Many aspirant Indians will move mountains in order to achieve their dream of cracking the toughest exam in the country, UPSC. It is not an easy task, as is evident by the fact that mere coaching for the exam costs upwards of Lakhs of Rupees. Dr. Girish Bali, IRS, is one of the select few, who managed to crack the UPSC, not only on his second attempt, but with a subject that he did not complete his studies in and without spending a single rupee on coaching.
Dr. Girish Bali comes from humble beginnings. His grandfather migrated from Pakistan in 1947 but died soon thereafter in 1962. His father had a tough childhood where he had to work in factories in school days to make two ends meet for the family. Later on his father joined Bank after completing his post-graduation.
To achieve something in life was ingrained in Dr Bali's mind from the beginning to bring the family out of struggle.
Dr. Bali completed his MBBS in 2002 from Government Medical College Amritsar. Paying huge sums of money for coaching for MBBS entrance was not his priority as he never wanted to burden his parents. Providentially he got admission in Govt Medical College Amritsar where yearly MBBS fees was Rs 1000/- only. But surprisingly enough, being a doctor was not going to be a career for him as he decided to sit for UPSC.
But another passion was simultaneously brimming in his heart i.e. love for subject Physics. In a subject which sends shudders down the spine of many, Dr Bali studied the nuances of Physics till MSc level during his MBBS days. He held his love for Physics dear to his heart.
He decided to challenge his prowess and chose Physics and Medical Science as his subjects in UPSC entrance, being may be the only candidate to have chosen this combination as optional subjects. And the most noteworthy aspect of his preparation was that not a single penny was spent on any coaching of these subjects. He managed to score top marks and was ranked 149 (All-India) and joined IRS 2004 Batch.
He achieved all of this solely by relying on his own abilities and studies, and never spent any time and money on specialised UPSC coaching. His passion for Physics continues till date as he teaches the subject to school children of senior classes as hobby.
Dr. Bali is an avid believer that learning never ends. This was evident when he enrolled for online MBA during lockdown and completed online courses from Harvard University and IMF. He believes that one should always strive for excellence.
In his profession he has served as Joint Director ED in Punjab, Delhi, Chandigarh and Srinagar and handled many sensitive assignments. He is currently posted as Commissioner of Income Tax. He is an avid mountaineer, gymmer, cyclist, book reader, lover of old songs, a bird watcher and a public speaker.