Woman who lost father to COVID now appointed as Madhya Pradesh's Deputy Collector

Indore, Dec 27 (PTI) A 25-year-old woman who lost her father due to COVID-19 and had to take care of her mother and younger brother has been selected as a deputy collector in Madhya Pradesh.

Saloni Agarwal secured the eighth position in the state service examination 2019 conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC).

“When I was preparing for the state service exam, my father passed away because of COVID-19 and his absence disturbed everything in the house. I also had to take care of my mother and younger brother,” Saloni told PTI here on Wednesday.

She said that during the lockdown induced by the coronavirus outbreak, she was not able to study properly at home as there was an atmosphere of negativity all around.

Saloni said, “... But I had no other option. I couldn’t backtrack at all. So I continued my preparation. Today my dream of becoming a deputy collector has been fulfilled.” A resident of Jhiranya in Khargone district, Saloni started preparing for the state service examination in 2018 after completing her Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA).

As a deputy collector, Saloni said, she would like to focus more on the education of women for their betterment. “When you educate a woman, she empowers herself,” she said.

Seven women figure among the top 10 successful candidates of the state service examination 2019 conducted by the MPPSC, an official said on Wednesday.

Priya Pathak topped the exam and was selected for the post of deputy collector, as per the results declared late Tuesday night by the MPPSC, which has its headquarters in Indore.

According to an MPPSC official, 571 posts were initially advertised for the 2019 state service exam, but due to a case pertaining to 27 per cent reservation to the Other Backward Castes (OBCs) category in government jobs pending in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, the results of 87 per cent of these posts were declared.

The selection list of the remaining 13 per cent posts will be announced after the court's final order in the case, he said. PTI HWP MAS NR