Retired IAS officer Rajni Sekhri Sibal celebrates women in positions of power in her new book, aptly titled Women of Influence: Ten Extraordinary IAS Careers. The book profiles the professional journeys of ten extraordinary women IAS officers. The author has carefully chosen the ten women who are a cut above the rest to write about in her recently released book. These women officers not only hold their own in Indian Administrative Service but also outperform and outshine their male counterparts in the discharge of duties.
Over the years, the women bureaucrats of India have always managed to stay in limelight and inspire awe by their ability to fight social ills in the face of stiff resistance. They have also inspired deep respect for walking that extra mile to help the needy and the forgotten of society, the marginalized sections. It is their hard work and determination that have been acknowledged and highlighted by Ms. Rajni Sekhri Sibal in her new book.
Indian Masterminds caught up with the now-retired officer to discuss with her about her much-talked-about book.
WOMEN OF INFLUENCE: THE BOOK
The Women of Influence: Ten Extraordinary IAS Careers is a compilation of the untold stories of ten women IAS officers, where the protagonists have walked the extra mile and made a difference despite facing major pressures in governance.
Having worked in the civil services for thirty-seven years herself, Ms. Sibal was in a good position to see how governance and administration work from close quarters, which is why she is able to present narratives that provide an insight into the challenges of being a woman IAS officer. At the same time, she also highlights episodes where the protagonist displays immense courage and commitment during the most difficult of times.
“The stories span over a time of many years, beginning from the first female collector of Bikaner, Rajasthan, during the Indo-Pak war of 1965 to the most recent protagonist from the year 2015 who had to face sand mafias all alone at a very young age! The stories display courage, commitment, and the valor of officers who work day in and day out to bring a difference to people’s lives,” Ms. Sibal told Indian Masterminds.
STORIES FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY
The stories of these unsung heroes geographically span over the entire country, ranging from a panchayat election in Punjab during the height of militancy in the Eighties, Naxal-prone Chandrapur in Maharashtra, joyful learning in Karnataka, to the orchid plantations in Arunachal in the far east.
“A narrative explains how India became polio-free in 2011 despite the fact that we had been fighting the disease for almost 25 years before that. It depicts the right ideas adopted by the officer that helped India in becoming a polio-free country. The stories span the entire geography of the country between 60-70 years,” stated Ms. Sibal.
In terms of genre, the book covers policymaking, implementation, facing pressure, events that portray leadership, etc., which may inspire every person that will read the book.
THE TEN WOMEN WHO MADE IT
The female IAS officers who have made their way into Ms. Sibal’s book are:
- Ms. Otima Bordia, the first female District Collector of Bikaner, Rajasthan, who took charge during the infamous India-Pak war of 1965.
- Ms. Anuradha Gupta, who is now heading Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance in Geneva, Switzerland. It was her strategies and intelligence that made India a polio-free country in 2011.
- Late Ms. Anita Kaul who worked tirelessly and brought joyful learning in the lives of children of Karnataka through her ‘Nalli Kalli’ initiative.
- Ms. Durga Shakti Nagpal who fearlessly fought against the land mafias of Uttar Pradesh.
- Dr. Malini Shankar who went out to Naxal affected areas and contributed majorly to developing those regions, against all discriminations.
- Ms. Shakuntala Gamlin who was the Chief Secretary of Arunachal Pradesh and went out of the way to help the farmers of the district through orchid plantations and rice fields, that have now received geographical indicators.
- Ms. Anjuli Chib Duggal who, as SDM, faced a peculiar situation during Punjab elections and managed to find a solution to the problem, at a fairly young age.
- Ms. B. Bhamathi who took keen participation in policy making, activism, implementation, and helping the sex workers of the country, and dedicated her service to them.
- The author also mentions IAS officers, Dr. Maitreyi Bordia Das (daughter of IAS Otima Bordia), and Dr. Anita Chowdhary for their impeccable service to society.
WORKING ON NANAK SAKHI
Ms. Sibal is close to finishing her next book as well, which will contain beautiful short stories related to Guru Nanak Saheb that have been narrated from generation to generation for 500 years in Punjab and Greater Punjab.
“My grandmother also told me these stories, but I realized that they haven’t been listed or compiled by anyone yet. So, I decided to compile the narrations which will also contain bits of mysticism and magic. I have removed the mythical content and put together short, relatable stories that might inspire kids, young, and adults,” she told Indian Masterminds.
Ms. Sibal wants us to know that ‘Nanak Sakhi’ is only a potential name for the book right now. It may or may not change before publishing.
