Tribal village in MP where every child dreams of civil services
Tucked in the remote area of Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district, tribal-dominated Padiyaal village is popularly known as "adhikariyon ka gaon"– or village of administrators -– where every child wants to become a civil servant, an engineer or a doctor.
With a little over 5,000 population, the tribal-dominated village in Malwa region has more than 100 people serving as administrative officers in different parts of India. Nearly 90 per cent population of the village belongs to the Bhil tribe.
Bhils are an ethnic community who live in the states of central India, including Dhar, Jhabua and West Nimar districts of Madhya Pradesh and Dhulia and Jalgaon in Maharashtra. They are also found in Rajasthan.
According to the Madhya Pradesh government's claims, the literacy rate of Padiyaal village is more than 90 per cent.
Until, two years back, the number of administrative officers from this village was 70, which crossed 100 in 2024, according to the Madhya Pradesh government. This includes lower court judges, Indian Police Service officers, Indian Administrative Service officers, Indian Engineering Service officers, doctors, forest officers, etc.
However, the quality of education can be judged as four schoolchildren qualified the NEET and three others cleared the Joint Entrance Examination Mains this year.
There is also on an average one government employee from every house in this village.
It is said that the youth here started to appear in competitive examinations since Independence.
Manoj Dubey, who has been working as Block Resources Centre official in the area for long, and witnessed the success stories of the youth of this village, says the village has laid great emphasis on education.
He says children start preparing for competitive exams while still in school.
Smart classes run by retired persons from different administrative services have played a crucial role, he says.
"Over a dozen officers, who are the residents of Padiyaal village, have retired and are engaged in public service, like education and medicine. The youth currently studying are pursuing higher education inspired by elders," Dubey says.
The youth from here have become engineers and businessmen and are settled in countries like the US and Malaysia.
There is a higher secondary school in the village, in which 702 students are taught by 23 teachers.
Until, two years back, the number of administrative officeers from this village was 70, which crossed 100 in 2024, according to the MP government.