At 9 am in New Delhi, 28-year-old Rakesh Chitkela adjusts his formal shirt, gathers his notes, and prepares to leave for work at the Ministry of Education.
Hundreds of kilometres away in Sangareddy, Telangana, his mother, Satyamma, pauses mid-task at the school where she works as an ayah (cleaning staff). Someone has just mentioned her son again, the boy who now works with the Government of India.
Her eyes well up, not out of disbelief anymore but gratitude.
There was a time when their mornings began at 4 am, cleaning spaces before sunrise just to make ends meet.
Back then, survival came first. Today, dignity does.
The distance between those two lives is not measured in kilometres, but in years of grit, sacrifice, and an unshakeable belief in education.
A childhood that changed overnight
Rakesh grew up in a modest household near Sangareddy in Telangana, where life, though simple, was stable until it wasn’t, after everything changed in the early 2000s.
He was around 11 years old when his father passed away.
“I was very young then, I don’t even remember how excruciating the pain was, but I know that everything changed after that,” Rakesh tells The Better India.
Satyamma took on every role — provider, protector, and pillar, refusing to let poverty dictate her children’s future.
What he may not fully remember, his mother lived through every single day.
“Those were incredibly difficult times,” recalls Satyamma. “His sudden loss left our entire family shattered. Being less educated and dependent, everything felt like a challenge while running a family alone.”
With no steady support system and limited income, she stepped into the role of sole provider, a responsibility that came with both financial strain and emotional weight.
Working as an ayah at St. Anthony’s High School at Shanti Nagar, she earned around Rs 6,000 a month, barely enough to sustain a family. There were suggestions from relatives, advice wrapped in practicality: move the children to a government school, cut expenses, and think of immediate survival.
But Satyamma refused to compromise where it mattered most.
“Many people told us to change schools,” Rakesh says. “But my mother didn’t agree. She wanted us to have a good quality education, no matter what.”
Even when circumstances forced early decisions, like arranging his elder sister’s marriage, Satyamma held her ground on one condition: her daughter’s education would continue.
“They agreed,” Rakesh says. “She completed her graduation and master’s, and now my sister works in the state government.”
In a life defined by constraints, education became their one non-negotiable.
The weight of mornings no child should carry
Soon after his father’s death, Rakesh began sharing his mother’s burden, not out of expectation, but necessity. His days started long before school bells rang.
“I used to wake up at 4 am with my mother,” he says. “We would go to the nearby fire station and clean the premises.”
This routine continued for years. By the time the city stirred awake, their work was already done, and another day was just beginning.
“In winters, it was especially difficult,” he says. “But I had no choice. I could see my mother struggling, and that was painful.”
Satyamma remembers those mornings vividly. “As a mother, it was painful to see him wake up at 4 am while children his age were still asleep,” she says.
“But we were helpless. Without that extra work, we couldn’t manage our needs or repay our loans.”
The long hours of struggle and labour didn’t end after school hours. Satyamma often had to take up additional jobs, cleaning hostels, working at weddings, and doing whatever came her way to support the family.
Rakesh was always there for her, accompanying her and helping her out. He shares one incident where he had to work at a wedding and ran into his friends, leaving him with no option but to hide his face due to the mix of emotions he wanted to supress.
“Once, I saw a few of my friends there. I didn’t know how to react, so I just hid my face,” he adds.
The memory still lingers, not just as embarrassment, but as a moment that sharpened his resolve.
Choosing education, every single day
Despite exhaustion, long hours, and emotional strain, Rakesh stayed in school, not just as a student but as someone who understood what education meant.
“I had seen the ground reality,” he says. “When you are part of that struggle, you realise that education is the only way forward.”
He began to channel everything — fatigue, frustration, even quiet shame into his studies.
The results followed; he scored a 9.2 GPA in Class 10 and continued his education through a government school and an affiliated junior college, where financial concessions made it possible to stay enrolled.
Amid exhaustion and hardship, education became their one constant and a promise of a better tomorrow.
For Satyamma, this was always the plan.
“I never compromised on their education,” she says. “I took loans, worked extra hours, and reduced my own expenses to the minimum.”
Her sacrifices were quiet but constant. She skipped family functions and festivals and even worked during holidays just to support her kid’s education.
“All my sacrifices were for their future,” she says. And slowly, that future began to take shape.
