Iqbal Dhaliwal, a former topper of India's prestigious Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination, made a life-altering decision to resign from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1996. His choice was driven by a desire to support his wife, Gita Gopinath, in pursuing her dream of becoming a global economist in the United States.
Dhaliwal, now the Global Executive Director of MIT's Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), recently recounted his journey during the "We The Women" event in London, speaking with Barkha Dutt.
From IAS Dream to US Ambition
Dhaliwal always envisioned a career in the IAS. After failing to secure admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), he joined the Delhi School of Economics, where he met Gita Gopinath. While Gopinath harbored aspirations of becoming an economist, Dhaliwal successfully topped the UPSC exam in 1996, embarking on his IAS career.
"I joined the IAS, absolutely loved it. I was in the field, implementing development programs, which is the dream for any development economist," Dhaliwal shared. However, the geographical distance and high costs of communication in the 1990s made sustaining their relationship challenging as Gopinath pursued her PhD at Princeton University.
The Pivotal Decision
As Gopinath neared the completion of her PhD, she suggested Dhaliwal apply for study leave from the IAS to join her in the US. He secured admission for his master's program at Princeton. Fate intervened when Gopinath accepted a position at the University of Chicago, prompting Dhaliwal to reflect on their careers.
He recognized Gopinath's exceptional potential. "My dream was to always be in the IAS to some extent. I lived that dream already. Her dream is to be in this thing. So let's see where the second dream takes us. And look how right I was," he explained, emphasizing that the decision "has never felt like a sacrifice."
Life After IAS and Lingering Reflections
Despite building a successful career in the US, Dhaliwal admitted to still missing aspects of his IAS days. He recalled arriving in Tamil Nadu as a young Sikh officer from Punjab, immediately tasked with resolving communal tensions and releasing bonded laborers—experiences he counts among the highlights of his life.
After leaving the civil service, Dhaliwal ventured into consulting before joining J-PAL in its early stages, helping transform it into a globally influential institution. Meanwhile, Gita Gopinath ascended to prominent roles, serving as the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Chief Economist from 2019 to 2022, and later as its First Deputy Managing Director from 2022 to 2025.
When asked humorously about Gopinath's performance at home, Dhaliwal quipped she'd get a "C minus, a D minus" in many things, but quickly added that fundamental harmony on crucial matters outweighed minor disagreements.