Meet Maharashtra's first Muslim woman IAS officer, daughter of an autorickshaw driver, cracked UPSC with AIR..., her name is...

India.com

30-04-2025

Adiba Anam has become the first Muslim woman IAS officer from Maharashtra. (File)
UPSC Success Story: The UPSC Civil Services Examination is arguably the toughest recruitment test in the country and aspirants who succeed in clearing this formidable exam often have a remarkable and inspiring journey behind them, filled with perseverance, hard work, dedication, and perhaps most importantly, the drive to achieve something significant in their lives.
One such individual is Adiba Anam, the daughter of a humble autorickshaw driver in Yavatmal district of Maharashtra, who scripted history by becoming the first Muslim woman IAS officer from the state. Who is UPSC topper Adiba Anam?
Born in a financially-constrained home in Yavatmal, Maharashtra, Adiba Anam did not have much while growing up, but her parents, especially her father, the family's financial hardships to affect their daughter's education. 'My parents never let financial hardship become an excuse. They believed education would open every door,' Adiba said in a recent interview.
The young woman says she learned perseverance and hard work from her father, Ashfaq Sheikh, who worked long hours to feed his family. Maharashtra's first Muslim woman IAS
After completing her schooling, Adiba Anam earned a Bachelors degree in Mathematics from a local college in Pune, and started preparations for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, and realise her childhood dream of joining civil services. Adiba worked hard and engrossed herself in studies, but like everything else in her life, the path was not easy as she was met with failure on her first two attempts.
However, Adiba, 27, did not let the failures affect her morale, kept working hard, and ultimately her perseverance paid off when she aced the 2024 UPSC CSE with an impressive All India Rank (AIR) of 142, and has been accorded the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) cadre, thus scripting history by becoming the first Muslim woman from Maharashtra to become an IAS officer.
When the results were announced, Adiba reportedly broke down into tears of joy, saying that her success was not only for herself, but for every young woman who dares to dream and break societal barriers. 'Want to ensure no girls abandons her dreams'
Notably, for Adiba, the inspiration to become a civil servant came during her childhood when she used to visit an NGO run by her maternal uncle, where she met bureaucrats who worked on education and health projects. 'I realized the power an honest officer has to change lives,' she says.
Now that Adiba Anam is herself an IAS officer, she aims to work for the upliftment of the downtrodden in sectors like health, education, and women's empowerment, and said she wants to ensure that 'no girl abandons her dreams because of where she was born or how little her family earns.'
Adiba's UPSC success has brought joy and pride to the entire Yavatmal district with neighbours thronging her home in droves to congratulate the family, especially her father, Ashfaq Sheikh, who ensured that his daughter had every chance to achieve her dreams, despite the family's financial burdens.
'She always carried bigger dreams than what life gave us,' he said. 'Now, she will carry others with her, too,' Ashfaq said.