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Raised in a home of discipline and service, IAS officer Tina Dabi carved her own ascent to the top rank. Today, her journey shines brighter with a remarkable Rs 2 crore honour
IAS officer Tina Dabi, 2015 UPSC topper, received the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari Award and Rs 2 crore for her water conservation work in Barmer.
Success Story: IAS officer Tina Dabi is once again in the national spotlight, this time for her innovative initiative, which is a model for extracting water from sand. The Rajasthan-cadre officer, who secured All India Rank 1 in the 2015 UPSC Civil Services Examination, has recently been honoured by President Droupadi Murmu with the inaugural Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari Award for her water conservation efforts in Barmer district. She also received a cash prize of Rs 2 crore.
Tina Dabi’s rainwater harvesting model has now been adopted as a national example, particularly for arid and desert regions facing acute water scarcity.
Her success story remains widely admired. She achieved full marks in two subjects in her Class 12 board examinations and later topped the UPSC Civil Services Examination in her very first attempt. Although she was highly active on social media in the early years of her career, she has not been active on Instagram for the past two years.
A Family Of Administrators
Tina Dabi was born into a household of administrators. Her father, Jaswant Dabi, served in the Indian Telecommunication Service (ITS), while her mother, Himali Dabi, was an Indian Engineering Service (IES) officer before taking voluntary retirement to raise her daughters.
Tina’s younger sister, Ria Dabi, is also an IAS officer; she cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination in 2020 and belongs to the Rajasthan cadre. Tina Dabi’s husband, Dr Pradeep Gawande, is an IAS officer as well, while Ria Dabi’s husband, Manish Kumar, serves in the IPS.
Education And Early Achievements
Tina Dabi completed her early schooling at Carmel Convent School in Bhopal. She scored full marks in both History and Political Science in her Class 12 examinations. She went on to graduate in Political Science from the prestigious Lady Shri Ram College of Delhi University.
It was during her time in college that she began preparing for the UPSC examination, and in 2015, she gained nationwide recognition by securing All India Rank 1 in her first attempt.
In The Public Eye
Tina Dabi has frequently been in the news for both her professional achievements and her personal life. After topping the UPSC in 2015, she garnered considerable media attention when she announced her relationship with Athar Aamir Khan, who secured Rank 2 in the same year.
The two married in 2018, but divorced in 2021. In 2022, Tina married IAS officer Dr Pradeep Gawande, a 2013-batch officer from her cadre.
Ria Dabi Also Receive Honoured
Her sister, Ria Dabi, has also made headlines. Udaipur city secured second place in the Jal Sanchay Jal Bhagidari Award. As Udaipur District Collector Namit Mehta is currently on medical leave, District Council Chief Executive Officer Ria Dabi received the award on his behalf. President Murmu presented her with a prize of Rs 1 crore for Udaipur’s efforts.
At present, Tina Dabi is serving as the District Collector of Barmer.
Barmer, India, India
November 21, 2025, 09:45 IST
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