New Delhi, April 26 -- On Tuesday, 27-year-old Birdev Siddhappa Dhone was out grazing goats-his own and his uncle's-near Belgaum in Karnataka when life took a dramatic turn. News reached him that he had cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams, securing an All India Rank of 551.

'The immediate celebration was simple and true to our cultural ethos- my uncle tied a yellow pheta (turban) on my head and smeared the holy bhandara (turmeric powder) on my forehead. Someone took my picture, which somehow went viral,' Dhone said, as quoted by the Indian Express.

Dhone hails from Yamage, a village in Kagal taluka of Kolhapur, and comes from a humble background rooted in the Dhangar community, known for its traditional shepherding....