The road to the village is rough, winding through dense forest and carrying memories of years of conflict.

In a video that has since gone viral, IAS officer Namrata Jain is seen riding a motorcycle into a Naxal-affected pocket of Chhattisgarh to inspect schools, Anganwadi centres, and public services firsthand.

For many online, it was a powerful image — an officer choosing the difficult route to reach people who are often left out of the spotlight.

For Namrata, it was also something of a homecoming.

She knows this terrain well. She grew up in it.

From Geedam to the UPSC list

Namrata Jain hails from Geedam, a small town in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district, a region that has long grappled with conflict and isolation. In places like these, access to schools, healthcare, and roads can shape the course of a person's life.

Her own education began with a daily eight-kilometre commute to Nirmal Niketan School in Karli, where she studied until Class 10. At the time,........

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