Maharashtra’s inaugural Muslim female IAS officer, the daughter of an auto rickshaw driver who created history.
News Mania Desk / Piyal Chatterjee / 1st May 2025
When Adiba Anam spotted her name among the successful candidates of the 2024 Civil Services Examination, she silently cried. At that moment, the child of an auto-rickshaw driver from Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district achieved history — becoming the first Muslim woman from the state to enter the Indian Administrative Service.
Anam, 27, achieved an All India Rank of 142 in one of the nation’s toughest exams. Her journey to the IAS was far from simple. Raised in a simple home where her father, Ashfaq Sheikh, spent long hours transporting passengers, Anam quickly grasped the concept of perseverance.
After obtaining a mathematics degree from a college in Pune, Anam focused on preparing for civil services, despite two unsuccessful attempts. After two attempts, she passed the exam — not just for her own sake, but, as she puts it, for all the young girls who aspire to achieve more than societal expectations.
Anam’s motivation stemmed from an initial encounter with the realm of administration. While visiting her uncle’s NGO as a child, she encountered bureaucrats involved in education and health initiatives.
In Maharashtra, where Muslims comprise roughly 12 percent of the populace yet are still underrepresented in high government positions, Anam’s accomplishment holds significance that extends well beyond individual triumph. Advocacy organizations highlight that Muslim women, especially, encounter multiple social and systemic obstacles in achieving higher education and attaining leadership roles.
Other Muslim women from Maharashtra have advanced in civil services, albeit outside the IAS. Sarah Rizvi, an Indian Police Service officer from the 2008 batch, currently works in Gujarat. Syeda Asma, hailing from Nanded, succeeded in the Maharashtra Public Service Commission exam in 2019 and currently serves as an Assistant Sales Tax Commissioner. Waseema Shaikh, who placed third in the MPSC, is currently training to be a deputy collector.
