Belagavi: Amid the sweltering heat of Belagavi, a viral video surfaced showing a young man dancing joyously while cradling a goat, leaving social media buzzing. The reason behind his infectious happiness? He had just passed the prestigious UPSC exam.

The young man in question is Peeradeva, a son of Siddappa, a shepherd from Yamage village in Maharashtra. The family resides in a tent in rural Belagavi, located on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border, where goat herding has been their livelihood.

Peeradeva, who secured the 551st rank in the recent UPSC exam, spoke about his remarkable journey. "Growing up, my dream was always to become an IAS officer," he said. "Though I failed the UPSC exam three times, I never gave up. I studied rigorously for eight hours each day, taking short breaks to stay focused. I also put away my mobile phone to avoid distractions."

The 27-year-old credited his father's sacrifices for his success. "My father, an SSLC graduate, worked hard as rearing goats to provide us with an education. My brother Vasudeva is in the army now," Peeradeva shared. "It was through my father's goat rearing that I first got acquainted with the UPSC exam."

Peeradeva, who is fluent in Kannada, English, and Marathi, completed his engineering in Pune before moving to Delhi for UPSC preparation. "I owe my success to the many people who supported me along the way," he added, reflecting on his triumph.

His father's goat rearing business played a pivotal role in his path to success, which he celebrated with a joyful dance alongside his goats.