Tina Dabi, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer who rose to fame after topping the 2015 UPSC Civil Services Examination, is back in the spotlight. Now serving as the District Collector of Barmer, Rajasthan, since September 2024, Dabi recently went viral due to a video featuring her and BJP leader Satish Poonia. In the clip, Dabi greets Poonia with a respectful bow, sparking varied public responses.
The video shows Dabi bowing her head several times—"five times in seven seconds"—to acknowledge Poonia, a former president of the BJP’s Rajasthan unit and now in charge of party affairs in Haryana. Poonia responded with praise for her work in Barmer, commenting, “Barmer will become just like Indore. You are doing good work.” While many viewers praised Dabi’s respectful gesture, the act has also reignited discussions on the dynamics between civil servants and politicians. Some believe the incident has been sensationalized by media coverage, framing it as a traditional show of respect from a junior to a senior.
Social media users shared mixed perspectives on Dabi’s gesture. Many supported her actions, with one user noting, “Greeting one’s elders is not a bad thing; in fact, it’s a good thing.” Another user, Pratibha Pundir, added, “I don’t understand what’s so wrong in this. Greeting one’s elders is not a bad thing; it’s a good thing!” However, others argued that civil servants should keep a degree of separation from political leaders to protect their independence. One comment warned, “This kind of behaviour can undermine the independence of civil servants,” while another stated, “It’s essential for civil servants to maintain a degree of distance from political leaders.”
Dabi began her career as an Assistant Collector in Ajmer in 2017. Her earlier marriage to IAS officer Athar Aamir Khan garnered significant media attention but ended in 2020. Dabi's career and public profile remain noteworthy, and she continues to make headlines alongside her younger sister, Ria Dabi, who ranked 15th in the 2020 UPSC examination. Tina is now married to IAS officer Pradeep Gawande, the District Collector of Jalore. The couple, who married in 2022, welcomed their first child, a son, in September 2023.
