The story of IPS officer S. Inba is an inspiring tale of perseverance and grit. A daughter of a beedi worker mother went on to become an IPS officer with the help of the government initiative called, the ‘Naan Mudhalvan Scheme.’ Her three-minute speech at the launch of the ‘Ulagam Ungal Kaiyil’ laptop distribution scheme on January 5 reflected how the government’s intervention at the grassroots levels can produce spectacular outcomes.
Hailing from Sengottai in Tenkasi, Inba is an engineering graduate. Despite being the daughter of a bus conductor father and a mother who rolled beedis to manage expenses, Inba set her heart on the prestigious All India Civil Services Examination after completing her engineering degree in computer science from Coimbatore in 2020.
Initially she began preparation from home after her graduation but could not make it to the Civil Services exam on her first two attempts.
Unable to shift to Chennai due to financial constraints, she decided to take help from the Tamil Nadu government’s flagship ‘Naan Mudhalvan scheme.’ She cleared the entrance exam to avail of the facility and got access to the All India Civil Service Coaching Centre in Chennai. An initiative of the Tamil Nadu govt, selected candidates are given free coaching and intensive training to crack the exam, in addition to being offered free accommodation and free food facilities.
The public library at Shengottai became her second home for two years, and the free books with internet facilities helped her come up trumps. Inba finally cleared the UPSC examination and is now a 2024 batch IPS officer. Inba is currently undergoing training as an ASP in Coimbatore.
When Inba shared the memory of her struggling days at the venue, she was greeted with huge applause. “I was seated as a beneficiary in a third or fourth row in a similar event a year back; now I stand before you as an IPS officer on the stage,” she said.
Her speech, which is storming the social media now, has the potential of inspiring millions of students who come from a modest background but do not gather the courage to transform their dreams into reality. Inba’s success story is a living example of inspiration for them.
She rubbished the belief that people from humble economic backgrounds cannot crack the prestigious exam and turn into an IAS or IPS officer. But it is not so. “The government is offering several facilities through schemes. It is we who should utilise it to succeed,” she said.
And she was speaking before an audience that included Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, former ISRO Director Mylswamy Annadurai, and IAS officer P. Amudha, Additional Chief Secretary to the Government. They were visibly proud and cheered her with warm applause.
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