‘Women of Influence: Ten Extraordinary IAS Careers’ review: Blazing powerful trails
The Hindu
Public service continues to offer unique opportunities to drive social change despite challenges like caste and patriarchal mindsets. The stories of some women civil servants show the way
In 1948, C.B. Muthamma was the first woman to join the Indian Foreign Service. Three years later, Anna George was the first woman to join the Indian Administrative Service. Both women had to sign undertakings that they would quit if they chose to marry; but no such conditions were imposed on male officers.
Years later, when Muthamma was passed over for a promotion as Ambassador, she challenged the discriminatory rule in the Supreme Court. She won in a landmark judgment. The order began by wondering “whether Articles 14 and 16 belong to myth or reality.” The last line was equally unforgettable: “We dismiss the petition, but not the problem.”