Anas Mohammed

Dr Bushra Bano, may, perhaps, be the only Civil Servant in the country who faced an interview board of the UPSC civil services in the advanced stages of pregnancy and cleared the coveted examination with 234th rank. At present, she is posted as Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Firozabad (Sadar tehsil), Uttar Pradesh, after she joined the UP State Services where she had secured the sixth rank.

Bushra, the mother of two, had undergone cesarean section to deliver her two children and additionally undergone two major surgeries. And yet her resolve to continue her education and sit in the competitive UPSC examination had remained alive.

“I was a gifted child; this is what my parents feel proud of and all my acquaintances admit. All through my academic life, I have been a topper. After completing my B. Sc in Maths, I joined an MBA course and completed it before I turned 20. Soon, I had joined my Ph.D. in Management at Aligarh Muslim University. The very next year, I qualified for the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) that gave me the confidence to be self-reliant. I finished my Ph.D. in a short time of two years and a few months,” Bano told this correspondent.

While pursuing her research at AMU, she started teaching at Hindustan and Anand institute in Agra. “Then I was married to Asmer Hussain, an Assistant Professor in Jazan University, Saudi Arabia. Perhaps as a marital boon, I was also selected as an Assistant Professor at the same university and both of us taught together,” said Bano.

Bushra Bano with her husband and children

However, Saudi sojourn was not suiting her. “I was working there, but my heart always stayed in India. The only memorable thing for us was to perform a pilgrimage to Mecca. After four years, it became impossible for me to bear the pangs of homesickness. I consulted my husband and resigned. He stayed back,” said Bano. It was the most difficult decision of her life.

In India, Bano didn’t sit idle although she was the mother of a son. She joined a post-doctoral programme in AMU and at the same time started preparing for various competitive exams.

“My first attempt at the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) was not successful. However, I joined the Coal India company as assistant manager and was posted in Sonbhadraa. Next year, I got through prelims of both the state Public Service Commission and the UPSC. In June 2018, IprogramMains of both exams too. I was pregnant with my second child and when I was called for the interview, I was in the last stages of my pregnancy. The UPSC first declared their list. I had secured 277th rank and was allotted the Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS). Later, when the PCS result was announced, my rank was 6th and that meant I was eligible to become Deputy Collector of Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM). Thus, I joined as SDM of Firozabad Sadar in 2020,” said Bano.

Bano also shared an interesting episode of her married life. “In families with kids, it is usually women who sacrifice. But, in my case, my husband sacrificed his Saudi job for me. Since it became clear that I would work in India and our children would also be with me, he decided to resign from his job and join us in India. Now, he works as a businessman,” said Bano.

She added that her husband is also pursuing a Ph.D.

Bushra Bano presidening over a function

As an SDM, Bano has been famous for her stand on illegal mining in Firozabad. She has also been strict in ensuring law and order and devising ways to bring relief to weaker sections of society.

She wears a hijab and it raised some eyebrows in her office. “Some people thought I was kattar (hardline) Muslim. But, when they began to understand me, their doubts melted and now I am their favourite madam,” said Bano.

One of the most joyous moments in her life came when another attempt at UPSC brought her 234th rank and she was allotted IPS. “But I have decided that I will join it only when I am offered my home cadre. Otherwise, I am happy as SDM in UP,” she said.

Bano’s advice to young Muslims, especially girls and their parents, is that youth will be given the choice to pursue their passion, at whatever stage in their lives. “I chose to quit my Saudi job, come to India and opt for these services and my family supported me. Such cooperation from your dear ones makes a lot of impact in your life,” said Bano.