[ Amar Sangno ]
ITANAGAR, Jun 7: After three years of courting controversies, punctuated by a series of agitations, the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission has finally declared the results of the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Combined Competitive Examination (APPSCCE) – churning out incredible stories of inspiring individuals in the process.
Among them is the story of Kekdam Lingo, a 28-year-old constable serving in Delhi Police, who has qualified for the Arunachal Pradesh Police Service at entry grade; that of Minoty Borang Saroh, a nurse and mother of five, who has qualified for the post of district food & civil supplies officer (DFCSO); and that of Api Nungnu, a contractual staff nurse from Daporijo who has earned her place in the APCS entry grade, ranking 13th.
Kekdam is a native of Pokto village in Liromoba circle of West Siang district. Son of a church caretaker father, Mikek Lingo, and mother Yage Lingo, he has been serving as a constable in Delhi Police since 2016. He is currently posted at the Geeta Colony police station in Sahdra, Delhi.
After earning his postgraduate degree in geography from Rajiv Gandhi University, Rono Hills, here in 2015, he joined the Delhi Police as he had to support his brother, who was studying engineering in Himachal Pradesh.
“My father and family were not happy when I decided to join as a constable in Delhi Police. But I was jobless and had to support my siblings. I had to join for my own survival too,” said an elated Kekdam.
The sense of alienation while on duties involving odd hours, especially during freezing nights and scorching days in Delhi, became a driving force behind his determination to appear for the state’s prestigious examination, he said.
“My father always dreamt that I should become an officer someday; he was unhappy when I decided to join as a constable in Delhi Police. Now I am so happy that I made my father proud!” Kekdam said.
He said the job with the Delhi Police taught him to be patient, tolerant and determined, and to work smartly.
“One should not make any excuse for not studying. I hardly got time to prepare, as I was living in a barrack, and later in North Delhi. Despite all odds, I could manage to study three hours a day. Why cannot others do the same?” he said, adding that YouTube and the internet were of great help to him while preparing for the APPSCCE.
34-year-old Minoty Borang Saroh is a nurse posted at the Tarak sub-centre in Siang district. She has qualified for the post of DFCSO. She had opted for geography and education in the mains.
Minoty joined nursing in 2005, when she was in Class 12. She underwent 18 months of training at the Pasighat Nursing Institute in 2006, and was inducted into nursing service in the health department. She was first posted at the primary health centre in Pessing (now in Siang), 7 kms from West Siang HQ Aalo.
She got married to Tama Saroh, who is an assistant teacher. Years into family life, she decided to complete her education, and passed Class 12 (Arts) from Rumgong as a private candidate in 2009. Despite being engaged in motherhood and parenting responsibilities, Minoty completed her graduation in 2013 from Donyi Polo College in Kamki through distance education.
She earned her bachelor of education degree in 2015, and later cleared the Arunachal Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test in 2016, before earning an MA in Hindi from IGNOU in 2018.
“I would give credit to my husband and my own hard work for the success. His supportive nature created an atmosphere conducive to my preparations; it was the key to my success in the competitive examination,” Minoty said.
“In a tribal society like ours, where women are hardly given freedom, especially once they are married, support from the husband and family members is the key. I would also like to thank my health department staff and colleagues for supporting me throughout the journey,” she added.
Another nurse, 29-year-old Api Nungnu, from Daporijo in Upper Subansiri district, has qualified for APCS entry grade and ranked 13th. Her father, Nanya Nungnu, is a marketing inspector in the agriculture department in Daporijo.
Api did BSc in nursing from the Regional College of Nursing, Guwahati (Assam) in 2013. Later, she worked as a staff nurse at the Christian Leprosy and General Hospital in Makunda (Assam) from 2013 to 2014.
After completing her MSc in nursing in Kolkata (West Bengal), she was inducted as a staff nurse through the National Health Mission at the district hospital in Daporijo in 2016. Besides, she is also working as a nursing tutor at the GNM School in Daporijo.
Sharing her story, Api said that her sister, Ama Nungnu, was her guiding force throughout the preparation for the competitive examination. Her younger sister could not make it in the viva voce.
“I opted for geography and psychology in the mains. My younger sister was guiding me all along, throughout the preparation,” Api said.
“Our people have very limited knowledge about nursing; they think that a nurse’s job is limited to administering injections and attending to patients. But nurses can also sit for competitive examinations like people from any other discipline,” she said, and appealed to her fellow nurses to start preparing for competitive examinations.
