Rajpal sisters join IAS ranks, Rajasthan now has two sibling duos in service
Synopsis
Rajasthan's bureaucracy now has a striking new first: two pairs of biological sisters serving in the IAS at the same time. With Anju Rajpal's promotion from the RAS — landing her 5th on a 16-officer DoPT list — the Rajpal sisters join the celebrated Dabi sisters in a state that is quietly rewriting the gender story of Indian public administration.
Key Takeaways
Anju Rajpal has been promoted from the Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) to the IAS , securing the fifth position on a 16-officer DoPT promotion list .
She currently serves as Joint Secretary in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) , Rajasthan.
Her elder sister Manju Rajpal is already a senior IAS officer serving as Principal Secretary .
Rajasthan now has two pairs of biological sisters in the IAS — the Rajpals and the Dabi sisters (Tina and Riya).
Tina Dabi topped UPSC 2015 with All India Rank 1; Riya Dabi secured All India Rank 15 in 2020 .
The Rajpal sisters entered the IAS through two different routes: direct recruitment and state-service promotion.
Rajasthan's administrative landscape has recorded a rare milestone: the state now has two pairs of biological sisters serving in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), following the promotion of Anju Rajpal from the Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) to the IAS. The promotion order, issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) in New Delhi, listed 16 officers elevated from the state cadre to the IAS, with Anju securing the fifth position on that list.
Who the Rajpal Sisters Are
Manju Rajpal, the elder sister, is already a seasoned IAS officer currently serving as Principal Secretary in Rajasthan. Her younger sister, Anju Rajpal, has now crossed over from the RAS into the IAS cadre — a promotion that underscores how distinct pathways can lead to the same administrative apex. Anju is presently posted as Joint Secretary in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), placing her at the nerve centre of the state government from day one of her IAS career.
Their promotions highlight two different routes into the IAS: direct recruitment on one end and state-service elevation on the other. Together, they bring a combined depth of administrative experience to Rajasthan's bureaucracy.
Joining the Dabi Sisters in Rajasthan's IAS Ranks
The Rajpal sisters' achievement draws inevitable comparisons with Tina Dabi and Riya Dabi, India's most recognised IAS sibling duo. Tina Dabi topped the 2015 UPSC Civil Services Examination with All India Rank 1, while her younger sister Riya Dabi secured All India Rank 15 in the 2020 examination — both entering the service through direct recruitment to the Rajasthan cadre. The Dabi sisters are widely credited with inspiring a generation of women aspirants across India.
Notably, the two pairs represent different models of entry: the Dabis through UPSC direct selection, the Rajpals through a combination of direct recruitment and state-service promotion. Both models are now visible in the same state at the same time — an unusual confluence.
The Broader DoPT Promotion List
Anju Rajpal was among 16 RAS officers elevated to the IAS in the DoPT order. Other officers named in the promotion list include Ummed Singh, Vivek Kumar, Mukesh Kumar Sharma, Dr Bhagchand Badhal, Aslam Sher Khan, Narendra Kumar Bansal, Poonam Prasad Sagar, and Gopal Ram Birda, among others. The batch is expected to strengthen Rajasthan's administrative capacity by infusing the IAS cadre with officers who bring ground-level state-service experience.
Women's Visibility in Rajasthan's Administration
The emergence of two sister pairs in the IAS within the same state has drawn attention to the growing presence of women in senior public-service roles. While women's representation in the IAS has improved nationally over successive UPSC batches, simultaneous sibling representation of this kind remains rare. Rajasthan, which has produced several high-profile women officers, appears to be consolidating that reputation.
As Anju Rajpal begins her IAS career, the Rajpal family's administrative legacy takes on a new dimension — and Rajasthan's bureaucratic narrative gains yet another chapter in women-led achievement.
Point of View
Two different routes, one state — but the deeper signal is structural. Rajasthan's pipeline of women officers is no longer a one-off story anchored to Tina Dabi's 2015 rank-one moment; it is a repeating pattern. What mainstream coverage tends to miss is the route distinction: the Dabis came through UPSC direct selection at the all-India level, while the Rajpals demonstrate that the state-service promotion ladder is also producing women leaders at the apex. That dual-channel visibility is arguably the more lasting institutional story here, and one that DoPT's promotion data can track in other states too.
NationPress
15 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the Rajpal sisters and what is their achievement?
Manju Rajpal and Anju Rajpal are biological sisters both now serving in the IAS in Rajasthan. Anju was promoted from the Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) to the IAS in a DoPT order that elevated 16 state-service officers, where she secured the fifth position.
How do the Rajpal sisters compare with the Dabi sisters?
Both pairs are biological sisters serving as IAS officers in the Rajasthan cadre. The Dabi sisters — Tina (UPSC 2015, AIR 1) and Riya (UPSC 2020, AIR 15) — entered through direct UPSC recruitment, while the Rajpals represent a mix of direct recruitment and state-service promotion, making Rajasthan unique in hosting two such sibling duos simultaneously.
What position does Anju Rajpal currently hold?
Anju Rajpal is currently posted as Joint Secretary in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) of Rajasthan. Her elder sister Manju Rajpal serves as Principal Secretary in the state.
What is the DoPT promotion list that included Anju Rajpal?
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) released a list of 16 Rajasthan Administrative Service officers promoted to the IAS. Anju Rajpal secured the fifth position on this list, alongside other officers including Ummed Singh, Vivek Kumar, and Mukesh Kumar Sharma, among others.
Why is this development significant for women in Indian administration?
Having two pairs of biological sisters simultaneously serving in the IAS in the same state cadre is a rare occurrence and reflects the growing representation of women in senior public-service roles. It also highlights that both competitive UPSC entry and state-service promotion routes are producing women leaders at the IAS level.
