While lakhs of youth prepare for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, very few are able to crack it at a young age. The name of IAS officer Smita Sabharwal is counted among such students in the country. The success story of Smita Sabharwal is quite inspiring for the youth. Currently, Smita Sabharwal is posted in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) of Telangana. At the age of just 23, she achieved this feat.
Smita Sabharwal was born in Darjeeling, West Bengal in 1977. Her father, Col Pranab Das, was in the army and later settled in Hyderabad. Due to her father’s army postings, Smita has lived in several cities. She completed her schooling and was the ISC topper in 12th grade. She then pursued a graduate degree in commerce.
When Smita topped in 12th standard, her father encouraged her to join the civil services. After completing her graduation in commerce, Smita Sabharwal started preparing for the civil services exam. She failed in her first attempt. She was not even able to clear the UPSC Prelims Exam.
Smita Sabharwal did not give up and worked hard to clear the exam on her second attempt. In the year 2000, Smita secured the fourth rank in the UPSC exam and became an IAS officer at the age of just 22 years. Speaking about her exam preparation, Smita says that she used to study for six hours daily and also dedicated an hour to sports activities.
IAS Smita’s first appointment was as Sub-Collector in Chittoor. She then served as Project Director of Kadapa Rural Development Agency, Commissioner of Warangal Municipal Corporation, and Joint Collector of Kurnool. She has also been posted in places like Visakhapatnam and Karimnagar.
Smita is a trailblazing woman in Telangana who has achieved the remarkable feat of being appointed to the Chief Minister’s Office. She is happily married to Dr Akun Sabharwal, an IPS officer, and they have two lovely children named Nanak and Bhuvish. Smita has dedicated herself to empowering women and has worked tirelessly towards this cause. She has been involved in various awareness campaigns aimed at improving the quality of life for people living in rural areas.
