Alumni from Madhya Pradesh and District legal aid officer, Shri Deepak Sharma talks about his fight for his dreams and how anyone can overcome struggles with a positive mind-set

District legal aid officer, Shri Deepak Sharma fought against incredible odds to reach his goals. His humble nature, coupled with unbroken determination enabled him to be what he is today. The alumnus of Saraswati Vidyapeeth Awasiya Vidyalaya, Shivpuri, recently spoke about his journey, via an interview, whose brief extract has been given below.

Interviewer: Please tell us something about your academic and professional background?

Mr. Sharma: I am an alumni of Saraswati Vidyapeeth Awasiya Vidyalaya, Shivpuri. From class 1 to 4 I had studied in the Shishu Mandir and then I had shifted to another school. I re-joined Saraswati Vidyapeeth in class 7 and continued to stay in the school hostel till 11th. After finishing my schooling I went on to gain my BA in 2003, BA LLB in 2006 and MA in 2010 degrees.

Presently I am working as District Legal Aid officer in Guna, Madhya Pradesh, under the office of District Legal Services Authority. The head office, Madhya Pradesh State Legal Services Authority, is located in Jabalpur. All the work is controlled Zila wise from the head office. Thus I am actually a state government employee and serve in the legal department. 

The main objectives of our office is to set up ‘Lok Adalat’, provide free legal aid, organise legal literacy camps, protection of labourers and Women and child protection. The ‘Lok Adalat’ is one of the alternative dispute redressal mechanisms and a forum where disputes/cases pending in the court of law or at pre-litigation stage are settled amicably outside the court. ‘Lok Adalats’ have been given statutory status under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.  

We are also in charge of monitoring and reporting whether the different Governmental schemes provided by the government is reaching the poor. We ensure that during dispute settlements all parties receive equal right to be heard and given justice.

Interviewer: What suggestion would you give to any Vidya Bharati student who wants to follow a similar career path as yours?
 

Mr. Sharma: First of all, anyone interested to follow this career path, has to gain a BA LLB degree. This post is available only in Madhya Pradesh, and approximately 40 seats are available across the state. One has to sit for the competitive examinations, conducted by Madhya Pradesh High Court and selected based on their performance in written exams and interviews.

Interviewer: What made you take up your present field of profession?

Mr. Sharma:  Initially I did not plan to take up this profession. I come from a farming family, and when me and my brother passed out from school in the same year, my father could not provide financial support for higher education to both of us. So we decided that my younger brother will go out of state to do his higher studies and I started studying for a BA degree at a local college. I did not plan to go for further studies and had decided to help my family in farming. It was much later that I wanted to fulfil my unfinished dreams and took up higher studies. I sat for competitive exams in 2010 and was able to clear it in 2012.
 

Interviewer: How was your experience at school?

Mr. Sharma:  I have such fond memories of my school. It is located amidst beautiful and serene surroundings, and I enjoyed staying there. Our teachers gave equal importance and care to all students and there was no bullying. One of the positives that had impacted me professionally, is that our school made it possible to have a strong grip on languages, especially Hindi. It has certainly helped me to crack my competitive exams.

Interviewer: Are you associated with any kind of social work?

Mr. Sharma:  Our job role includes service itself, as we work with the poor and downtrodden. Apart from my work we often provide legal help to those in need. Me and a few of my friends visit the elderly regularly and distribute daily groceries and other necessities. We try and help in our own ways wherever we can. 

Interviewer: Would you like to share any message with the Vidya Bharati students?

Mr. Sharma:  I can say from my experiences that if you work hard and make up your mind to achieve your dreams, no one can stop you from doing so. 

When I was sitting for my competitive examination, there were only 6 seats available for the general category and thousands of applicants were competing for them. At one point I felt overwhelmed and thought I would not be able to pass. Later I decided to not think negatively. I made up my mind that one of the six available posts is made for me. I was competing with myself. It helped me to focus and give my best short.

Thus never feel that you are less than others. Hold you confidence and give your best effort.

Vidya Bharati thanks Shri Deepak Sharma for taking out time and sharing his inspirational journey with the community.

If you are a Vidya Bharati alumni and want to tell your story as well, please email your contact details to info@vidyabharatialumni.org and we will get in touch with you.