He further joined TARA Government College for his graduation, as he couldn’t afford private college.
Stepping out, stepping up
A turning point came when Rakesh stepped out of his hometown to pursue his Master’s in International Relations at the Central University of Kerala, a journey that took him far from everything familiar.
Travelling alone for admission counselling and navigating a new state, language, and environment, he was stepping into a world he had never experienced before.
In Kerala, he immersed himself fully, not just in academics, but in building a life from scratch. He participated in university activities and competitions and pushed himself beyond his comfort zone.
The results reflected that effort.
Stepping into a new state and unfamiliar world, Rakesh turned every challenge into an opportunity, graduating among the top of his class.
“I worked very hard, and I got the highest CGPA in my programme,” he says. “That was one of those moments where I realised I could take my career to the next level.”
He graduated with second rank in his batch and secured a UGC scholarship, milestones that affirmed his belief in what education could do.
For Satyamma, that moment carried the weight of years.
“When I heard that he secured second rank, I felt immense pride,” she says. “It felt like all our struggles were finally being rewarded.”
After completing his master’s, Rakesh got an opportunity to work at IIT Jodhpur. Between 2022 and 2024, he served as an Young Administrative Associate — a role that exposed him to new systems, people, and expectations.
“I always tried to give my best, whether it was working with students or professors,” he says.
That phase, though less visible, helped him build the confidence and exposure that would later support his academic and professional journey.
Rising to shape India’s education policy
In December 2024, Rakesh joined the Ministry of Education as a Young Professional.
Today, his work spans speechwriting, policy research, and contributing to discussions that shape India’s education system — a space he once experienced only from its margins.
The contrast is not lost on him, but more importantly, it has shaped the way he thinks.
“My personal journey has deeply shaped how I understand education policy in India,” he says. “Coming from a background where education was not easily accessible, I have seen how every opportunity comes with struggle — but also how transformative it can be, not just for an individual, but for an entire family.”
For Rakesh, education is not limited to classrooms or degrees. It is tied to dignity, mobility, and the ability to imagine a different future.
“Growing up with financial constraints, limited awareness, and very little institutional support, I realised that policies are not just documents,” he explains. “They directly affect real lives.”
This lived reality informs his perspective on what education systems should prioritise.
“I have become more sensitive to issues like accessibility, affordability, and inclusivity,” he says. “Policies must reach the last mile — especially for students from vulnerable and marginalised backgrounds.”
His journey has also deepened his appreciation for the people and systems that make education possible.
Today, as he works at the Ministry of Education, Rakesh carries his journey into every policy, ensuring no child’s dream is limited by their circumstances.
“I strongly value the role of teachers, institutions, and support systems,” he adds. “Education policy should not only focus on infrastructure or curriculum, but on building an ecosystem that nurtures talent — especially for first-generation learners.”
Today, when he contributes to policy discussions, he does so with a clear lens.
“I see education through equity and opportunity,” he says. “Every child, regardless of where they come from, should have access to quality education and the chance to dream big.”
Recognition, purpose, and the road ahead
In 2026, Rakesh was selected as a delegate for the Harvard College Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR), placing him among the top applicants globally.
“I used to apply for online courses just to have Harvard’s name on a certificate,” he says. “So receiving an invitation felt overwhelming.”
Though financial constraints prevented him from attending in person, he participated virtually — engaging with global conversations and perspectives.
Closer home, he continues to give back — mentoring students, guiding youth, and being part of leadership initiatives.
In his community, he is no longer just a student who made it, he is a reminder of what is possible.
A full circle, rooted in gratitude
At the school where Satyamma still works, her children’s journey is now shared with students.
“It was one of the proudest moments of my life,” she says. “In the same place where I struggled for years.” Her son now works at the Ministry of Education and daughter serves in the state government.
From dreaming of a Harvard certificate to representing India on a global stage, Rakesh’s journey has come full circle.
“It feels like everything has come full circle,” she says.
Rakesh’s journey is far from over.
He hopes to continue working in public policy and aspires to clear the UPSC — a dream both he and his mother hold close.
But if there is one thing he carries forward from his journey, it is clarity.
“Believe in yourself,” he says. “Grab every opportunity, and give your best in everything you do. That will take you to the next level.”
For someone who once began his days cleaning before sunrise, those words are not advice.
They are a life lived, along with a promise of how far determination can take you.
All images courtesy Rakesh Chitkela
