This woman from a UP village studied at Oxford, and returned home to crack the IPS
Ilma Afroz overcame her family’s financial difficulties, and went on to study at St Stephen’s in Delhi and Oxford University, UK. In 2017, she cleared the UPSC exam; she will now join the IPS and serve the country.
Two dreams are common to most Indian students: heading abroad for future studies and cracking the UPSC exam to join the government services.
Ilma Afroz, 26, fulfilled both. Not only did she get past personal adversity to study at the prestigious Oxford University; she returned to India and cleared the civil services examination to serve her nation.
What sets her journey apart is how the girl from Moradabad district in Uttar Pradesh dealt with the tough hand life dealt her. Ilma’s father died when she was 14 years old, and her mother single-handedly took care of her and her younger brother.
Ilma Afroz (Image: The Better India)
Speaking to The Better India, Ilma said, “My mother taught me the value of hard work. My brother didn’t save money for my dowry. Instead, he spent it on my education. Ammi and Bhaiyya made numerous sacrifices to educate me.”
Recalling her early days, Ilma says she completed her schooling in Kundarki town and soon left to pursue a bachelor’s course in philosophy at St Stephen’s College in New Delhi.
“The three years I spent studying philosophy at St Stephen’s were the best years of my life. Learning the subject in an environment where professors can closely engage with students helped me imbibe important lessons. We learned so much outside the classroom as well. Learning philosophy encourages one to think,” she told The Better India.
From St Stephen’s to Oxford
Soon, Ilma earned a scholarship to attend a course at Oxford University.
However, a huge roadblock stood in the way: money. Ilma’s family members managed to collect the money and send her to the university, but financial constraints meant her visits home were restricted, reported News Track.
She did her master’s at Wolfson College and had “amazing opportunities to interact with scholars” during the course. After graduation, she moved to New York to attend a voluntary service programme in Manhattan area.
Image: The Better India
But her heart was in India. “I always knew that my happiness lay back home in India, with Ammi and all those around me,” reported The Better India.
In 2017, Ilma cleared the UPSC and secured an overall rank of 217. She was inducted in the IPS. She has been allocated the Himachal Pradesh cadre, and will undergo training for the next 16 months.
Ilma is also keen to give back to the younger generation in her village, and has founded Hope, an organisation that helps with education of underprivileged children.
(Edited by Teja Lele Desai)
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