Life’s struggles come in different forms – family problems, financial crisis, relationship issues, career tensions and what not. Most of us blame these setbacks for our failures; but only very few show courage to rise up from the ashes and shine bright like a diamond.
Similar is the story of IPS officer, Ms. N Ambika of 2008 batch, who refused to lead her whole life blaming the system and her family after she was thrown into child marriage. Fighting the odds which life had thrown at her, she worked hard to get into the civil service, to lead a life of comfort and dignity.
THE HARSH REALITY OF CHILD MARRIAGE
Hailing from the small town of Dindigul in Tamil Nadu, Ms. Ambika grew up in a society where young girls were married off at the young age of 12 to 14. Naturally, owing to societal pressure, her family also married her away at the age of 14 to a police constable working for the government of Tamil Nadu, after which she was constraint in a typical background of homemaking.
Juggling between family, society, and house holding, Ms. Ambika kept her own dreams and aspirations locked in a trunk. Focusing on her marital life, she became a mother of two at the young age of 18.
SPARK OF A DREAM
One fine morning, Ms. Ambika’s husband left home early to attend a Republic Day Parade Program held in the district. The guests of the program included the Inspector General of Police as well as the Director General of Police.
The young woman observed the kind of honor and respect that these officers of higher grade were receiving and was curious to know more. When her husband arrived home, she enquired more and displayed her queries. She wished to know why did her husband saluted those people and who were they? She expressed her wish of receiving the same kind of respect and honor.
Upon listening to his wife, the constable explained her that those were Rank one officials and in order to get to their level and receive that kind of respect, one has to clear UPSC examinations, which are the toughest in the entire nation. Only then would one be able to get into the civil service and become an IPS officer. And even after that, it takes a person to provide years of service to become a DGP or IGP. Listening to her husband’s words, a dream was born in Ms. Ambika’s eyes that she knew was her calling. If she was required to become an IPS officer for people to salute her with that much respect, then so be it.
AN INSPIRING HUSBAND
Ms. Ambika was a dropout and a mother of two. She knew it was a tough road ahead but she was willing to tread upon it. She started with completing her 10 th through private coaching and later graduated via distance learning.
She wasn’t alone in her journey of making her dream a reality. At every step, she was supported by her husband. He even advised her to take the external SSLC and later she even completed external PUC and Degree.
An issue that she faced was that Dindigul did not have a single Civil service examination coaching center. When she requested her husband if he could make her accommodation arrangements as she wanted to move to Chennai for IPS coaching, her husband supported her in all ways. He arranged a PG facility for her in Chennai and made all other arrangements for her IPS Coaching. While she prepared to accomplish her dream in Chennai, her husband stayed back and looked after the children.
HEARTBREAKING FAILURES
After preparing for an entire year, Ms. Ambika went to give her first UPSC exam and no matter how confident she was, she could not clear it, unfortunately. The couple didn’t lose heart and she tried for a second time only to fail again.
When she could not clear her third attempt as well, her husband comforted her and asked her to come back. While Ambika listened to her husband patiently, she asked for one more year to try. She told him if she wouldn’t pass, she would come back. She knew her struggle to clear one of the most reputed exams made her competent enough to at least work as a teacher, even if she couldn’t clear the exam.
SUCCESS AT LAST
She put her all in the 4 th attempt, for she knew that this might be her last chance of cracking UPSC. And her hard work paid off! She not only cleared IPS prelims but also cracked Mains and Interview and achieved her long-fed dream of becoming an Indian Police Service officer in the year 2008.
Her first posting was at Maharashtra and within no time she earned the name of ‘Lady Singham.’ During the training, her batch mates not only appreciated her attentiveness but also her courage.
In 2019 when she was the Deputy Commissioner of Police in Maharashtra, she was chosen for the Lokmath Maharashtrian of the year award. Instead of blaming her parents or her fate for her adolescent marriage, Ms. Ambika took destiny into her hands and strived hard to make it work. With the unconditional support of her husband, she is now a famous name in Maharashtra and is doing her job diligently.
