https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Sweeping Away Her Misfortunes

From sweeping floors in Jodhpur to becoming an officer of the Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS), Ms Asha Kandara’s story is one of playing a winning hand when the entire deck was stacked against her.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Hitch your wagon to the Stars- Ralph Waldo Emerson

When life hands you a lemon, or so the old saying goes, make lemonade out of it. But it’s easier said than done. It becomes doubly, nay many times more, difficult when the person holding the lemon falls into the category of a social outcast, facing mind-forged barriers at every turn of his or her life journey.

Asha Kandara’s story may have started on these depressing notes, but it took a fairy tale turn- all because she decided to take her destiny into her own hands and move forward with renewed determination.

RAS Asha Kandara

A FAILED MARRIAGE

Ms. Kandara got married in the year 1997 and bore two beautiful children soon after. However, within just five years of her marriage, her relationship started to go downhill and she was deserted by her husband in 2002.

She was left alone with the responsibility of raising her two children all by herself. It was the most difficult phase of her life and it took her a long time to overcome the trauma of a broken marriage.

She was deserted by her husband in 2002

FRESH START: GETTING A DEGREE

But Ms. Kandara soon collected herself and decided to start life afresh. She realized that the first and the most important thing required to survive in the world was education. Without it, a good life remains a chimera.

Therefore, she began all over again from school level and completed her graduation in 2016 with a view to find her own ground.

Realizing that she needs a source of income to support her family, children and her dreams, Ms. Kandara willingly appeared for the examination for sweeper with Jodhpur Municipal Corporation. She passed the examination and started going for her new job. But that came much later, after she decided to go for the administrative job.

The officer receiving accolades

HUMILIATION IN THE JOB

The world is a cruel place for an estranged woman trying to find her place in the society and the same happened with Ms Kandara as well. At every turn, fresh humiliations were hurled at her, for her cast, her job of a sweeper and also – yes, this too is a dark reality in many Indian societies- for being a woman separated from her husband.

To be treated in such a bad manner was not acceptable to Ms Kandara. It was intolerable. She decided to do something big enough in life, so that no one else would ever trample over her self- esteem.

She was humiliated in her work

PATH TO RAS

Ms Kandara was always taunted with the words, “You are not a collector” when she demanded or asked for her rights.

Ms. Kandara began preparing for Rajasthan Administrative Service as her age had surpassed her chance of getting into Indian Administrative Service. She attempted her prelims in 2018 and when she passed, she burnt the midnight oil every night in preparations for the finals.

She finally appeared for her finals in October 2018 and was positive about the result. However the result kept on getting delayed. Meanwhile to support her family, the officer continued to sweep the roads of Jodhpur until the result finally came out this week.

She finally achieved her dreams

Her happiness knew no bounds when she realized that she is not just a random estranged sweeper anymore, but is an actual officer of the Rajasthan Administrative Service.

She sat beside the two mayors of the city who felicitated her and wished her luck to be in an administrative role- in the same department where, at one time in not so distant past, she worked as a sweeper.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
IAS Ashwani Kumar
Assam’s Bold Bet on Local Talent: IAS Ashwani Kumar’s Vision for a Digital Assam
Haryana Jungle Safari
Haryana’s Mega Jungle Safari Project Moves Closer to Reality; Phase-I Design Finalised
SBK Singh IPS CP
Delhi Police Commissioner S B K Singh Bans Aerial Platforms from August 2 to 16 for Security Reasons
IPS-logo-resized_new
10 Senior Cops Get New Roles In Bihar Police; DG Jitendra Kumar Gets Additional Charge of B-SAP
Indian Forest Services IFS officer
Jharkhand IFS Rajneesh Kumar Transferred Amid Ongoing Legal Proceedings - Details Inside
Uttar Pradesh UP Government
17 Review Officers Transferred in Uttar Pradesh Secretariat Administration Reshuffle - Details Inside
IFS-forest-resized
6 IFS Officers Transferred in Odisha to Strengthen Environmental Administration, Jagayandatt Pati Made RCCF, Koraput Circle
IAS Officers Indian Administrative Services IAS logo
4 Young IAS Officers Reshuffled in Uttarakhand, Rahul Anand Made Joint Magistrate, Dehradun
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
IAS Ashwani Kumar
Assam’s Bold Bet on Local Talent: IAS Ashwani Kumar’s Vision for a Digital Assam
Haryana Jungle Safari
Haryana’s Mega Jungle Safari Project Moves Closer to Reality; Phase-I Design Finalised
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Karn Satyarthi
Ananth Rupanagudi IRAS
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-26 at 13.16
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT