IPS at 21, IAS at 22: After losing father, Divya Tanwar saw mother work as labourer by day, tailor by night — a story every UPSC aspirant must read

Divya Tanwar: IPS at 21, IAS at 22

In the quiet village of Nimbi in Haryana, a young girl's life changed forever when her father passed away in 2011. For most, this tragedy might have ended educational dreams, but for Divya Tanwar, it became the reason that would motivate her to become one of India's youngest civil servants, achieving the extraordinary achievement of clearing UPSC twice, first as an IPS officer at 21, then as an IAS officer at 22.

Behind this success stands a mother who turned struggle into strength. Babita Tanwar, suddenly widowed with four children to raise, didn't surrender to circumstances. She became a farm labourer by day and a tailor by night, stitching clothes to ensure her children's education continued. Her worn hands and tired eyes held a determined dream - that her daughter would achieve what circumstances seemed to deny.

Divya, educated in government schools and Navodaya Vidyalaya, understood the weight of her mother's sacrifice. While others sought expensive coaching institutes, she charted her own path using online resources and mock tests, a decision born of financial necessity that became her strategic strength.

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In 2021, her first attempt yielded an AIR 438 and the IPS uniform at just 21. But Divya's eyes were set on a higher goal. Undeterred by initial success, she prepared again, improving her score from 930 to 994 marks and securing AIR 105 in 2022, finally achieving her IAS dream.

Now serving in the Manipur cadre, IAS Divya Tanwar's journey is more than an examination success story. It's a testament to a mother's belief and a daughter's relentless determination. It proves that poverty isn't a barrier to dreams, and that sometimes, the most powerful coaching comes not from expensive institutes, but from the silent lessons of a mother's sacrifice.

Her story continues to inspire thousands of aspirants across India, particularly young women from rural backgrounds, showing them that with self-belief and hard work, no dream is too big and no obstacle too great.