In the modest village of Nimbi, Haryana, tragedy struck early for Divya Tanwar. Her father’s death in 2011 left the family of five struggling to survive. Her mother, Babita Tanwar, refused to surrender to poverty — labouring in the fields by day and sewing clothes by night to keep her children in school.
Those long nights became lessons in perseverance. “Her sacrifices were my motivation,” Divya has said in interviews, often crediting her mother’s strength for shaping her path.
Learning Without Privilege
Unlike many civil service aspirants who spend lakhs on coaching, Divya’s path was self-driven. She studied at government schools and later at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, relying on free online material, mock tests, and discipline to prepare for the Civil Services Examination.
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In 2021, at just 21 years old, she achieved All India Rank (AIR) 438, earning a place in the Indian Police Service (IPS). Yet she wasn’t done. A year later, after another round of self-preparation, she scored 994 marks, improving from her previous 930, and secured AIR 105, entering the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) at 22.
The Power of a Mother’s Dream
Babita’s story — of working two jobs and raising four children after losing her husband — is inseparable from her daughter’s success. “My mother worked so I could study,” Divya once said. Her rise is not merely a triumph of ambition, but a reflection of a mother’s endurance and the transformative power of education in rural India.
Today, IAS Divya Tanwar serves in the Manipur cadre, a symbol of how faith and persistence can rewrite destiny.
Beyond Coaching, Beyond Privilege
Her journey has inspired a generation of aspirants who see in her story a counter-narrative to the idea that success requires privilege. “The best coaching,” as one admirer wrote online, “was her mother’s courage.”
In a country where UPSC dreams often begin in cities and coaching institutes, Divya’s path from a Haryana village stands as a reminder — brilliance can emerge from the quietest corners, lit by sacrifice and sustained by will.
