Normally, in a Naxalite affected area, women do not stand much of a chance. As such, they are generally married off rather early. But once in a while, a strong woman appears on the scene; not only does she breaks through conventions but lights a path for others to follow.
Such is the story of IAS Namrata Jain who didn’t let society clip her wings. She decided to soar high in the sky. In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, she talks to us about the challenges she faced, her support system, and her journey into the civil service.
FROM THE LAND OF NAXALITES
Born and raised in the Naxal affected areas of Dantewada in Chhattisgarh, Ms. Jain was always determined to make a name for herself in the world, and not just get married and settled down. The amount of destruction she saw while growing up in a Naxal area motivated her to do something for the betterment of the country and its people.
Therefore, as soon as she graduated from college, she started preparing for UPSC examinations. But due to lack of adequate preparation, she could not clear even the prelims in her first attempt.
“For my second attempt, I started preparing directly for Mains. I made a daily routine of writing down answers from previous years’ question papers and kept a track on the time required to write the answers,” she told Indian Masterminds.
In her second attempt, the officer scored pretty well in her Mains and got into Indian Police Service. Her interview didn’t go as well as expected and she, unfortunately, missed the chance of getting into IAS by a whisker.
IAS AT LAST
Even though she began her training as an IPS officer, in her heart Ms. Jain knew she wanted to become an IAS officer more than anything else. That’s why she decided to take a one-year gap, right after her foundation course was over, to prepare for the UPSC examination once again.
“I took a gap and wrote my exam again. Although I didn’t really get much time to prepare, my mains and interview went fairly well. And when the results were announced, I was on cloud nine when I realized that I finally achieved my dream of becoming an IAS officer,” she beamed.
Describing her journey, Ms. Jain said it was full of ‘hard work’ and ‘consistency’. To the aspirants out there, she wished to convey, “If you are consistently doing hard work, there would be nothing that could stop you from achieving what you desire.”
SUPPORTED BY THE WOMEN OF HER FAMILY
Talking about a moment of significance in her life, Ms. Jain reminisced about the time when her mother and grandmother, themselves being deprived of the life that they deserved, supported her decision to go out of the district and make a name for herself!
Brought up in a traditional Marwari family, she grew up listening to the fact that a girl should just complete her graduation and get married as soon as possible and raise a family. This is considered to be the ultimate goal in every girl’s life.
“The most special moment in my life was when my mother and grandmother supported me so much despite their traditional background. They are not very educated but they stood by me through everything, and gave me the motivation to build my identity. They believed in me and went against my father’s wishes.” said Ms. Jain.
She feels blessed to be a part of the IAS community and conveys to the aspirants that once they join the service, every day would be special for them as they will have the power to change the community and bring development to the people.
