She once struggled to afford Rs 2 bus fare, and suffered starvation and abuse by in-laws. Today, she is an IAS officer. Who is Savita Pradhan?

Today, she has reached the pinnacle of success. Savita Pradhan is now an IAS officer. Born into a poor Adivasi family in Madhya Pradesh, Savita faced financial hurdles as her father worked as a daily wage labourer.

“Like most children in my village, I studied in a government school. When I passed my tenth class with good marks, my parents finally felt proud and allowed me to take admission in a school in another town.”

Pursuing higher education came with significant challenges. Transportation to the town was unreliable, as only a single bus operated on the route and its schedule was inconsistent. On top of that, even the modest fare of ₹2 was beyond her financial means. As a result, she chose to cover the entire distance on foot each day to continue her studies, as she shared during a Josh Talk video.


Her journey changed dramatically when she received a marriage proposal from a wealthy and influential family. Although she strongly opposed the match and repeatedly expressed her reluctance, her parents believed the opportunity was too significant to decline. Before the wedding, she was promised that her education would continue after marriage. However, once she entered her new home, that assurance was not honored, and her academic aspirations were brought to an abrupt halt.

Savita faced domestic abuse. She was often denied food and rest and was made to work day and night. She also suffered physical abuse from her husband and in-laws.

. Feeling terrified and completely helpless, she begged her father to take her away when he came to see her. She told him she feared for her life and believed she might be killed if she remained there. Her father assured her that he would return later that day to bring her back home. However, he never returned. That heartbreaking experience made her realize that she would have to face her suffering alone, with no one coming to rescue her. The painful realization became one of the lowest and most defining moments of her life, strengthening her resolve to eventually change her circumstances.

She eventually ran away from her in-laws with her two kids. She lived for a while with her cousin sister and her brother. She started working at a parlour as a helper to sustain herself and completed her graduation and post-graduation.

One day, she saw in the newspaper the notification of UPSC examination and decided to prepare for it. She had no ambition to become an IAS officer. She was drawn to the salary and wanted a better life for herself and her kids.

She finally cleared the exam and became an IAS officer. But her husband’s harassment did not stop. Her husband used to come to her home, beat her up and take her money. Even when she became chief municipal officer, the harassment continued. However, one day she decided enough was enough, called her acquaintance who was Superintendent of Police who arrived and dealt with him.

According to a Brut India report, she is now, the Commissioner of Singrauli Municipal Corporation.