Mahaveer Singh, a retired Indian Air Force Garud commando from Rajasthan’s Sikar district, has scripted an inspiring second career by clearing the Rajasthan Administrative Service examination in two consecutive cycles after serving nearly two decades in the Armed Forces.
His journey becomes even more remarkable because, according to a Navbharat Times report, Singh had earlier faced 12 unsuccessful Services Selection Board (SSB) attempts while pursuing his dream of becoming a commissioned officer.
Today, the former Garud commando serves as an Assistant Commissioner in the State Goods and Services Tax Department after clearing RAS 2023. He subsequently appeared for RAS 2024 and secured fifth rank in the ex-serviceman category, with reports stating that he was allotted the post of Deputy Superintendent of Police in Rajasthan Police.
Joined Indian Air Force After Class 12
Mahaveer Singh passed Class 12 in 2002 and joined the Indian Air Force the same year, beginning a military career that would span approximately two decades.
During his service, he became part of the Garud Commando Force, the Indian Air Force’s specialised force trained for demanding security and combat missions.
Reports about Singh’s career also mention that he served for approximately 14 months on a United Nations peacekeeping deployment in Congo.
Another account credits him with participating in helicopter-based rescue operations during the devastating Kerala floods of 2018.
After around 20 years in uniform, Singh retired from the Indian Air Force on December 31, 2022. One report describes his exit from the service as voluntary retirement.
12 SSB Attempts to Become an Officer
Even while serving in the Indian Air Force, Singh reportedly continued pursuing his ambition of becoming a commissioned officer.
According to Navbharat Times, he appeared for the Services Selection Board 12 times but was unsuccessful in securing a recommendation.
The report mentions attempts during 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 through routes including AFCAT and service-entry commissioning.
The reported figure of 12 attempts comes from the Navbharat Times account and is not presented as an official SSB record. Other reports covering his RAS success do not detail this part of his journey.
Despite repeated setbacks, Singh continued serving in the Air Force and eventually redirected his ambitions towards the civil services.
Started Preparing While Still in Uniform
Singh did not wait until retirement to begin preparing for his next career.
He reportedly started taking online classes in 2020 while still serving in the Indian Air Force. Following his retirement at the end of 2022, he began preparing full-time from January 2023.
Returning to academics after nearly two decades was a major challenge.
One account states that Singh went back to the basics and even studied his daughter’s Class 6 books to rebuild concepts after years away from formal education.
His preparation schedule was demanding. Reports describe him spending long hours in a library, beginning at around 7 am and continuing until 9 or 10 pm.
He chose English as his examination medium and relied on a combination of school textbooks, standard reference material, government publications and current-affairs sources.
For Sociology, his preparation reportedly included NCERT, NIOS and IGNOU material. For Rajasthan-related subjects, he used school-level Rajasthan studies books along with reference material on the state’s history and culture.
Cleared RAS 2023, Became Assistant Commissioner GST
His intensive preparation soon produced results.
Mahaveer Singh cleared RAS 2023 and was allotted the post of Assistant Commissioner in the State Goods and Services Tax Department of Rajasthan.
For someone who had spent approximately 20 years in military service and returned to full-time studies after retirement, clearing one of Rajasthan’s most competitive examinations represented a significant career transition.
But Singh decided to appear for the examination again.
Secured 5th Rank Among Ex-Servicemen in RAS 2024
Singh subsequently cleared RAS 2024 as well, securing fifth rank in the ex-serviceman category.
Reports following the result stated that his performance placed him for appointment as a Deputy Superintendent of Police in Rajasthan Police.
Importantly, his fifth position was in the ex-serviceman category rather than fifth rank in the overall RAS 2024 merit list.
The Rajasthan Public Service Commission declared the RAS 2024 final result on April 18, 2026.
His two consecutive successes meant that within a relatively short period after leaving the Air Force, Singh had qualified first for Assistant Commissioner, State GST, and then for a reported DySP allotment.
Faced Remarks That He Might Become a Security Guard
Singh’s transition to civilian life was not without discouragement.
According to the Navbharat Times account, after his retirement some people remarked that he might ultimately have to work as a security guard.
Instead, he returned to books and competitive examinations.
The former Garud commando reportedly approached his earlier failures with the belief that an unsuccessful attempt should lead a person to change the path, not abandon the goal.
During difficult periods of preparation, the report says he also drew motivation from Ramdhari Singh Dinkar’s celebrated work Rashmirathi.
From Garud Commando to Rajasthan Civil Services
Mahaveer Singh’s career has now travelled through distinctly different chapters.
He joined the Indian Air Force immediately after Class 12 in 2002, served for around two decades, became a Garud commando, undertook UN peacekeeping duty in Congo and reportedly participated in rescue operations during the Kerala floods.
Along the way, his reported 12 attempts to secure a commission through the SSB did not produce the result he had hoped for.
Yet those setbacks did not end his pursuit of a larger goal.
After retiring from the Air Force on December 31, 2022, Singh returned to intensive studies, cleared RAS 2023 to become an Assistant Commissioner in State GST, and then cleared RAS 2024 with fifth rank among ex-servicemen and a reported allotment as Deputy Superintendent of Police.
His journey is a reminder for defence aspirants and competitive-exam candidates that failure in one selection process does not necessarily determine where a career ultimately ends.
For Mahaveer Singh, 12 reported SSB setbacks were not the final chapter. They became part of a much longer journey from an Air Force Garud commando to two successive Rajasthan civil services selections.
