IAS Manish Dharve, who belongs to a tribal community in Madhya Pradesh’s tribal-dominated Khargone, is the daughter of an engineer father and a teacher mother hailing from the Bondarnya village of the district.
‘You only fail once you stop trying,” legendary scientist Albert Einstein had famously said once, and our today UPSC success story piece perfectly embodies this optimistic worldview expressed by the famous Nobel laureate. From a humble anganwadi worker in her sleeping little village to an IAS officer, the story of 23-year-old IAS Manisha Dharve is truly one of the most inspirational tales of hard-work and sheer determination you will ever come across.
Who is IAS Manisha Dharve?
Born in a middle-class family in Bondarnya village in Jhirniya block in Khargone district in Madhya Pradesh, Manisha Dharve failed in her first three attempts to crack the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE). However, unlike many others who would have been demoralised after repeated failure, she persevered and worked harder, and ultimately achieved success in her fourth attempt, securing an All India Rank (AIR) of 257 in UPSC-CSE 2023.
Manisha’s steely resolve, hard work, and never-say-die attitude ultimately paid off, leading to her realising her childhood dream of becoming an IAS officer.
IAS Manisha Dharve education, family
Manish Dharve, who belongs to a tribal community in Madhya Pradesh’s tribal-dominated Khargone, is the daughter of an engineer father and a teacher mother hailing from the Bondarnya village of the district. Notably, Manisha’s father Gangaram Dharve, reportedly turned down several jobs in the city, and instead returned to his native village to impart education amongst children from downtrodden families, along with his wife Jamna Dharve, who is a government school teacher.
Manisha completed her early schooling at a government school in her native village, and then passed Class 10th and 12th with good grades from a higher secondary school in Khargone. Since her formative years, Manisha was very good in studies and scored a healthy 75 percent and 78 percent, respectively, in her Class 10 and Class 12 board exams.
Later, after earning a B.Sc. degree in Computer Science from Holkar College in Indore, Manisha decided to head to Delhi to prepare for civil services examinations, and after initial hesitation, her parents eventually allowed her to head to the national capital to pursue her dream of becoming an IAS officer.
Failures and ultimate redemption
Manisha Dharve enrolled in a coaching centre in Delhi, however, instant success was not in her stars as she failed in her first attempt to crack UPSC CSE, and had to return to her native village in Madhya Pradesh. However, undeterred by criticism and setbacks, the brave young girl remained undeterred, continuing to strive and work hard to achieve her goal.
Manisha’s ultimate redemption came in 2023 when she finally cleared the UPSC exam in her fourth attempting, shutting down her critics and those who mocked her failures.