In a country where societal rules often govern a citizen’s fate, an early IPS officer has shattered such confines, defied leadership, and brought a flicker of hope to the side of justice for the underprivileged. In this article by TheHinduzone.com, we will discuss the Journey of IPS Suman Nala. Meet IPS Suman Nala, a rarity of a woman officer whose qualities of bravery, empathy, and determination have never allowed 29 families to remain ostracised in any way in Banaskantha district of Gujarat, while also stirring new hope in many an aspiring civil service candidate. Her story- as it flows from a cushy corporate job to joining the UPSC after getting married and then creating real change on the ground a saga of grit and leadership.
Read More: Best IAS Coaching in Delhi
The Halls of Modesty: Dreamed Big
Nala was born into a humble environment with values and simplicity as its hallmark. Many individuals come to the idea of civil services in an ad hoc manner, but Suman knew since her early childhood that she wanted to go into the IAS/IPS. Still, like most middle-class youngsters with strong academic credentials, she went for a line of professional education first. She finished Computer Science Engineering in 2012 from BITS Pilani, arguably one of the best engineering colleges in India. Soon after, she was placed at Oracle, the global tech giant, and she worked there for three years.
While her job was secure and the paycheck handsome, Suman couldn’t shake off the feeling that she was meant for something more impactful- something that would touch lives beyond corporate walls.
Walking Away from Comfort
Leaving a lucrative and secure job is never easy, at least in a society where women are encouraged to settle down instead of standing up for themselves. And so Suman did truly the opposite. Burning with a desire to serve the nation and with a very strong sense of purpose, she left her job to study full-time for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, arguably the toughest exam in India.
There was no straight path in Suman’s former preparation. She qualified for the Prelims in 2016 and failed in the Mains. Unwilling to take this defeat lying down, she attempted another edition in 2017, making it to the Interview but failing to enter the final list. Then came disappointment once more in the year 2018, as she was not able to clear. What makes Suman different is not simply her intellect, but her fierce will. She refused to give up.
That Power of Support
Standing behind every resilient warrior is a team of people unwilling to watch him fall. For Suman, the greatest pillar of support was her family, especially her husband, a fellow civil servant who had already cleared the UPSC. They never doubted her treatment for the dream. Hence, her failures only sparked their support for her, not asking one question about it.
Finally, in her fourth trigger attempt, in 2019, Suman cracked the code. She achieved an AIR 508 and was selected for IPS.
Her option was History, and she truly liked and had strategic reasons for taking up this subject. A lot of her time before Prelims was spent on testing, taking mock tests, and reading monthly current affairs magazines, which she fully endorses as her strategy. “Giving tests helps you figure out what you need to remember and what you can skip,” she shares.
While preparing, she combined her prelim-revised notes with Mains preparation, constantly updating them and keeping them precise. The main aspect of her interview preparation was getting to know herself, her hometown, and her journey through education level-wise clearly, so she could discuss them intelligibly and confidently.
On the Ground: Real Leadership Starts Here
Suman came into the 2021 batch of IPS and was posted as ASP at Danta, a tribal area with Banaskantha as the district headquarters. The posting was not in a well-served urban centre but in a numerically tough tribal belt that suffered from age-old customs and social divisions.
Generally, probationary officers get their initial days for probation training, but Suman had gone beyond the pale. One day, in confidence, her domestic helper revealed an agonising secret. From one village alone, her parents, alongside 28 other families, had been ostracised for more than twelve years due to an archaic and grim custom known as “Chadotara Pratha”. The root cause stood as a murder case of 2014 wherein, despite the main accused being acquitted by the court, these families had to bear the social punishment of exile.
Breaking the Cycle of Injustice
Suman could not believe her ears. How could 29 families be exiled in a country governed by constitutional rights and legal justice without there being any court order or government notice? Rather than sit back and await bureaucratic courses of action and court interventions, she took matters into her own hands.
Together with SP Akshayraj Makwana and Sub-Inspector Jayashree Desai, she began to engage with the village panchayat and community leaders. There were no threats, no cases lodged, only dialogues, empathy, and strong reasoning. She spoke to the panchayat about justice, about children deprived of education, about the breaking down of families, and about a better future.
Her emotional intelligence and leadership persuaded the community elders to lift the social boycott.
From Exile to Empowerment
But social reintegration was not enough. She considered real change to be dignity, and dignity is founded upon housing, education, and livelihood. She was working day and night for the mobilisation of rupees 70 lakh: 40 lakh through the collector’s fund and 30 lakh via NGOs.
This money was to be used to:
- Build 30 new houses for the returning families
- Enrol children in schools who have missed years of education
- Help the villagers in farming again and start small-scale businesses small in scale
Her interventions were not acts of charity but were transformational governance at the grassroots level. Suman Nala showed that a civil servant is not just any government employee but rather a source of hope, a social reformer, and an actual leader.
Lessons for the UPSC Aspirants
Suman Nala’s story is beyond just inspiring- it serves as a roadmap for UPSC aspirants:
- Persistence Pays Off: UPSC is a hard exam, and most people don’t succeed in it the first time around, but the ones who lose are those who choose to quit. She appeared thrice, failing every time, but that did not dishearten her from achieving the goal.
- Need for Support System: Having people around who believe in your dreams can sometimes make all the difference.
- Strategy + Hard Work = Success: Her preparation mainly included the right selection of optional subjects (History), choosing smart strategies like taking mock tests, reading current affairs magazines monthly (such as the one from Plutus IAS in both English and Hindi), and making very crisp notes.
- Interview Preparation: Know about yourself, about your place, and most importantly, about your needs. Clarity in these gave a strong base to Suman to face the UPSC board.
- Civil Services = Social Responsibility: Clearing UPSC is just a beginning; the second part of actual social service begins in the field.
A Role Model for the Nation
Once, civil servants were considered to be a mere group of bureaucrats behind desks: IPS Suman Nala is now world-renowned for changing what an officer should be about. The lady embodies bravery, much resilience, and empathetic governance. The narrative is not really about becoming an IPS- it is about becoming a changemaker.
Those 29 families she has helped are more than just numbers in a report. They stand as living proof of what happens to entire communities if one officer chooses courage rather than comfort, initiative instead of indifference, and humanity over hierarchy.
Also Read: Best IAS Coaching in India
Conclusion
Talking about the milestones of Suman Nala is a reminder that success is never about just one person; it is about lifting others as you rise. Giving up a tech job, multiple failures in her way, UPSC success after marriage, and social reforms in rural India- completely the story for every soulful aspirant and citizen.
Anytime you feel a bit down on your UPSC path or just in life, remember that you can change not just your destiny but also those around you. You are able to do what Suman did.
Related Article
Meet IPS Diksha Yadav: Leading the Patna Murder Probe
From Rejections to Rank 39: IAS Ruchi Bindal
Cracked UPSC After Marriage, Now a Fearless IPS in Kashmir!
IPS Eshwar Gurjar’s journey from 10th Failure to UPSC Success
From a Struggling Background to an IPS Officer: The Journey of Sharan Kamble Shweta Agarwal: The Inspiring Journey of Perseverance, Dedication, and Success
India’s First Blind IAS Pranjal Patil’s Inspiring Story
Shivansh Sharma’s Motivational UPSC Journey
Story of India’s Shortest IAS Arti Dogra
Bus Conductor to IPS Officer: Inspirational Journey of Sivasubramani
Doctor to IAS: Inspiring Story of IAS Tanu Jain
Motivational Story of IAS Anshuman Raj: Cracked UPSC Twice