Jammu and Kashmir: Women officers in Srinagar who are working hard to make a difference in trying times 

The only women IAS and IPS officers in Kashmir valley, Asgar and Nitya are playing a key role in Srinagar in these difficult times when the people of Jammu and Kashmir are facing many restrictions.

Dr Syed Sehrish Asgar, who is a 2013 batch IAS officer has been working as the director of information with J&K administration in Srinagar. She has been helping people to make phone calls to their loved ones hundreds of miles away and also connecting the patients to doctors in the valley.

2016 batch IPS officer, P K Nitya who is also posted in Srinagar is responsible for overseeing an area between Ram Munshi Bagh and Harvan Dagchi village. This is a very sensitive area of about 40 Kms and covers very important places such as Dal Lake, Governor’s residence and also many buildings where VIPs reside.

Asgar, who is a mother of a one-year-old son and an MBBS decided to sit for UPSC exam after quitting her medical practice in Jammu.

“As a doctor, I was treating patients. But today, the challenges in the valley are different. It requires sternness and emotional support at the same time,” says Asgar. “I am glad if women can change the society,” she added.

Nitya, a 28- years old from Chhattisgarh is doing a job which is much harder than her previous job in a cement company as a manager.

“Besides securing civilians, I have to oversee the security of VVIPS. of course, it’s very different from my life in Chhattisgarh,” says Nitya, the sub-divisional police officer of Nehru Park in Srinagar. She has to regularly deal with angry commuters who are from different backgrounds such as businessmen and school teachers.

Nitya is a chemical engineer with a B.Tech degree and comes from Durg in Chhattisgarh which has always been peaceful.