becoming a ‘researcher-administrator’ and has aspiration to approach issues of disparity and marginality by writing about people and bringing their stories to the society. Khutso feels that an administrator can get myriad opportunities to work with people at different levels and in different places. Besides, he adds, being a researcher and historian by training, he said it will strongly induce him to study and write about people, history and the society.
Also, Khutso said it has always been his mission to find ways to help poor children who cannot afford good education. A person who strongly believes in empowering the younger generations through education, he said to be looking forward to at least become a medium of assistance when he starts working. It is only through education that would percolate socio-economic changes through and through, he observed.
The young man had a thought about the Naga people’s innate skills and abilities: those gifted resources are not really tapped. He felt strongly that the youths need to start thinking big by cultivating strong conviction from within. He wished that the youths would find their calling and sincerely commit to succeeding at whatever they are good at but with ‘dignity.’ It should apply to pursuits no matter how big or small, public or private, he observed. That course of thought and action will reduce to a great extent ‘our dependence on others and bring about self-reliance,’ he said.
Khutso is a young man who is not only God-fearing, hardworking, humble and has a passion to learn. He is also a man driven to bring change to the society in whatever way he can.
‘Our true and conscientious dedication paves way for us to pray and hope for God’s unmerited favor. I tell you, it comes in most unexpected ways,’ he added.
The NPSC examinations are prestigious in the state. Only a few are able to crack it. The happy ending here though is that Khutso, who belongs to a so-called disadvantaged tribe, has cracked the examination purely by his labour, effort and dedication.