Tina Dabi, 2015 UPSC Topper Who leads the fight against Coronavirus

Women are breaking barriers and fighting the world to reach the summits of success. Their talent, perseverance and dedication is an inspiration for all. There are many women leading the civil services sector as intelligent and brave officers who carry the baton of change. As a part of our series, spotlighting female IAS Officers, we bring you the story Tina Dabi, the woman behind Bhilwara's 'ruthless containment' model that has gathered praise for the efficient tackling of the coronavirus.

Also Read: Meet Tina Dabi, IAS Officer behind Bhilwara’s ‘ruthless containment’ model

A strong academic background

Tina secured the first rank in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Examination 2015. She was 22-years-old at that time and cleared one of the toughest national-level papers in her first attempt. She had decided in class eleventh itself that she wanted to join the civil services and never let anything deter herself from this goal. Based in Delhi, she had always had a stronger academic background which built the foundation fo her final scores.

Tina Dabi coronavirus fight is being talked about world over.

She graduated in Political Science from DU's Lady Shri Ram College at the age of 20 years as a university topper. The next year was sheer determination and endless effort that bore a really sweet fruit. She is the youngest UPSC toppers. Not only this but Tina is also the first Dalit to have topped the examination.

A subject of controversies

Post success in the Civil Services Examination, the topper was trolled by people on the grounds of her category. They claimed that she misused her Dalit quota and did not deserve the first position. Moreover, her marriage to Athar Aamir Khan two years after the result became a matter of religious controversies. He stood second in the same exam and both were undergoing training at the Department of Personnel and Training office in Delhi where they fell in love. The mixed marriage was attacked by many.

A Gold-medalist in training

After clearing the exam, candidates are supposed to undergo a two-year training period wherein they are tutored in complexities like the law to basic habits like dining. Tina Dabi acquired the President's gold medal for her training in 2018. She came the First in Order of Merit and was posted in Rajasthan. This was her answer to the criticisms she received for belonging to the Dalit quota.

Efforts to tackle the coronavirus

Tina has been the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of Rajasthan's Bhilwara since 2018. The district reported one of the first cases of the virus in the country.  The immediate step to contain further spread was to close the entire district and this announcement was made two days prior to the decision of the national lockdown. It was tough to thus, take people into confidence since they did not believe in the grimness of the situation. Nevertheless, Dabi led a pro-active team and strategically made it possible to convince people to close down and stay inside.

They ran across the district to ensure that nobody suffered from the immediate dearth of essential services. The team followed the 'ruthless containment' model that encompasses district isolation, transfer to quarantine and isolation wards and rigorous village monitoring. Tina Dabi believes that aggressive screening, testing and lockdown became the crux of the Bhilwara model and are worth implementing in the rest of the country.

Also Read: Tina Dabi Wins Prez Gold Medal In IAS Two-Year Training

Saavriti is an intern with SheThePeople.TV