Stories
IAS Mitali Sethi Sends Twin Sons to Government Anganwadi, Not Expensive Private School
- •Nandurbar Collector Mitali Sethi admitted her twin sons to a government Anganwadi instead of an expensive play-school, challenging common perceptions about officers' children's education.
- •Her decision, initially met with family confusion, was based on grassroots experience and a desire for her children to learn human sensitivities over bookish knowledge.
- •Sethi was inspired by an Anganwadi worker who creatively solved a problem with a cradle, demonstrating service and care without bureaucratic hurdles.
- •A dentist by profession, Mitali Sethi left her medical career to pursue civil services, securing the 56th rank in the 2017 UPSC exam after two previous attempts.
- •Currently serving as an IAS officer in the Maharashtra cadre, Sethi and her husband are known for their simplicity and grassroots approach to public service.
Key Questions Answered
IAS Mitali Sethi is the Collector of the tribal-dominated Nandurbar district in Maharashtra who transitioned from being a dentist to securing the 56th rank in the 2017 UPSC exam. She was inspired to admit her twin sons to a local government Anganwadi after a touching inspection where an Anganwadi worker proactively and selflessly arranged a child-friendly cradle without government paperwork or tenders.
Mitali Sethi was born in Jalandhar, Punjab, and initially pursued a career in medicine. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Dental Surgery (BDS) from Amritsar and a Master's degree (MDS) in Orthodontics from Chennai. Later, she shifted her focus to civil services, cleared the UPSC exam with a 56th rank in her third attempt in 2017, and joined the Maharashtra cadre.
Despite initial confusion and opposition from family members, Mitali Sethi chose a government Anganwadi because she values human sensitivities and environmental connection over bookish knowledge and expensive advertisements during early childhood. She believed that children should experience genuine love and grassroots care rather than studying in luxurious, commercialized VIP play-schools.
