IAS Abhilasha Abhinav from the 2018 batch of the Telangana cadre is currently posted as district collector of Nirmal, Telangana. Known for her determination she first became an IRS officer and then achieved IAS with an exceptional AIR 18.

Regarding her vision for Nirmal, her dream project focuses on the overall development and well-being of children in her district with four key Pillars -Health & Wellness, Financial Literacy, Skill Development & Empowerment, and Exposure To Social Institutions. All these areas are covered under a program called Bal Shakti. “The program primarily focuses on children from residential schools encompassing around 45,000 students from pre-primary to 12th grade, most of whom come from below-poverty-line families,” she explained

Under the Health & Wellness, she initiated a health profiling of students to address undetected diseases early. "We’re creating comprehensive health profiles because so many diseases go unnoticed at a young age," she said.

Under her leadership health profiles have been completed for nearly 20,000 students covering 50% of the total. Abhilasha further explained, “What’s important is that, based on the results, we’re identifying underweight students, some who are anemic, some with eye problems, or with thyroid issues or diabetes. Once we have this profile, we proceed with medical interventions. For example, if a student has a thyroid issue, a doctor is involved in prescribing treatment. Someone has an eye issue, we refer them for an optometric evaluation.”

Abhilasha also emphasized the importance and support of inter-departmental coordination in successfully running such programs.

Another component of Bal Shakti is financial literacy. Through a collaborative effort with local banks, students are being introduced to essential concepts like saving and budgeting. “Bankers are visiting every school, explaining RBI guidelines, teaching students how to open savings accounts, and helping them understand cybersecurity,” Abhilasha highlights. "The best part is that this not only empowers the children but also indirectly educates their parents."

For Skill Development, the program offers sessions on self-defence, public speaking, youth parliament, Yoga & Meditation, and more planned across the residential schools. Additionally, she added “We are organizing many inter-school competitions to help build their confidence”

The final aspect is empowering minds by giving them real-world experience through exposure to social institutions like banks, post offices, courts, small-scale industries, and more.