https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

She dared to dream and defined the success: Aarti Dogra, IAS officer

She should be an inspiration for millions. The 2006 batch civil servant of Rajasthan proves that your height should not come in the way of your success.
Indian Masterminds Stories

If you believe in yourself and your dreams then societal standard of perfection like skin colour, height and body type can’t hold you back from writing your own success story.  The 2006 batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre,  Aarti Dogra has proved this with her perseverance and ability to reach pinnacle of success.  This  3 foot and 2 inch tall women passed India’s most prestigious examination UPSC, despite some apparent odds,  and has received praise from the President and  Prime Minister for her innovative missions and campaign like ‘Bunko Bikano’.

 After successfully serving in several districts of Rajasthan, her native cadre, Ms Dogra is currently a trusted officer of the Chief Minister of the state, serving as a joint secretary to him.

Early Struggles

Ms. Dogra is now known as a very active and diligent officer but this journey was not easy for her. Born in Dehradun, her father Rajendra Dogra is Colonel in the Indian Army and her mother Kumkum is the principal in a school. She is the only child of her parents. Her parents were told by the doctors at the time of her birth that she won’t have normal physical growth, they were told to send her to special schools for differently-abled children. However, her parents ignored the doctors and overlooked the taunt of society. They never think of anything else other than Arti and supported her in every walk of life.

Ms. Dogra giving polio drops to a child

Ms. Dogra’s parents admitted her to the prestigious Welham Girls School in Dehradun. Her parents not only supported her education but also encouraged her in sports & co-curricular activities. After completing her school, Ms. Dogra came to Delhi. She completed her graduation in Economics from Lady Shri Ram College, DU.

She again came back to Uttrakhand for her post graduation and simultaneously she indulged herself in teaching. But, this wasn’t the end for her. She had to achieve bigger goals and make her parents proud. 

One day she met Manisha Pawar who then was the collector of Dehradun. This meeting created a great impact on her and she decided to clear the UPSC. Just like her college, the UPSC preparation was also not easy for her. She was mocked for her height and appearance but she didn’t lose hope. She was focused on cracking the exam. Her tenacity and dedication in studies didn’t go in vain and she cleared the UPSC in her very first attempt. 

During her administrative period of around 15 years, she has been posted on many top positions including the DC of Ajmer, Bikaner and few other districts as well. Earlier, she has also been assigned the post of Managing Director of Jodhpur Discom. She was the first woman IAS to serve on such an important post. Aarti Dogra has established herself as one of the most competent and efficient IAS officers and proved, all that matters is grit and determination, height is not even in the line of it. 

Honoured by President and Praised by Prime Minister Modi

Ms. Dogra honoured by President Ram Nath Kovind

Right from the beginning of the career in administration, Ms. Dogra made headlines, first because of her height and later because of her effective campaigns and performance.  As the DC of Bikaner, Aarti launched the ‘Banko Bikano’ Campaign to create open defecation free society. The Swacchhata mission was focused on behavioral and mindset change of people. The campaign was a huge success and because of the efforts by Ms. Dogra and spearheaded by the local community over 200 panchayats, the district has been declared as ODF. Due to her accomplishment, she was not only recognized by the state government but also garnered applaud from Prime Minister Modi. Along with it she also launched other schemes like Mission against Anaemia and ‘Maa’. While she was the DM of Bikaner, she launched the programme, Doctors for Daughters, where she encouraged doctors to adopt orphan, poor, and helpless girl children born in their own hospitals. As a result, 40 doctors took the responsibility of basic education, food, and shelter of 40 girl children, and this trend is still going on strong in the district.

