Tina Dabi is often discussed as a prominent woman officer who topped the UPSC on her first attempt but it’s worth noting that even before Tina Dabi, IAS officer Bhawna Garg had achieved this remarkable feat. Bhawna Garg, belonging to the 1998 batch of the Punjab cadre, has garnered numerous significant achievements in her academic and professional career.

Bhawna completed a B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from IIT Kanpur in 1998. During her graduation, she earned the prestigious Ratan Swaroop Memorial Award for outstanding performance across all subjects. Furthermore, she achieved the top rank in the joint entrance examination for admission. Right after graduating from IIT Kanpur, Bhawna appeared for the UPSC Civil Services Examination for the first time, and remarkably, secured the All India Number-1 rank on her very first attempt.

Apart from Tina Dabi and Bhawna Garg who cracked the UPSC on their first attempt, there are several other women who achieved top ranks in the UPSC exam. Uma Harathi, a B.Tech. graduate in Civil Engineering from IIT Hyderabad, attained the third rank in the Civil Services Examination 2022, choosing anthropology as her optional subject. Meanwhile, Smriti Mishra, holding a bachelor’s degree in Science from Miranda House College, University of Delhi, secured the fourth position in the exam with zoology as her optional subject. Moreover, IAS officer Ishita Kishore is an economics graduate who finished her studies at Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University in 2017. She got an All India Rank 1 in UPSC Civil Services Examination 2022.