Surat: Failed Class 12 exam 26 times, yet he still earned a doctorate in organic chemistry. No political background, but he won a panchayat poll with a thumping 80% of the votes. Meet Nil Desai, the newly elected sarpanch of Talodh village in Gujarat’s Navsari district, who does not believe in resting on his laurels. The 52-year-old now plans to take the Class 12 exam for the 27th time next year, proving that perseverance is sometimes the greatest qualification of all.Desai’s journey is a story of sheer grit. “I passed my Class 10 exams in 1989 and pursued the science stream as I wanted to become an engineer. However, I failed my Class 12 boards in 1991. After another unsuccessful attempt, I enrolled in an electrical engineering diploma course based on my Class 10 qualification and completed it in 1996. After getting the diploma, I continued taking the Class 12 exams while working and managing an electrical business,” says Desai.In 2005, the state govt changed the rules to allow diploma holders to pursue degrees.That paved the way for Nil Desai to complete a BSc and MSc in chemistry at VS Patel College under Veer Narmad South Gujarat University and then earn a PhD in 2018 from Uka-Tarsadia University. His research focused on “Effective green inhibitors for mild steel corrosion in various acids”.For over three decades now, Desai has worked as a social worker, planting hundreds of trees, and spearheading sustainability efforts across Gujarat. He founded the Hariyali Group, under which he developed seven Miyawaki forests and rejuvenated a 150-year-old well in Vangam village. He now plans to restore 20 more wells and expand water-harvesting initiatives throughout Navsari district.So, it is no surprise that when Talodh village chose its new sarpanch, it did not go by degrees, it went by deeds. The village of about 7,000 residents has 5,300 registered voters. Of the 3,633 who cast their votes, 2,907 backed Desai’s years of grassroots service over academic convention.“I stayed back at the village to care for my 86-year-old father and 79-year-old mother. It kept me close to the people, enabling me to champion their welfare,” he says. “Due to my work, they encouraged me to stand for the sarpanch post, which was an open-category seat. I respected their feelings and won the election.”Now, as sarpanch, Desai wants to develop Talodh into a model village. “I plan to achieve this through my five-S agenda: swachhata (cleanliness), swasthya (health), shikshan (education), salil (water), and shist (discipline),” says Desai.Encouraged by his recent victory, Desai is now planning to complete the task of clearing Class 12 exam and will take it one more time in 2026. “I never gave up,” he says. “Even when I failed, I kept trying. And now that my village has shown such trust in me, I want to finally clear Class 12 and honour their belief.”
