IAS Rinku Rahi: Shot 7 times, lost an eye but still cracked UPSC exam – the story India must know

IAS Rinku Singh Rahi

A video went viral recently, an IAS officer sitting on the ground, holding his ears in front of angry protestors. As the clip spread across social media, people were surprised. Who was this humble officer?

Meet Rinku Singh Rahi, a living example of courage, whose journey from a blood-soaked badminton court to the corridors of power will give you goosebumps.

It began in 2008 in Muzaffarnagar, where a young PCS officer named Rinku found a big scam, Rs. 100 crore stolen from funds meant for the poor. When corrupt people offered him money to stay quiet, he refused.

Then, on March 26, 2009, something terrible happened. While playing badminton, attackers shot him seven times. One bullet took his eye, another got stuck in his head. Doctors didn’t think he would survive.

But Rinku was a fighter.

Miraculously, Rinku survived but with a disfigured face and a system that was not ready to acknowledge his bravery. Denied promotions and sidelined, he staged a dramatic sit-in protest at Lucknow's Vidhan Sabha in 2012.

Yet, he was not done. While still recovering from his wounds, he cracked the UPSC exam in 2022, trading his PCS uniform for the prestigious IAS badge, proving that no bullet could kill his resolve.

Recently posted as SDM in Shahjahanpur, Rinku Singh Rahi did something unusual. He created a WhatsApp group to solve public complaints quickly.

One day, he saw a clerk urinating in public. Instead of scolding him, Rinku sat with him and explained why it was wrong.

This angered some people, and protests erupted. When negotiations failed, Rinku did something unexpected; he held his ears and sat among the protestors, accepting their anger with humility.

The video spread everywhere. Within 34 hours, he was transferred. But people won't forget his humility.

Today, Rinku Singh Rahi's scarred face tells a story no motivational speech ever could.