UPSC Civil Services is not a new word for the common man in India. There was a time when the British introduced the Civil Services Exam to look down upon Indians as they found it too difficult for Indians to even qualify for the exam, let alone become a civil servant. However, the first IAS officer of India was Rabindranath Tagore's brother, Satyendranath Tagore. But did you know even a woman of our country cracked the Civil Services Exam back in those days? It was called Indian Civil Services in those days or ICS.
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First Woman IAS Officer of India: Anna Rajam Malhotra
Anna Rajam Malhotra was the first woman to crack Civil Services in the days when the British ruled India. She is remembered as the first IAS officer of our country. Know all about her in the article below.
Anna Rajam Malhotra: Early Life, Schooling, Husband
Anna Rajam Malhotra was born on July 17, 1924, in Kerala's Ernakulam district. She completed her education in Kozhikode. She then studied at Madras University completing her graduation.
Once she finished college, Anna Malhotra started preparation for Civil Services Exam and succeeded in her first attempt itself. It was in the year 1951 she became the first female Civil Servant of India.
Anna Malhotra belonged to the 1951 batch of the IAS and married R. N. Malhotra, her batchmate.
Anna Rajam Malhotra: Journey as an IAS Officer
- She became an IAS officer at the age of 27.
- Anna Malhotra was asked to choose Indian Foreign Services at the time of the interview. But she stayed adamant and chose to become an IAS officer. She chose the Chennai cadre.
- Throughout her career, she worked with 2 Prime Ministers and 7 Chief Ministers. She worked with Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and 7 Chief ministers of Tamil Nadu. She was with Indira Gandhi when she went to understand Food Production patterns in 8 states.
- She also worked with Rajiv Gandhi in 1982 for Aian Games in Delhi.
- She was handy in building India's first computerised port, Nhava Sheva, in Mumbai. She was also the first Malayali woman to hold a secretarial post in the central government.
Winning Padma Bhushan Award:
After becoming an IAS officer, Anna Malhotra gave her services in Indian Home Ministry as well. She also worked after retirement as a director in Hotel Leela Venture Limited. In 1989, she was awarded Padma Bhushan for her services as an IAS officer.
Anna Rajam Malhotra bid goodbye to the world on 17th September 2018. She was 91 years of age then.
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