Divya Tripathi Overcame Financial, Mental Health Odds To Become DSP

Divya Tripathi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) from Madhya Pradesh tackled many adversities in her journey. After losing her father when she was 10 years old, she witnessed her mother make several sacrifices to fulfil her children's dreams. Aiming to take on her mother's dream of becoming a civil servant, Tripathi set her aim on the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission. Mental health issues and financial liabilities made her career extremely challenging. Despite these roadblocks, Tripathi persevered and became a commercial tax inspector, before becoming the DSP in 2023.

Throughout Tripathi's difficult journey, she had the support of her family and her partner Aditya, who is also in the same field. She told SheThePeople that while they had known each other since childhood, their friendship blossomed into a romantic relationship in 2018. The couple convinced their families and tied the knot in 2023. Hear Divya Tripathi's story.

Divya Tripathi's Story

I was born in 1995 in Narsinghpur, my parents had an intercaste love marriage and faced challenges because of it. My father, who wanted my mom to become a deputy collector, passed away in 2005. After his demise, my mom had to put aside her dreams as she had to take care of us, her children.

She took on my father's post of a clerk to support us. Despite facing societal pressures as a single mother, she made sacrifices, even mortgaging her jewellery, to fulfil her dream of sending me to engineering college in Bhopal. I graduated in 2016, thanks to her unwavering support. Encouraged by her, I pursued MPPSC in Indore.

My struggle began in 2018 during my first attempt at the exams, amid financial difficulties. Although I passed the prelims, some family issues triggered mental depression, and I decided to go back to my hometown to visit my family. My friends suggested I take my study materials home and prepare from there, where I realized I was experiencing symptoms of depression—lack of focus, sleeplessness, and concentration issues. 

After seeking treatment in my hometown, 2019 brought Lok Sabha elections, halting exams. Then, COVID-19 delayed my exams and results. Finally In 2023, after qualifying mains and interviews, I was selected for the commercial tax inspector post.

I had known Aditya since childhood. We were from the same city and connected through Facebook. In 2017, I reached out to him for exam tips as he was already a DSP by then. By 2018, we were in a relationship. He helped me manage my study time with schedules, given his training background. Despite both coming from past relationships, we found happiness together, handling things with maturity.

Aditya's dad agreed, but with the condition that he should get his sister married first, which we both arranged in May 2023 before our own wedding in December. Despite suggestions from everyone for a court marriage, I insisted on a traditional wedding with everyone's blessings, which we had on December 7, 2023. On December 26, I received my DSP results while returning from our honeymoon. His father finally accepted me wholeheartedly.

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