Meet Bihar’s first female IPS, got married at 19, was asked tricky question in interview related to…, her answer was…

Manjari Jaruhar felt the lack of support she had hoped for.

Success Story: Passing the civil services examination (UPSC) in India is a dream for every student, but the path is not easy. Especially when faced with challenges from social constraints and family circumstances. This is an inspiring story of Manjari Jaruhar, the first woman IPS officer from Bihar and the fifth in India, who faced every difficulty head-on to realize her dreams.

The journey of Manjari Jaruhar

Manjari Jaruhar was born into a prestigious family, where many members had been IAS and IPS officers. It may seem that her journey to becoming an officer was easy, but the reality was quite different. She felt the lack of support she had hoped for. She had a deep interest in education, but the shackles of society and family responsibilities created numerous obstacles in her path.

Marriage and dreams

At just 19 years old, Manjari was married to an IFS officer. After the marriage, she realized that her husband and in-laws were not serious about education. Amidst household responsibilities, her studies and career dreams began to fade away. There came a time when she felt that she would spend her entire life just as a housewife.

But Manjari’s dreams were not going to end so soon. She did not let herself weaken and decided to create her own identity. Ignoring societal pressure, she took the bold step of separating from her in-laws and became fully dedicated to achieving her goals.

UPSC preparation and first failure

Manjari completed her English Honours from Patna Women’s College and then her post-graduation from Delhi University. After that, she started preparing for the UPSC exam. In 1974, she took the exam for the first time, passing the prelims and mains, but she could not clear the interview. This failure did not break her, but made her even stronger. She took the exam again in 1975 and she was successful this time.

Interview and Mayonnaise Sauce

During the UPSC interview, the board members asked Manjari the recipe of mayonnaise sauce. In fact, she had written her hobby as “cooking” in her UPSC form, and this question was inspired by that. Without hesitation, Manjari explained the step-by-step method of making mayonnaise. At that time, this sauce was not easily available in the market like it is today, but she had good knowledge of cooking. The interview board was so impressed by her confident presentation that no further questions were asked.

Journey after becoming IPS

Manjari Jaruhar got the IPS position, but not the IAS. After that, she took the UPSC exam again in 1976, but this time she neither cleared the mains nor the interview. However, she advanced her IPS career and provided excellent service to the country. Her story is a symbol of struggle, self-reliance, and determination. She proved that no matter how adverse the circumstances, if the intentions are strong, any destination can be achieved.