Senior IAS officer from Madhya Pradesh Avi Prasad has married for the third time, drawing public attention in his personal life. The bureaucrat’s third marriage has sparked mixed reactions, partly because his two ex-wives are also IAS officers serving as District Collectors.
A 2014-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, Aavi Prasad married Ankita Dhakre, a 2017-batch officer, on February 11 at Kuno National Park. Dhakre is currently Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of State Administrative Services. She has served as an SDM in various Madhya Pradesh districts.
Who is Avi Prasad?
Avi Prasad, a 2014-batch IAS officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, is married to Ankita. The couple exchanged vows on February 11, 2026, in a private ceremony at a resort in Kuno National Park, attended only by close family members, making it an intimate affair amid their busy schedules.
Prasad holds an LLB and an MBA, and has experience across a range of professional roles. He is currently serving as Commissioner, MGNREGA with additional charge of Director, Watershed Mission (PMKSY 2.0), and State Coordinator, PM Poshan Shakti Nirman. Before joining the civil service, he worked at the Reserve Bank of India.
His family has a strong tradition of public service, with his grandfather having served as a former minister.
This is Avi’s third marriage; his two previous marriages were also to IAS officers, both of whom are serving as Collectors in Madhya Pradesh districts. The recent development has been widely discussed on social media.
Who is Ankita Dhakre?
Ankita Dhakre is a 2017-batch IAS officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre. Born on June 21, 1990, she cleared the UPSC Civil Services Exam with strong marks (total around 1021 in mains and interview combined from available records). A Chemical Engineering graduate from IIT Delhi, she initially joined the IRS but later transitioned to IAS.
Photographs from the ceremony have circulated widely on social media, prompting widespread reactions.
Avi Prasad was selected for the IPS in 2013
Hailing from Sitapur district in Uttar Pradesh, Avi Prasad initially cleared the UPSC examination in 2013 and was selected for the IPS. He later secured an impressive All India Rank 13 in 2014, earning a position in the IAS. Coming from a politically active family, his grandfather, Tambeshwar Prasad, popularly known as Baccha Babu, served as a minister in the government of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh.
Prasad was initially married to Riju Bafna, an IAS officer who is currently serving as the Collector of Shajapur in Madhya Pradesh. The two are said to have met while preparing for the civil services examination in Delhi. Their marriage ended in divorce after a few years, and Bafna continues to serve in the Madhya Pradesh cadre.
He later married Misha Singh, a 2016-batch IAS officer. After their marriage, she shifted to the Madhya Pradesh cadre. The couple separated after nearly four years. Singh is currently serving as the Collector of Ratlam, having assumed charge in 2025.
Prasad has held several key field postings, including serving as District Panchayat CEO and Collector in multiple districts.
During his tenure as Collector of Katni, he gained widespread recognition for launching initiatives to combat malnutrition in the district and encouraging ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’.
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