IPS Manzil Saini: UPSC Success During Pregnancy and a Gallantry Medal

IPS officer Manzil Saini, a 2005-batch officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination in her first attempt while she was pregnant. Her career has since spanned law-and-order duties, investigations and senior postings in the state and at national institutions.

Born in Delhi in 1975, Saini studied Physics at St Stephen's College and later pursued International Business at the Delhi School of Economics, where she won a gold medal. She chose public service over a corporate career and joined the Indian Police Service in 2005.

Over the years, she has served in several districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Mathura, Allahabad and Lucknow, handling law-and-order cases and investigations. Among the major cases linked to her career is the Amit Kumar kidney racket case in Moradabad, an investigation that exposed a network involving illegal kidney transplants, hospitals and middlemen.

Saini also became the first woman Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Lucknow. In 2017, she was part of a hostage rescue operation in Meerut, in which a police team moved in to rescue a doctor who had been kidnapped. Her role in that operation was recognised with the Gallantry Medal in 2024.

Her other honours include the Medal for Meritorious Service, Director General's Commendation Discs and the DG NSG Commendation Disc. She has served as Deputy Inspector General at the National Security Guard and the National Human Rights Commission. She is currently serving as Inspector General (Vigilance), Uttar Pradesh Police.