2009-batch IPS officer Monika Bhardwaj firmly believes that the values and principles she inherited from her family are the only reasons behind her success. She takes immense pride in her rural Haryana upbringing and the fact that she never ever witnessed her grandparents and parents lie, even for a small thing. She says that one might feel that these are too ordinary things, but these are the things that have made her life extraordinary.
Today, Indian Masterminds, presents the story of Ms. Bhardwaj, who cracked UPSC CSE in 2009 and has served in various positions in the national capital, besides going on to become the first woman DCP, Crime Branch, Delhi.
BUSTS MYTH ABOUT HARYANA
Ms. Bhardwaj comes from a village in Haryana. She rues the fact that whether it is film or television, everywhere Haryana is shown in bad light when it comes to women. During a conversation with a media platform, she said, “With those influences, people have developed a certain kind of perception about Haryana, but every place has its own good or bad. I think, my life is exactly the opposite of what Haryana is perceived to be.”
It was her grandfather who put the seed of UPSC in her mind. She says, “Since my childhood, not only my parents but my grandparents were supportive of my education and career. When I used to play with other kids, my grandfather used to proudly say to his peers that one day I will become an officer. I call it the seed theory because that was put in my mind since a very early age. However, I never imagine that I will become one, but the perseverance to do something in life was always there. I think that is what created my way to the civil services.”
VALUES THAT SHAPED HER LIFE
Like any other family in Haryana, Ms. Bhardwaj’s family was majorly depended on farming. She used to often go with her grandmother to the fields. Remembering an incident during those times, the officer said, “It is very common to take a sugarcane or some fruits from someone else’s farm. But my grandmother would get furious if we did so. She taught us that it doesn’t matter if it is just a fruit. Taking someone’s thing behind their back is stealing.”
She also says that she never saw her parents or grandparents lie. Not even for small things, like ‘they are not at home’. And that’s what she learnt and still follows. “Although the kind of situation I am in now creates difficulties for me, but that is how I was raised to lead my life,” she says, adding that one might feel that these are too ordinary things, but these are the things that have made her life extraordinary.
MESSAGE TO THE YOUTH
Ms. Bhardwaj believes that a person without principles or values is a body without soul. She insists that everyone should have some values in life because that is what determines her position in this world. She also emphasises that families and society support and provide for us in many ways, so we should also do our best to repay them.
Ms. Bhardwaj cracked UPSC CSE in 2009 and has served in various postings, including BPR&D. She created history after becoming the first woman DCP to be appointed in Delhi Crime Branch.
