Harini, who scored the 289th rank in the civil services examination in her fourth attempt, owes her achievement to the faith and support of her parents and her own determination, as several young women in rural hamlets like her are denied such an opportunity.
Hailing from Karungalipatti hamlet of Bargur block in Krishnagiri, which does not have even a bus facility, Ms. Harini was born to middle school teacher Komathi, and farmer Ravi. “Even as children, my father would tell everyone that my daughter will be a collector and my son a doctor,” she said.
“I got enough time during COVID-19 to prepare for the examination. The pandemic also helped ward off many attempts by the extended family to push me into marriage,” said the 26-year-old BSc Agriculture graduate from the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. Her preparation began in 2018, after she passed out of college. It took her five years, and after three unsuccessful attempts at the preliminary, she cracked the exam in her fourth attempt.
That she cleared her Group II Agriculture officer exam and got a posting in Palayamkottai bolstered her parents faith in her, when she was in her lowest point after failing three attempts.
Her engagement with rural governance as an agriculture intern as part of her final year Rural Agriculture Work Experience (REWA) has stood her in good stead.
As an IAS officer, she wants to build on the formative experiences by focusing on poverty alleviation, rural development, and women empowerment, she said.
On women empowerment, Ms. Harini has a lot to share from her own lived experiences. “I have seen several child marriages in extended families, malnourishment in girl children, and in two instances I stopped child marriages. Young women being married off and forced to become mothers has wide ranging impact on all the health indicators of society, ” she said.
She wants to change the mindset among parents that boys should be educated and girls should be married off early. “Even if one parent’s outlook changes after seeing my success , they will educate their daughter. That will be my true success,” she said.
