Meet the only two women IAS and IPS officers posted in Kashmir
PK Nitya and Dr Syed Sehrish Asgar are the only women IAS and IPS officers stationed in Kashmir. They have been managing crises in the area for the past eight days.
Following the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir, which split the state into two union territories, one of Jammu & Kashmir, and the other Ladakh, there has been unrest in Kashmir. Among the many officials posted in the area, the only two women officers are Dr Syed Sehrish Asgar and PK Nitya. They have been in Srinagar for the past few days, to manage crises that may arise, and keep residents informed about the happenings when possible.
IAS officer Syed Sehrish Asgar and IPS officer PK Nitya
IAS officer Dr Syed Sehrish Asgar was appointed Director of Information with the Jammu and Kashmir administration in Srinagar just four days before Kashmir was made a Union Territory. She has been helping people contact their loved ones and connecting them with doctors in the Valley.
Asgar, who has a one-year-old son, used to practice as a doctor in Jammu, but quit and wrote the UPSC exam. She graduated from the IAS in 2013. Her husband is also posted as commissioner of Pulwama district. Speaking with ABP News, she says,
"I have always wanted to join the IAS and do something for girls because while many girls look for role models, there aren't many because of the circumstances we are in today. And with every position I've held, I have always worked towards making an impact on girls so that they too can grow up and do good for the society."
IPS officer PK Nitya is also posted in Srinagar, responsible for overseeing the area between Ram Munshi Bagh and Harvan Dagchi village. The 40 km stretch covers the Dal Lake area, the governor's residence, and buildings where VIPs have been detained.
Nitya, who is from Chhattisgarh, is a trained chemical engineer with a BTech degree. She used to work as the manager of a cement company.
Apart from Asgar and Nitya in Kashmir, all other women bureaucrats are either posted in the Jammu region or Ladakh.
(Edited by Saheli Sen Gupta)
