Trainee IPS Officers Share Inspiring Journeys
A native of Madhya Pradesh, Ayasha is the first IPS officer in her family. Her father is a government school principal and her mother is a school director.
Hyderabad:“This is not just my success alone, it is also my parents’. They made a separate room for me, even though it was difficult at that time, so I could focus on clearing the UPSC,” said trainee officer Ayasha Fatima, a 2023-batch IPS officer now attached to the Telangana cadre. She is the first Muslim woman IPS officer to take charge in Telangana.
A native of Madhya Pradesh, Ayasha is the first IPS officer in her family. Her father is a government school principal and her mother is a school director. She quit a well-paid IT job to pursue her dream of public service. “The IPS is not a monotonous job. It allows me to work with people and for people. It’s diverse and challenging,” she said, adding that she hopes to specialise in forensics and cybersecurity. Ayasha secured the 184th rank in the UPSC examination.
Another Telangana-cadre trainee, Mandhare Soham Sunil from Maharashtra, said his first phone call to his parents after clearing the UPSC remains unforgettable. “They didn’t know much about government services, but when I told them the Government of India had called me for an interview, they were on cloud nine,” he said. Soham, who comes from a farming family, had earlier qualified for revenue services before clearing IPS in his fourth attempt. He will be awarded the Tonk Cup for Equitation at the upcoming Dikshant Parade.
For some, inspiration came from unexpected places. Rahul Kant from Jharkhand, also allotted to Telangana, said, “I was working at OLA with a hefty package, but after watching the film Article 15, I quit my job and started preparing for the UPSC.” Manisha Mehra, a Rajasthan native, said her motivation came from her family’s legacy of service. “My father and grandfather served in the Air Force. I always wanted to be in uniform and serve people,” she said.
Kirti Yadav, an IPS trainee from Delhi attached to the AGMUT cadre, said she aims to focus on women’s safety and empowerment. “I want to make each day better for women by encouraging more reporting of crimes. Things have improved, and I hope they keep getting better,” she said.