Third Time a Charm: MP IAS Officer Marries Fellow Bureaucrat

New Delhi, February 16, 2026: In a development that has captured the attention of the administrative corridors in Bhopal, senior Madhya Pradesh IAS officer Avi Prasad has tied the knot for the third time. Keeping with his previous history, his new bride is also a fellow member of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), marking a rare “triple hat-trick” of bureaucratic unions for the officer.The wedding, which took place on February 11, 2026, has become a major talking point across the state, not just for the high-profile nature of the couple, but for the picturesque setting of the ceremony.

A Ceremony at Kuno National Park

Avi Prasad, a 2014-batch IAS officer, married Ankita Dhakre, a 2017-batch officer, in an intimate yet elegant ceremony. The nuptials were held at a resort near Kuno National Park—a location that has gained international fame for India’s Cheetah reintroduction project.

While the event was kept relatively private, attended primarily by close family members and colleagues, photographs of the couple in traditional wedding attire soon surfaced on social media, drawing widespread curiosity and “congratulations” from the bureaucratic fraternity.

The Power Couple’s Professional Profiles

Both officers hold significant responsibilities within the Madhya Pradesh government:

• Avi Prasad: Currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Madhya Pradesh Employment Guarantee Council. He is well-regarded in the state for his previous stint as the Collector of Katni, where he received praise for his aggressive campaigns against malnutrition.
• Ankita Dhakre: A native of Ashoknagar, Madhya Pradesh, she is currently posted as a Deputy Secretary in the state secretariat (Mantralaya) in Bhopal.

3rd Time Lucky: A History of IAS Unions

What makes this union particularly noteworthy in public discourse is that this is Prasad’s third marriage, and all three of his spouses have been IAS officers.

1. First Marriage: Prasad first married his batchmate, Riju Bafna (IAS 2014). The two reportedly met during their UPSC preparation days in Delhi. Bafna is a prominent officer currently serving as the Collector of Shajapur. The marriage ended in divorce after a few years.
2. Second Marriage: His second marriage was to Misha Singh (IAS 2016). Originally from the Andhra Pradesh cadre, Singh transferred to the Madhya Pradesh cadre following their marriage. She is currently serving as the Collector of Ratlam. This relationship reportedly lasted about four years before the couple legally separated last year.

From RBI Manager to Top Bureaucrat

Avi Prasad’s journey to the top of the civil services is as distinguished as his personal life is discussed. Originally hailing from the Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh, he has a strong political lineage; his grandfather, Tambeshwar Prasad (also known as Baccha Babu), was a minister in the government of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh.

Before joining the IAS, Prasad served as a Manager at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He cleared the UPSC exam in 2013 and was initially selected for the Indian Police Service (IPS). However, he appeared again the following year, securing an impressive All India Rank (AIR) 13 to join the IAS.

“In the administrative circles of Bhopal, Prasad is known as an efficient and result-oriented officer. While his personal milestones often make headlines, his work in rural development and public health remains his primary legacy in the state.”

As the newly-wed couple begins their journey together, the “bureaucratic wedding of the year” serves as a reminder of the close-knit world of India’s top civil servants, where professional and personal lives often intertwine within the same elite cadre.