Ummul Kher's journey from living in slums to becoming an IAS officer
She was born on 16 August 1988 in a poor household in Rajasthan.
This condition makes her bones prone to frequent fractures. She has endured 16 fractures and 8 surgeries.
Ummul’s family relocated to Delhi when she was very young. The family settled in Nizamuddin slums. Her father sold goods on the footpaths to earn a living.
Ummul’s mother passed away when she was in grade 9. Her father remarried, and her stepmother was hostile towards her.
Ummul made the difficult decision of leaving her house. She moved out and began living independently in Trilokpuri slums.
Ummul secured 91% in class 10 and 90% in class 12. She pursued her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Gargi College, DU, and further completed MA and MPhil degrees from JNU.
Ummul successfully cleared NET JRF in 2013. This achievement enabled her to receive a monthly scholarship of Rs 25,000.
Ummul made history by getting selected in Japan’s International Leadership Training Programme. She became the fourth Indian in 18-year history to be selected for this programme.
In 2016, Ummul cleared the UPSC exams in her first attempt. She secured 420th rank and became an IAS officer.