Meet IAS Tina Dabi, Ria Dabi’s mother, who cracked UPSC herself, served as IES officer, later retired early due to...

Preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Examination is not an easy task. It requires long hours of study, full dedication, and a lot of patience. This exam is one of the toughest in India and is held to recruit candidates for top government services like the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and other Group ‘A’ services. Clearing all three stages Prelims, Mains, and Interview, is a big achievement in itself. But there is one woman who not only cleared the exam herself, but also raised two daughters who followed in her footsteps and became IAS officers at a young age. Her name is Himali Dabi. She is the proud mother of IAS officers Tina Dabi and Ria Dabi, and she herself had cleared the UPSC Engineering Services Examination. Himali worked as an Indian Engineering Services (IES) officer. She was also a topper during her studies at the Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT) in Bhopal.

In an earlier interview, Himali Dabi said, “It is not easy to prepare for this exam. It is very tough.” She retired early to dedicate her time to supporting Tina's journey toward becoming an IAS officer.

Her elder daughter, Tina Dabi, made headlines in 2015 when she topped the UPSC Civil Services Examination in her very first attempt. She achieved the All India Rank 1 and scored 1063 marks in the exam. Today, she is posted as the District Collector of Barmer, Rajasthan. Tina’s marriage to fellow IAS officer Pradeep Gawande in 2022 was also widely covered in the media.

Her younger daughter, Ria Dabi, followed the same path. In 2020, she cleared the UPSC exam and secured All India Rank 15. Ria is also an IAS officer and got married in 2023 to IPS officer Manish Kumar.

This family has become an inspiration to many across the country. With Himali Dabi’s own success and the achievements of both her daughters and sons-in-law, the Dabi family truly represents the power of hard work, education, and dedication to public service.