Vanmathi’s Success Story: For many girls growing up in rural India, completing school is often followed by a familiar question from parents: “When are you getting married?” Higher education and ambitious careers can seem like distant dreams, especially when families are struggling financially.Vanmathi, who grew up in Sathyamangalam in Tamil Nadu’s Erode district, also heard these expectations. His father drove a taxi, money was always scarce, and he spent his evenings grazing the family buffalo and helping with household chores. But instead of accepting the life others had planned for her, she chose education. Today, he is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and currently serves as the District Collector of Wardha in Maharashtra.
From grazing buffalo to dreaming of becoming a Collector
Vanmathi’s childhood was shaped by hard work.Before and after school, he helped his family in any way possible. He took the buffalo out to graze, completed household chores and even took on small jobs to supplement the family’s income. Studying was just a part of his day.When he finished school, many parents felt that it was time for his parents to organize his marriage. Vanmathi, however, had a different dream. She wanted to continue her education, and her parents remained firmly behind her decision despite their financial difficulties.He completed a postgraduate degree in Computer Applications, proving that determination could overcome circumstances.The turning point came when he saw a woman District Collector visiting his town. Looking at a woman who leads the administration of the district made me believe that she, too, could one day carry the same responsibility.
Four attempts, countless setbacks and a dream that has never changed
Like thousands of UPSC aspirants, Vanmathi’s journey was far from smooth.To support himself, he worked while preparing for the Civil Services Exam and later joined the Indian Overseas Bank as an Assistant Manager after clearing a bank recruitment exam. The job provided financial stability, but it never allowed him to replace his greater ambition.The UPSC exam tested her repeatedly.In his first attempt, he reached the interview stage, but missed the final selection. In subsequent attempts, she fell short in various stages of the exam. Each encounter meant starting the preparation process all over again.Instead of giving up, he continued.His persistence finally paid off in 2015, when he secured All India Rank 152 in the Civil Services Examination and joined the Indian Administrative Service in the Maharashtra cadre.
A training IAS officer lives beyond the examination hall
Over the last decade, Vanmathi has served in various administrative roles in Maharashtra, including Nandurbar, Dhule, Mumbai and now Wardha.As an administrator, he worked on tribal welfare, rural development, education, health care, water conservation and government reforms. During his tenure in Nandurbar, he introduced measures to improve nutrition in ashram schools and enhanced transparency by implementing direct benefit transfers for students.As Chief Executive Officer of Dhule Zilla Parishad, he played an important role in the implementation of health and rural development programmes, including coordinating administrative efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic.Now serving as Collector of Wardha, he has focused on water conservation, digital governance and employment generation through initiatives supporting micro, small and medium enterprises. Its digital project monitoring system, designed to improve transparency and prevent duplication of development work, was later appreciated by the Maharashtra government.Vanmathi’s journey is much more than clearing UPSC. It is the story of a young woman whose parents chose education over early marriage, who refused to let repeated failures decide her future and who transformed a childhood dream into a career dedicated to public service.For students preparing for competitive exams, especially those from small towns and rural backgrounds, their lives offer a simple reminder: your circumstances can shape where you start, but they don’t have to decide where you end up.
