The Day I Met Tina Dabi: Lessons in Leadership and Grace
They say you never forget the moments that shift your perspective. For some, it’s a quote in a book; for others, it’s a mountaintop view. For me, it was a humid Tuesday afternoon in Jaisalmer, and a brief, unexpected conversation with one of India’s most celebrated administrative officers, Tina Dabi. Like millions of other aspirants and students in India, I knew the name. Tina Dabi wasn’t just the 2015 UPSC topper; she had become a symbol of what modern, youthful, and empathetic leadership looked like in the rigid framework of Indian bureaucracy. But seeing someone on Instagram and seeing them command a room are two very different things. The Setting I was in Rajasthan for a field research project. The heat was unforgiving, rising off the pavement in shimmering waves. I found myself at the Collectorate, caught up in the usual hustle of district administration. Files were moving, phones were ringing, and people from the deepest rural pockets were waiting for a hearing. I was standi...