It is a dream of many to be a high-ranking bureaucrat but only a few manage to scale the heights by cracking Civil Services exam and later being a successful officer and a role model to thousands of aspirants. There have been innumerable inspiring stories of people becoming the best administrators. 

Rohini Sindhuri, Deputy Commissioner of Mysuru district, is one such Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Karnataka cadre. This gutsy officer has emerged as a beacon of light for women who want to establish themselves in the Civil Services and she has set an example how to ensure public welfare and how not to buckle under tremendous political pressure.

Born on May 30, 1984 in Andhra Pradesh to lawyer-parents, Rohini is the eldest to her other two siblings. She is married to software engineer Sudhir Reddy and has two children.

A 2009 batch Civil Servant, she spent her school days in a hostel and completed her Chemical Engineering degree, before clearing USPC with 43rd rank. Star of Mysore caught up with Rohini Sindhuri to know the lighter side of her personality and the unknown facets of her life. Excerpts…

By Shadan Muneer

Star of Mysore (SOM): Tell us about your growing up years.

Rohini Sindhuri: I have primarily studied in a boarding school and my childhood was spiritually-oriented and disciplined. Being in a hostel from Class I wasn’t very easy and it was not like a regular fun-filled childhood as our boarding school was more like a spiritual school and this environment actually helped in shaping my personality. We used to wake up at 4 am for prayers which was followed by a routine that added a lot of discipline to my life. After schooling, I did my graduation in Chemical Engineering and later took up Civil Services examination in Hyderabad.

SOM: What’s your biggest motivating factor for where you are today?

Rohini Sindhuri: The foundation came from my school days. Besides giving importance to spirituality and discipline, we learnt about competitive spirit and various multidimensional aspects. I developed a flair for reading as well. There has been no particular incident or an individual that I can call a driving force. The choice of profession was purely a career call. After completing my engineering, I realised that this is not what I wanted and decided to take up the Civil Services though I was a bit apprehensive about the exams. Fortunately, I cracked it and that opened up many options for me. Constant support from my parents also helped.

SOM: Besides your job, what are your other interests? With your busy schedule do you find time to involve yourself in other activities?

Rohini Sindhuri: I paint during my free time and I am also passionate about sports and enjoy playing badminton and shuttle. Yoga — which I have been practicing from the past 25 years — is part of my daily routine. With the current work schedule it is hard to find free time but whatever little time that I get I try and spend it with my children who are aged four and eight. We watch some interesting shows together and also try our hand at cooking and baking which is fun.

SOM: Can you shed some light on your daily routine?

Rohini Sindhuri: With the number of tasks and travels, it’s difficult to follow a particular routine at this level. I am a morning person and my day starts at 6 am with meditation and yoga which helps me even at my work which is then followed by dedicating some time for my children. I head to work and once I return home, my day ends with my children, reading books and put them to bed. This is the only regular routine that I have for now.

SOM: How do you balance your work and your personal life?

Rohini Sindhuri: Both require immense amount of dedication; it’s not easy to balance both, especially when you have young children. I sometimes feel guilty for not giving enough time for my children but I have been fortunate enough to have a supportive family. My mother-in-law, who lives with us, has been a huge support in that sense.

SOM: How do you handle stress and pressure? 

Rohini Sindhuri: My children are my biggest stress-busters. You tend to forget your pressures when you see your children around. I do listen to music at times and meditation helps to a great extent as it keeps me calm at the work front. The best way to beat the stress is to learn how to manage it.

SOM: What message would you like to give to the youngsters?

Rohini Sindhuri: You need to find what you are passionate about and work towards it and not lose hope when you fail. Failure is not glorified enough in our society. It’s not wrong to fail and it is wrong not to try and regret later. Every individual has dreams and it is necessary to follow it up with dedication.

SOM: How do you like your stint in Mysuru?

Rohini Sindhuri: It’s been hectic so  far. I had some serious tasks on hand when I took over as the DC and COVID-19 had to be controlled and then Dasara happened. Later we had to take care of the post-pandemic situation and now there is the vaccination drive going on. We give our best to come out successfully. Talking about Mysuru per se, it’s a nice place.