8 Things to Know About Newsmaker IAS Officer Tina Dabi

One of India's civil services toppers, IAS officer Tina Dabi has called for a divorce from husband Athar Khan. The couple, who had tied the knot in 2018, have filed for divorce in Rajasthan in a family court in Jaipur. Both the IAS officers belong to the Rajasthan cadre and are based in the pink city. Some time ago, their marriage had come under scrutiny when Dabi reportedly removed 'Khan' from her surname on social media, while Khan himself had unfollowed her account on Instagram.

Who is Tina Dabi? 

• Tina secured the first rank in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Examination 2015.
• At 22-years-old, Dabi cleared civil services exam, considered one of the toughest national-level papers in her first attempt.
• She graduated in Political Science from DU’s Lady Shri Ram College at the age of 20 years as a university topper.
• The steering committee for BRICS (association of Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa) Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) Young Leaders has appointed IAS Officer Tina Dabi as an honorary advisor. She will hold the post for the session 2020 to 2023
• Dabi is one of the youngest toppers of the UPSC exam and also the first Dalit person to do so. Training at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) for two years, Dabi acquired the President’s gold medal in 2018. She also secured the first rank in the Order of Merit.
• During COVID her efforts in Rajasthan were lauded. The IAS officer was considered the brainchild behind the Bhilwara model that helped contain the virus.
• Tina Dabi has been in the news for her divorce from fellow IAS Office Athar Khan. Tina Dabi and Athar Khan were both toppers of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination held in 2015, with Dabi having secured first rank and Khan second. According to India Today, the two had grown in proximity during their IAS training post clearing the civil services exam, and consequently decided to get married. Theirs was a momentous union surrounded by loud chatter in the media since Dabi, a Dalit woman, was marrying a Muslim man.
• The IAS duo had tied the knot in 2018 in Kashmir, where Khan hails from. Hindu Mahasabha, a right-wing group, had however openly opposed Dabi and Khan's marriage, labelling it an instance of "love jihad."

Who is Athar Khan?

Athar Khan is an IAS officer from 2015 batch who stood second in the civil services exam. He belongs to the Rajasthan cadre. Dabi and Athar Khan fell in love during their prep for civil services and got married.