Murali K Rambhatla

Her name is Smita Sabharwal. She was born on June 19 1977 in Darjeeling. Her father, Colonel Pranab Das, served in the Indian Army. She grew up moving between cities. She completed her graduation in Commerce from St. Francis College for Women in Hyderabad. She cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination in 2000. She was 22 years old. All India Rank 4. She was posted to some of Andhra Pradesh’s most backward districts. Adilabad. Chittoor. Kadapa. Warangal. Karimnagar. In Karimnagar she launched a health programme called Ammalalana to improve institutional deliveries in government hospitals and reduce maternal and infant mortality. The programme became a model for the National Rural Health Mission across India. She was nominated for the Prime Minister’s Award for excellence in public administration. She monitored government school performance through specially designed software. She tracked government doctors over Skype calls. She worked to improve roads, bus stops and public utilities with private and public funding. She became the first woman IAS officer in the country to be appointed to a Chief Minister’s Office. She served in the Telangana CMO for nearly a decade across different governments. She said this, “Everything becomes relevant once you put your heart into it.” Follow for stories India deserves to remember.