Meet Amit Kataria, IIT graduate who cleared UPSC with AIR 18, took just Rs 1 as salary, is still India’s richest IAS officer, is married to...

The UPSC Civil Services Examination (UPSC CSE) is considered to be one of the toughest competitive exams to crack. The UPSC CSE, for the unversed, is conducted each year, in three stages: Prelims, Mains, and Interview. The ones who pass it are then recruited for top government posts, including IAS, IPS, and IFS. Each year, thousands of candidates apply and study with the dream of becoming an IAS, IPS, or IFS officer; however, only a few succeed in becoming civil servants, who are, more often than not, given celebrity status in India. 

Today, we will tell you about IAS Amit Kataria, a younger officer from Gurugram, who is popular as one of the richest civil servants in India. But, do you know, it was the same IAS officer Amit Kataria, who once chose to draw only Rs 1 as his salary.

IAS officer Amit Kataria was born into a well-settled business family in Gurugram. Despite having all the wealth and respect in the world, Amit Kataria chose public service as his life path, refusing to join his family's real estate business. Let us tell you that Amit Kataria's family business operates across Delhi-NCR and has an annual turnover in crores. 

Despite all the luxuries, Amit Kataria chose a life in the service of India, and so began his journey of becoming an IAS officer. Many are unaware that IAS officer Amit Kataria initially drew a symbolic salary of just Rs 1, which is proof that his decision to join the civil services was never about money but about a greater purpose: to serve his nation. Amit Kataria's estimated net worth is Rs 8.9 crore, making him one of the richest civil servants in India.

Born to an affluent family, IAS officer Amit Kataria completed his schooling at Delhi Public School and went on to earn a B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from the renowned IIT Delhi. After graduation, Amit Kataria began preparing for the UPSC exam. He cleared it in 2003 with an All-India Rank (AIR) of 18 and was then allotted the Chhattisgarh cadre.

In 2015, he grabbed immense media attention for an alleged breach of protocol as he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi wearing black sunglasses. IAS officer Amit Kataria, at the time of this incident, was serving as the District Collector of the Naxal-affected Bastar region in Chhattisgarh.

IAS officer Amit Kataria is married to Asmita Handa, a commercial pilot by profession.

READ | Meet Amitabh Bachchan's 'wife', Jeetendra's sister-in-law, once competed with Sridevi and Jaya Prada, was married twice, is still living a lonely life, her name is..