After earning her master's degree from the London School of Economics and turning down lucrative offers from abroad, Harshika joined the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) in order to serve her country and realize a childhood dream of hers: improving the lives of people.

Harshika Singh, an IAS official from the 2012 batch, works as a District Magistrate and Collector in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh. In her capacity as an IAS officer, she ensures that a wide range of public services are provided across the state's multiple geographical administrative divisions and supervises the implementation of various government initiatives.

Born in Ranchi, Jharkhand, Harshika spent her childhood there. She received her schooling at Bishop Westcott Girls' School in Namkum, and graduated with a degree in Economics from St. Xavier's College. After completing her diploma, she proceeded to the London School of Business to pursue her master's degree.

After obtaining her master's degree, Harshika decided to serve her country and come back home. She sat in the admission exam for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), one of the most competitive exams in the country, after returning to India. She decided to retake it in order to obtain a higher rank even though she passed it on her first attempt in 2010. On her second attempt, she surpassed her expectations by placing eighth in the country.

Telling us about her childhood days, Harshika recalls inquiring about someone seated in a car with yellow light during a trip to the market from her parents. Her parents informed her that it was the District Collector's vehicle. Since then, her curiosity about civil services started growing. She explains that she became fascinated with civil services when she realized that you could help people at every stage of their lives with these services. These services offer a plethora of opportunities for improving the condition of everybody in society.

Discussing the difficulties she had to face, Harshika mentions that her first position following training was in an area affected by Naxalism, where she had the opportunity to hold elections. She found those early years of her civil service employment to be extremely difficult. She claims to have worked in the civil service for ten years, during which time she has witnessed changes in both technology and the civil service.

She continues by stating that throughout her ten years as a female officer, she has also worked in the most conservative regions of the nation, where patriarchal society is prevalent, and that she found it challenging to build confidence and acceptance for herself as a female officer. She does, however, believe that attitudes have evolved because she now works in an area where it is common to work together with female officers. She thinks this is a really positive improvement.

Harshika recounts one of the most memorable and fulfilling experiences of her journey as a civil servant. While posted in a Naxalite area, an 80-year-old woman offered sweets to Harshika after that lady saw pension money credited in her account for the first time in her life. On that day, Hrashika felt really happy at having decided against accepting lucrative offers abroad and choosing to serve her country through civil services.

When asked about her role models, Harshika says that her parents and her university lecturers come to her mind. She says her mother, a director of a major public sector organization, was an excellent role model for managing work and personal obligations and did well in all the roles she held. She also sees her father as an inspiration because she was able to leave her small town of Ranchi and go to London to pursue her master’s degree with his support. Her father always had faith in her.

When it comes to young individuals who want to join the public service, Harshika advises them to think carefully about their motivations and whether they really want to change people's lives. Harshika claims that this is a demanding profession that enables you to positively impact people's lives rather than a 9 to 5 career. She cautions that the true challenge and life don't start until you start working in the administrative services, where you give your all to the community at large while frequently sacrificing your comforts.

In her spare time, Harshika enjoys reading journals from all around the world. She reads a book every night before sleeping. She enjoys yoga and meditation as well, and begins her day by doing these things because her job requires her to maintain mental clarity. She concludes by saying that having the determination and being prepared to give it your all to accomplish the goal, is what leads to success.