Ashfaq Kayamkhani/Jaipur

Asha Kandara, a single mother of two kids who once swept the streets of Jodhpur, has cracked the Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) examination, attaining 728th rank in the state.

The results of the prestigious exam were announced on Tuesday night.

Asha, who is presently working as a sanitary worker with the Jodhpur Municipal Corporation (North), simultaneously prepared for the RAS exam while performing her duty.

Asha has separated from her husband eight years ago and she took up the responsibility of raising her two children – son Shravas and daughter Pallavi.

Employed as a causal janitor in the Municipality, Asha would come on her scooter to work. The cavity of the scooter was always full of books that she studied whenever she got a break from work.

One could see a woman holding a long broom with face totally covered with a dupatta sweeping the streets.

The same woman will become the Sub-divisional magistrate. Asha is daughter of Rajendra Kandra, who worked for accounts department of the Rajasthan government.

Refusing to bow down to the challenges of life, she continued studying for the RAS exam even while rendering her duties as a sweeper. During all these years, she was a temporary employee. However, just 12 days before the announcement of RAS results, she was given a permanent position as a sanitary worker.

Asha says that she always dreamt of becoming an RAS officer, especially after seeing senior officers sitting in their chambers as she swept the floors.

Hence, after her graduation in 2016, she started preparing for RAS. Finally, her hard work has yielded results and her dreams have come true.