Meet the Delhi Girl 'Tina Dabi': Top Scorer in Toughest Exam of the Country

BENGALURU: “Napoleon said that without opportunity ability can’t be cultivated. Dalit girl topped IAS & this could not have been possible 40-50 yrs back,” tweeted Udit Raj, Member of Parliament, North-West Delhi. There is a reason for this recall. It seems 22-year-old Tina Dabi loves to fight with challenges. She not only cracked the toughest competitive examinations of India but also bagged the first rank in her very first attempt. Tina has now opted for Haryana Cadre. Despite its economic progress, Tina believes that the state offers challenges like “patriarchal mindset and gender inequality” and that is a very big paradox she would like to deal with.

“What is actually holding Haryana back is its patriarchal mindset and the gender inequality, which is a subject very close to my heart, since I am a woman from a progressive family and have also studied in a college that lays great emphasis on gender equality, so that is something I want to change about the state,” Tina told The Indian Express.

Graduated from Lady Shri Ram College in 2014, Tina’s success can be a source of inspiration for scores of students from underprivileged castes and communities. Outstanding academic achievement is nothing new for Tina and her family. “Tina is just like her parents. Tina’s mother was also a topper of Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), Bhopal. We are happy that she made not only us but the whole country proud,” Piyush Kamble, Tina’s Maternal Uncle told Hindustan Times.

In an interview with India Today, Tina shared her secret behind the success, "My secret formula is my mother. She has guided me since Class 11 and groomed me for the service. She has given me all possible guidance and support throughout the time." Tina’s mother Himali Dabi is a former Indian Engineering Service (IES) officer, who took voluntary retirement and her father Mr. Jaswant Dabi works in the Department of Telecom.

Athar Aamir Ul Shafi Khan, who hails from Anantnag in Kashmir stood second, followed by Jasmeet Singh Sandhu. It was the second attempt of Athar Aamir. In his first attempt in 2014, he had got a position in Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS).