Meet IAS officer Swati Meena, who cleared UPSC exam at 22 and took on mining mafia

While her mother ran a petrol pump, her father helped her with her studies that finally helped her clear the UPSC exams. Swati was born in Rajasthan and got educated in Ajmer.

Cracking the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) exam is no mean task and out of lakhs who apply for the civil service examination, barely 0.2% candidates get selected. Swati Meena not just cleared UPSC, but she did so when she was just 22 years old. The youngest IAS officer of her batch, Swati was born in Rajasthan and got educated in Ajmer. 

Her mother wanted her to be a doctor

Swati's mother, reportedly, had the dreams of her becoming a doctor and it seems as a child, Swati was fine following her mother's wishes. In an interview with Bansal News, Swati recalls that it was in class 8 when a relative of their became a civil servant, and when this cousin of his mother met her father, the latter was very happy.

When Swati decided to be an IAS officer

It was the joy in her father's face that egged Swati to choose this path. She asked her father about UPSC exams and decided that's what she wants to be when she grows up. Her father not only inspired Swati, but worked with her diligently so that she can prepare well for her civice service exams. According to a report in DNA, her mother ran a petrol pump, while father kept helping Swati with her studies. Her hard work paid off when at a very young age of 22, Swati cleared the exam in 2007 and secured All India Rank 260 in UPSC exam. She entered the Madhya Pradesh cadre.

A fearless officer who took on challenging tasks

Becoming an IAS officer wasn't enough, she carries on her duty fearlessly. According to media reports, she began a campaign against mining mafias when she was posted in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh. Based on several complaints she received, she look action against the menace. 

Her tenure in Khandwa had also been very challenging. When the bodies of the slain SIMI terrorists reached her area of jurisdiction, miscreants tried to create problems, as per a DNA report. However, along with others in the administration, she overcame the difficult task efficiently.