Around 8-9 lakh candidates appear for India’s UPSC civil services exam every year, but only around 800 candidates manage to reach the final list. Among these few, there are also people who managed to pass this exam on their first try; IAS officer Swati Meena Naik, known for her fearless approach to her job, is one such success story.

Born in Sikar, Rajasthan, Swati Meena Naik is an IAS officer of the 2008 batch of Madhya Pradesh. In 2007, at the age of just 22, he cleared the UPSC exam in his first attempt, scoring an impressive All India Rank (AIR) score of 260 and becoming the youngest IAS officer in his team.

Swati was recently appointed as the Director, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, after previously serving as Secretary in the Department of Women and Child Development, Madhya Pradesh. He has gained a reputation as a dedicated and disciplined officer, known for his no-nonsense work ethic.

Swati’s inspiration for public service came from her family. While his father is a Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) officer, his mother is Dr. Saroj Meena once managed the petrol pump. Although her mother initially hoped to become a doctor, Swati decided on public service, inspired by her aunt, who was a civil servant. With his father’s encouragement, he embarked on his UPSC journey. Swati completed her education from Sophia Girls’ College in Ajmer, Rajasthan and has a younger sister who served as an IFS (Indian Foreign Service) officer in the 2011 batch.

Today, IAS Swati Meena Naik is respected across the country as a dedicated public servant and an inspirational figure in public services.