Who Is Tina Dabi? From UPSC Topper To Social Media Storm, Controversies That Kept The IAS Officer In Spotlight

Recently, In Barmer, Rajasthan, girls from a college protested against an exorbitant fee hike, and the event came out of the blue when the remark ‘reel star’ attributed to District Collector Tina Dabi by some student leaders triggered police action that resulted in their detention and a following sit in of students at the police station asking for their release. The protest brought forth the issues of the fee hike and soon spread the debate over the administrative measures around it and the freedom to express one’s thoughts, with police and officials later trying to ease the tensions as the controversy continued to be hot in the district.

Who Is Tina Dabi? How Did She Become A National Figure

Tina Dabi became a national figure when she topped the UPSC Civil Services Exam in 2015. She was the first woman of SC origin to do so and very soon she became a source of motivation for many candidates throughout India. She has worked in various capacities in the Rajasthan cadre since then, including the post of District Collector in Barmer and previously as Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) in Bhilwara. She has been engaged in different areas of administration, such as water conservation and sanitation, that have gained her recognition and awards, including in the category of national level honors for her rural development and resource management activities. 

Tina Dabi Controversies 

At the same time, Dabi has also been embroiled in a number of controversies. In the initial years of her career, several fake profiles on Facebook were made with her pictures and name, and her comments and posts on sensitive political issues like the Citizenship (Amendment) Act were falsely attributed to her, which compelled her to file official complaints and FIRs against unidentified persons to save her image.

She has also been subject to criticism on social media for her behaviour, which was perceived as incorrect, during her public interactions for example, a video showing her greeting a political leader by bowing down multiple times incited a debate on bureaucrats’ relations with politicians, and social media users then said that this was now contrasted with her reported strictness in dealing with local shops during civic inspections.

Public commentary on her personal life has been pretty much the same, and Dabi has been heavily trolled over her inter faith marriage and subsequent divorce and remarriage, which are all societal debates about identity, career women in public service and privacy.

Moreover, the students’ opinions on her leadership in Barmer, with some even dubbing her a ‘reel star’, led to a public debate about the conduct of administration and the right to freedom of expression.

Dabi has subjected to scrutiny through her official position as well to a larger extent than just social media and public events, she was issued a notice by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for a child injury incident that took place at a Gurukul in Barmer, which made her answer questions about the institution’s control. 

Also Read: “Reel Maker”: Students Detained For Offensive Remarks On Barmer Collector Tina Dabi; Why Protests Have Intensified Against Her