The Union Public Service Commission, UPSC exam is one of the toughest ones to crack for students. Satyendra Nath Tagore was the first Indian male to clear the UPSC exam, but do you know who was the first Indian woman to clear the UPSC exam?
Who is Anna Rajam Malhotra?
Anna Rajam Malhotra was the first Indian woman to pass the UPSC exam and the first woman IAS officer post India's independence in 1947. Anna Rajam Malhotra served in Madras from 1951 to 2018 under then-CM C Rajagopalachari.
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Anna Rajam Malhotra enjoyed a long and successful career and worked on several initiatives. She had also joined Rajiv Gandhi’s team for the 1982 Asian Games.
It was in 1951, at the age of 27, that Anna Rajam Malhotra passed the civil services exam and received a call for an interview. The interview panel had also persuaded Anna Rajam Malhotra to join the foreign or central services because they were “more appropriate" for women but she stood her ground and joined the Madras cadre of the civil service.
The interview was just the first step in Anna Rajam Malhotra's life and all the issues that she would face as a woman in a male-dominated area.
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Anna Rajam Malhotra's appointment letter also mentioned that her service would be discontinued post her marriage. This regulation was changed later. Then-CM C Rajagopalachari was also concerned and "hesitant to designate" her as a district sub-collector because he believed that "women should not serve in the civil forces".
However, throughout her life and even then, Anna Rajam Malhotra also worked toe-to-toe with her male counterparts and emerged victorious through sheer hard work, skillset, and knowledge.
Anna Rajam Malhotra later became the first female district sub-collector of the Hosur district. She also later served as India’s Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund in Washington.
Sadly, Anna Rajam Malhotra died at the age of 91 in Mumbai in September 2019, however, to this day, her story lives on. Even after her demise, Anna Rajam Malhotra continues to be an inspiration to all the female officers.
