IPS officer Manzil Saini’s journey from preparing for the Civil Services Examination while pregnant to leading high-profile police investigations and receiving a gallantry medal is being highlighted as an unusual chapter in the country’s civil services history.
Saini appeared for the UPSC Civil Services Examination in 2005 while expecting her first child. She cleared the examination in her first attempt and joined the Uttar Pradesh cadre of the Indian Police Service as part of the 2005 batch. Official Uttar Pradesh Police records currently list her as an Inspector General in the Vigilance unit.
From academics to the IPS
Saini studied Physics at St Stephen’s College and later pursued higher studies at the Delhi School of Economics, where she earned a gold medal. Before joining the civil services, she worked in the corporate sector for three years.
After entering the IPS, her first major posting was as Assistant Superintendent of Police in Moradabad. She became involved in the investigation into the kidney transplant racket associated with Dr Amit Kumar, which brought her national attention.
From major investigations to gallantry honour
Saini went on to serve in several districts of Uttar Pradesh and became the first woman to head Lucknow as Senior Superintendent of Police in 2016.
Her career also includes a 2017 hostage rescue operation in Meerut. According to the official gallantry citation, she and other officers moved against armed kidnappers and rescued a kidnapped doctor. She was awarded the Gallantry Medal in 2024. The Uttar Pradesh Police database records the decoration as GM-26/01/2024.
Her career has also involved scrutiny and departmental proceedings over the Shravan Sahu case. A departmental inquiry subsequently gave her a clean chit in 2023, according to the Times of India report.
Saini’s career, spanning investigations, senior policing responsibilities and a gallantry honour, continues to draw attention to the varied challenges faced by officers in public service.