Bandana Preyashi, the bold and fearless IAS officer from Bihar, is the court-appointed mentor to 18-year-old Sakshi, who had fled home to follow her IAS dream.
The news came as a pleasant surprise for senior IAS Officer Bandana Preyashi. An early riser, she was well into her work day as secretary, Social Welfare Department and Managing Director Women and Child Development Corporation, government of Bihar, when she saw a forward on her phone.
The Madhya Pradesh high court had appointed her mentor to a young girl who had bravely fought against tremendous odds to follow her dream to become an IAS officer.
A Class 12 topper, Sakshi (name changed), a resident of Bhopal, had fled her home, her friends and life as she had known it to pursue further studies.
The 18 year old saw no other way. On realising that her parents did not want her to study further, she moved to Indore unknown to her family in order to pursue graduation and enrolled into UPSC coaching classes.
Her father filed a writ petition seeking her return. Under the court's order, the MP police traced the girl and produced her in court.
Recognising the meritorious girl's right to education and her personal career goals, the court upheld her rights. Sakshi agreed to return home if she was allowed to continue her studies without any interruption or hindrance.
In a step further, the court requested Bandana Preyashi to serve as a mentor and provide guidance in Sakshi's journey towards the civil services examination. A meritorious student herself, Preyashi studied at Delhi's St Stephen's College and has MA and MPhil in English Literature.
Soon after the court order on November 12, Preyashi made attempts to contact Sakshi and has begun counselling the family. The family has moved to another location and since Sakshi does not have a phone at the moment, Preyashi has had two calls with the father and will continue the conversations.
"I told him what your daughter has done is very brave and should make him very proud. The matter has to be handled sensitively. In fact, this provides us an opportunity to create a wider platform where girls can reach out for advice from a community of young IAS officers and other professionals," Preyashi says in a phone conversation.
An officer from the Bihar cadre from the 2003 IAS batch, Bandana Preyashi has had an impressive career graph in the civil services. Well-known for being bold, fearless and no-nonsense, her dynamism made waves early on in her career when she took on Bahubalis like Anant Singh in Mokama and Mohammad Shahabuddin in Siwan in the late 2000s.
In one of her earliest posting as sub divisional officer, she sealed Anant Singh's food grain godowns after the state government ordered all godowns in the state be shifted to market committees and pulled out the near impossible when she conducted the panchayat elections in Barh-Mokama, hitherto known for violence, without incident.
Similarly, as district magistrate of Siwan when four-time RJD MP Shahabuddin wielded fear from prison, she conducted a peaceful general election in 2009, a feat unheard of at that time.
She has since then served as secretary to the department of industries, environment, forest and climate change.
A mother of two daughters, she has worked closely on womens' issues and has amassed a wealth of experience. It is a recognition of her professional accomplishments that the Madhya Pradesh high court selected her as mentor, especially in a country with so many exceptional female civil servants.
"It is so encouraging that the court decided on appointing a mentor which goes beyond judicial purview and provides a nurturing environment for girls who want to follow their own dreams when faced with objection from family and society," says Preyashi.
Complementing the bold step taken by Sakshi in the face of stiff opposition, she goes on to point out numerous similar examples where girls are breaking out of traditional roles.
"I encounter these young, bright girls every day. They may not all aspire to be IAS/IPS officers, but want to be financially independent -- and they have their mothers rooting for them."
More and more girls are availing the government's skill development schemes, especially in computer/digital proficiency. Many move from smaller towns and villages to Patna or larger towns in Bihar order to learn these skills.
"Many girls have told me that they come far from home because 'ma ne bola hai ki mere jaisa nahi banna, kuch karna [ma told me not to be like her, but be independent]'," says Preyashi.
"It is both a visible and invisible bond among the women within the community that wants its young girls to succeed and make something of their lives."
She attributes this change in some measure to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's sustained policy of empowering women over the decades through various schemes -- from cycles to go to school, uniforms and toilets to creating 14 million self help groups under the Jeevika programme.
"From making a mark in sports (Bihar girls were rugby champions) to the resolve towards financial independence -- all these are the long term impacts of women-centric schemes," Preyarshi she says with pride palpable in her voice.
"Girls are taking the leap of faith."
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