Inspiration for Many

Her role as the election officer in Ajmer also caught eyeballs and she was honoured by the President to create awareness among the differently-abled people for their role in election. It was her day and night efforts that resulted in record breaking voting from the specially-abled citizens. Around 59.88 % differently- abled voters turned out to cast votes at the polling station in the last Rajasthan election. She assigned the Booth Level Officers for providing assistance and motivating the voters at their respective booths. She also arranged “Divyang Raths” in all the assembly constituencies in the district to help them to the polling stations and cast votes. She ensured 874 wheel chairs with at least two in every Gram Panchayat, to ease the struggle of these people during voting process. 

Ms. Dogra clicking a selfie

Ms Aarti Dogra is an inspiration not for only girls but for every individual who are trying to break the traditional fabric of the society. May her tribe increase in strength.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
SAIL
INS Ajay & INS Nistar: SAIL Reinforces Naval Indigenization with Special Steel Supply
SBI Awards
Banking on Growth: SBI Secures First Position Across Four CGTMSE Award Categories
ACC_Appointments Committee of Cabinet
S. Radha Chauhan Appointed Full-Time Chairperson of Capacity Building Commission; Adil Zainulbhai’s Tenure Extended Till Handover
C 295 Aircraft
Spain Delivers Final Batch of C-295 Aircraft to India, Marking Milestone in Defence & Indigenous Aviation Push
India Philippines
India-Philippines Defence Ties Deepen: BrahMos Expansion, Maritime Patrols Signal Strategic Shift in Indo-Pacific
Puran Singh viral video
Ex-Cop Puran Singh, Lost for 4 Decades, Reunited with Son via DSP's Viral Video
MOIL
Production Milestone: MOIL Records Highest-Ever July Output in FY26 Despite Adverse Weather
Indian Police Services IPS Officer
CRPF Chief G P Singh & SPG Director Alok Sharma, Senior IPS Officers of 1991 Batch, Granted Apex Pay Scale - Details Inside
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Karn Satyarthi
How IAS Karn Satyarthi Transformed Gumla Through Empathy and Innovation
Ananth Rupanagudi IRAS
IRAS Ananth Rupanagudi’s Take on Corruption, Reform, and Duty
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-26 at 13.16
What Most Indians Don't Know About Jim Corbett
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
BPSC Bihar police
From Lantern Light to Police Uniform: How Praveen Kumar from a Small Bihar Village Cracked BPSC to Become SDPO
From a lantern-lit village in Bihar to becoming an SDPO, Praveen Kumar's journey is a testament to resilience,...
IAS Priyansha Garg
Why Mindset Matters: IAS Priyansha Garg’s Mental Health Mantra for UPSC
After two failed prelims, Priyansha Garg cracked UPSC with AIR 31 in her fourth attempt, proving how...
Ashish Akshat
From Setback to State Topper: How Ashish Akshat Topped JPSC While Working Full-Time
Ashish Akshat from Dhanbad topped JPSC 2023, proving that resilience, discipline, and family support...
Social Media
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve: From India’s First Sanctuary to a Tiger Conservation Success Story | International Tiger Day Special
IAS Supriya Sahu Hails Mudumalai's Role in Tiger Conservation on Tiger Day. Declared in 1940, Now Among...
Mangroves
Mangroves: Nature’s Shield Against Disasters, Says Officer Parveen Kaswan on Mangroves Day - Watch His Post Here
Mangroves, with their dense, interlaced root systems, form a mesh-like structure that serves as a buffer...
Retired IPS Inderjit Singh Sidhu
Purpose Doesn’t Retire: How 88-Year-Old Retired DIG Becomes Chandigarh’s ‘Quiet Warrior’ of Cleanliness
Inderjit Singh Sidhu’s Dawn Patrol Earns Applause, Mahindra’s Praise for a Man Who Chose Action Over...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
WhatsApp Image 2022-08-20 at 10.15
Water, War, and Wounds: Sinha’s Riveting Dive into the Indus Treaty
SAIL
INS Ajay & INS Nistar: SAIL Reinforces Naval Indigenization with Special Steel Supply
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Karn Satyarthi
Ananth Rupanagudi IRAS
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-26 at 13.16
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT