Civil servants spend their careers behind files, postings and transfer orders. But every now and then, one of them looks past the paperwork and decides to fix something that's actually broken — a hot rooftop, a dying water table, a child who's never touched a tree. This week, we're tracing four such stories of officers who chose to do more than just their job.

In 1952, She Became India's First Woman IAS Officer Despite Being Told It Wasn't for Women

When Anna Rajam Malhotra cleared the civil services exam in 1951, the interview board suggested she try the foreign service instead — it was "more suited to women." Chief Minister C. Rajagopalachari himself wasn't keen on women in public service. She argued her case anyway: "You should give me a chance."........

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