You must have read about Kiran Bedi, the first woman IPS officer of independent India. But, who was the first woman to become an IAS officer? Meet Anna Rajam Malhotra, a Keralite who broke the gender ceiling in civil services way back in the 1950s.

Early years

Born in July 1927, Anna Rajam George was the daughter of Ottavelil O. A. George and Anna Paul. Her grandfather Pailo Paul was a noted author in Malayalam. Soon after Anna Rajam was born, her family moved from Pathanamthitta district to Kozhikode.

After completing her early education at Providence College and Malabar Christian College in Kozhikode, Anna Rajam moved to Chennai to pursue a Bachelor’s in Literature from the Presidency College. After graduation, Anna joined the Accountant General’s Office in Chennai as an upper division clerk.

Dedication and hard work

Things changed when Anna happened to stumble upon a notice inviting applications for civil service examinations in 1950. As per accounts, she had no hope and yet she applied for it. Much to her surprise, she got an interview call. However, during the interview – she later recounted in discussions – the panel encouraged her to opt for IFS (foreign service) instead of IAS.

IAS was considered to be more difficult as it involved a lot of on-ground work in rural and backward areas. However, Anna stood her ground. She was clear that she wanted to serve as an IAS officer. Her first posting was in the erstwhile Madras State. Some reports say that the then Chief Minister C. Rajagopalachari was sceptical about posting a woman as the sub-collector of a district. He, instead, offered her a post at the Secretariat.

However, Anna, who had undergone training in horse riding and rifle and revolver shooting, refused to back down. She then went on to serve as the sub-collector of Hosur and Tirupatur.

At many official situations, she had to encounter gendered biases. But she proved her credibility through her work and commitment to the profession. Stories about how Anna Rajam tactfully dealt with the situation when a herd of elephants attacked a village under her jurisdiction are still popular among old-timers.  

Future success

Anna’s career had just begun there. She went on to hold multiple government positions in the Government of Madras, including Agriculture, Revenue, Education and Culture. She worked under seven chief ministers and worked closely with Rajiv Gandhi in the Asiad Project and briefly with Indira Gandhi on an eight-state tour to review food production.

An iconic project Anna undertook was the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in Mumbai, which, under her leadership, was modernised. Anna thus became responsible for building India’s first computerised container port, Nhava Sheva, to handle the increasing demands.

Personal life

Back during her time, women were rarely allotted positions such as the ones she held. Anna, therefore, believed her work required her undivided attention. So she married about two decades after entering the service – in 1970, her long-time partner and batchmate Ram Narain Malhotra.

Anna was a mentor to several young officers. She continued to inspire many with her experience and expertise until her demise in 2018. A name etched in the history of civil services, Anna Rajam Malhotra, stands out as an icon in the journey of equality in the country.