Women of Influence: Ten Extraordinary IAS careers

Description

Women of Influence a compilation of the work of a few women who have walked that extra mile and made a difference despite major pressures in governance. Most of the books in the public space are autobiographies of men narrating how important they were and the important people they interacted with daily while in service. Rajni Sekhri Sibal narrates stories that have been untold - about the work of ten strong and effective women who left an impact. Having worked in the civil services for thirty-seven years, Rajni has seen things at close quarters. This book is a collection of narratives that provide an insight into some episodes where the protagonist displayed immense courage and commitment. These stories span different generations-the oldest is set at the Bikaner border during the Indo-Pak war and the latest about the UP sand mafia in 2015. The subjects and geographies are different, ranging from a panchayat election in Punjab during the height of militancy in the 80s to Naxal prone Chanderpur in Maharashtra to the Perumon tragedy in Kerala and right across to the orchid plantations in Arunachal.

Rajni Sekhri Sibal, a senior officer of the Indian Administrative Service, is what a civil servant should be -- still idealistic after many years and as many tough battles. She has always been concerned about all that is not right with the system. Not without paying a price though -- the apprehension, the uncertainty, the transfers and all that goes with it. Her slender shoulders have never sagged with all that weight. For seeing the rose and not the thorns is what she believes in. She lives in the now -- and so we have these poems -- poignant and rich in imagery. Rajni Sekhri Sibal is currently the Additional Chief Secretary Government of Haryana. She topped the IAS in 1986 and received the NDTV Indian of the Year Award in 2013. She has also authored a first-of-its-kind coffee-table book on cows of India, Kamadhenu.