Women of Influence

Women of Influence is a compilation of the untold stories of ten women IAS officers who 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 Rajni Sekhri Sibal has been in a unique position to see things at close quarters which is why she is able to present narratives that provide an insight into the challenges of being a woman IAS officer and also highlight episodes where the protagonist displays immense courage and commitment during the most difficult of times.The narratives span many generations-the oldest narrative is set at the Bikaner border during the 1965 Indo-Pak War and the latest recounts events that occured fifty years later in UP in 2015. They also deal with varied subjects and geographies ranging from a panchayat election in Punjab during the height of militancy in the eighties to Naxal-prone Chandrapur in Maharashtra to joyful learning in Karnataka and right across to the orchid plantations in Arunachal. The book relates accounts of how different protagonists responded to threats of violence post a death in police custody to illegal mining by a sand mafia and to resistance to the introduction of technology in a government organization. Strategies adopted for making India Polio-free in 2011 and interventions to deal with the scrouge of human trafficking also provide interesting insights in the book. The narratives are inspiring tales of ten strong and efficient women of substance and their extraordinary careers wherein they made a difference. Review Public service continues to offer unique opportunities to drive social change despite challenges like caste and patriarchal mindsets. Sibal writes about others who found ways to reach out to the marginalised who had hitherto been invisible to policy. ―The HinduTracing journeys from as far back at 1965 all the way to 2015 these tales promise to be equal parts inspiring and informational. ―The Telegraph About the Author Rajni Sekhri Sibal is a writer and an IAS officer. She topped the civil services examination in 1986 and was Secretary Government of India. Rajni has worked in various capacities handling programme implementation and policymaking at the state as well as the national level. She is the recipient of the Indian of the Year Award in the category 'Unsung Hero'.She has authored Cloud's End and Beyond Kamadhenu Are You Prepared for a Disaster? Fragrant Words The Haunting Himalayas and Asariri. Women of Influence is her seventh book.