Violence erupted in Banbhoolpura, Indira Nagar, when the police tried to evict a madrasa, causing tensions to rise in Haldwani, Uttarakhand. Situated in the Nainital district, the responsibility of quelling the unrest fell upon Vandana Singh Chauhan, the District Magistrate (DM) of Nainital, who through her quick decisions managed to tackle the situation.
Today, we’ll talk about the success story of IAS Vandana Singh Chauhan. Despite opposition, she remained determined to join the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
Born on April 4, 1989, in Haryana, Vandana faced challenges due to her family's traditional attitude toward girls’ education. They did not favour her getting education. To complete her education, Vandana’s father, Mahipal Singh Chauhan, took her to Kanya Gurukul near Moradabad, breaking several village norms. Following this, Vandana’s grandfather, uncle, and other family members turned against her father. Vandana was inspired to strive harder to become an IAS officer one day by her father’s kind gesture, said a DNA report.
After intermediate education, Vandana started preparing for UPSC exams while studying law at B.R. Ambedkar University, Agra. Despite being enrolled, she chose to stay home during college as her family was not very supportive. During her graduation years, Vandana used to order her Law books online or send her brother to get them for her in those days.
Vandana started studying for the UPSC civil services exam after completion of her graduation. Dedicating 12-14 hours a day to studying, Vandana's commitment was unmatched. In an interview, her mother, Mithilesh, shared that even during summers, Vandana avoided using a cooler in her room, believing cool temperatures induced sleepiness.
Except for her brother, no one in her family assisted her in studying. Vandana was successful in her first attempt in 2012 after she secured an All India Rank of 8 in the UPSC.