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BITSIAN WOMEN - YOU GO GIRL!
BY
Himabindu Chitta ('02), Krithika Kalyan ('00), Bharathi Balakrishnan
('00), Deeptha Ganapathy ('95), Aditi Pany ('00) and Dileepan Narayanan
('00)
Community and Public Service
In
today’s world, most of us who constitute the well-educated,
highly qualified niche make that contribution towards social causes.
Then, to most of us, this contribution equals monetary donations or a
few hours of voluntary service outside of work. Then to others, it is
their calling; their choice of profession; a mainstream activity-
primarily, a way of life.
This section portrays the lives of those steeped in community welfare
and Administrative services. It is a tribute to these fine women who
have applied themselves to fields that perhaps come closest to making a
real difference.
 Each is a shining example of grit, sincerity and commitment to cause. We begin with the illustrious Kalpana Nayak
('90 Comp Science) who is the Commandant of the first all-women
battalion of TN police profiled in NewsToday. Recently, J Jayalalithaa,
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu commissioned India’s first All Women
Police Battalion, led by Kalpana Nayak. Challenges on her job include
providing commando training to over 1000 women police officers in TN.
Unique in spirit and deed.
Dr. Jasveen (Dhillon) Jairath
has charted a new course from the very beginning. A EEE graduate
(1967-72), Jasveen dabbled in Dramatics and public speaking at BITS.
She then followed that up with a Doctorate in Economics and switched to
the social services line. She is currently the Regional Coordinator of
CapNet South Asia which is an international network for capacity
building in integrated water resources management. Jasveen’s
interests lie in research, advocacy and networking in water resource
development. Her message for us is simple and we suspect, straight from
the heart. “Escape from narrow careerism and be
adventurous”, she says.
While there are women who work in the public service or with NGOs and
other development oriented organizations, there are several who break
new grounds in education periodically. Smita A.
has been working for the past 17 years in the field of social
development, of which 12 years have been spent in elementary education.
She has also worked on two major UEE programs in the country - Lok
Jumbish in Rajasthan and District Primary Education Program (DPEP), a
national program covering 18 states. Smita is currently the Director of
Education Programs at the American India Foundation, New Delhi.
So does Chandra Anil, who as
joint coordinator of AID in Chennai specializes in innovative
educational methods to improve the effectiveness of education for
primary and middle school children. Chandra, who graduated from BITS in
1995, says some young volunteers working on the course of India's
development inspired her when she was still an engineer in electronic
design. While working for seven years in Wipro Infotech and SCM
Microsystems, she volunteered at AID-India. She eventually became a
full-time social work volunteer at AID Saathi in 2003 after giving up
her job.
 Anita Balasubramanian
has had a thoroughly wholesome career in the social sector. After
graduating from BITS in 1999, she has visited more than 80 groups in
India involved in a variety of issues such as education, healthcare,
tribal rights, conflict resolution and human rights and has learnt that
all these issues are ultimately interconnected. She has also
volunteered for several Asha chapters and has imbibed the spirit of the
participative and democratic model that has made Asha so successful.
Perhaps her crowning achievements have been the two organizations she
has co-founded: The Learning Network that explores the various issues
associated with education in a holistic manner, and Sangati, an
organization that explores social and developmental issues through
learning and related grassroots action. Anita has also conceptualized
and managed Goodbooks Teachers Center, a resource center for teachers
in and around Chennai. Given her affinity for learning and her
irrepressible spirit, there’s no limit to what Anita can achieve
in the future.
Praba Subramaniam (1993) has had a career in public service/nonprofit with a few
gaps and breaks. She worked for sometime at Vidya Sagar (previously
known as The Spastic Society of India in Chennai). She came to the US
in 1999 and volunteered in several nonprofit organizations - mainly
serving the technological needs of the disabled population. At Tulsa,
OK Praba prepared a needs assessment report for implementing County's
Headstart programs. Since last year, she’s been mostly at
home looking after her 3 yr old daughter and has started a small
business on eBay that specializes in selling handmade accessories from
India - products made by marginalized producer groups comprising women
and the handicapped.
This section would be incomplete without a mention of Minakshi Krishnan,
who has made a mark in the field of community service and is a recent
BITSAA 30Under30 awardee in the category of Community Leadership.
Minakshi completed the Mardi Gras Marathon in February 2005 and raised
funds for the Whitman Walker clinic that works with HIV/AIDS patients
in the U.S. She is the coordinator of Asha for the DC chapter.
She has also worked with a number of organizations in India
including AID, and Kalpavriksh on issues as diverse as integrated rural
development and health to women and child development. Committed all
the way, Minakshi has also been a Service Corps volunteer and an
American Red Cross volunteer for blood drives.
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