BELGAUM: “Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Malaysia .....I have visited all of them, but no country has been as fascinating as my country,” said Regional Commissioner Amitha Prasad.Amitha was sharing her memories with the children of Kendriya Vidyalaya No 2 during the Children’s Day celebration in Belgaum on Tuesday.
The students interviewed the Regional Commissioner on behalf of this website’s newspaper to mark the children’s day celebrations. Amitha was shooted with the questions by the students - Shreeya Sen, Manasa Shetty, Sagun Jadhav, Meera Shankar, Neha Shanbhag, Varsha Suresh, Aishwarya Kulkarni, Sneha Desai and Rajlaxmi Deshpande.
These young curious girls had dozens of questions to ask the Regional Commissioner and it seemed Amitha enjoyed in responding them by remembering her childhood days. Taking permission from teacher to go for drinking water and then return back after 45 minutes was a mischievous activity done by her during her school day, said Amitha. She remembered an incident during those days when she was bit by a dog in school.
Amitha said that she was a debater, a good badminton player and also participated in dramas in school. ‘I was also School General Secretary’, she added. Amitha said that she liked to see movies and many a times, during her college days, she saw 3 movies a day. Her favourite actor was Rajesh Khanna, she added.
Amitha said that basically she belonged to Bihar, but has studied in various schools at Bihar, Patna, Delhi and more. Her favourite subjects were History, Hindi and Economics in college, she disclosed. Amitha said that since her childhood, she had aimed to become a IAS officer.
It was only after she studied hard with focus on her ambition, she was able to become what she had targeted, she said. Responding to a question of a student - `If not IAS officer, then what would you have been ?’ - Amitha said that she would have been a teacher or a social worker. She said that she has written books in Hindi and also poems.
Amitha said that during her college days, she was involved in activities of slum development programmes. The poverty which she saw in slum areas touched her heart. She also taught blind students during those days, she revealed.
On the question “How she manages her tight schedule works so perfectly?”, Amitha said that she has more of her concentration on time management. ‘I daily put it on paper of whatever are my plans of the day and act practical on it’, she said.
The children wanted to know her view on “Today’s woman”. Amitha replied that as years have passed by, things have changed drastically. She said that today in society, woman is being given same the status as that of man. ‘No one can easily take Pangas’ with the ladies now-a-days’, she said.
In our country, about 40% of the population are Below Poverty Line families and so good and bright youths should join civil services uprooting the poverty of the nation, advised Amitha. She said that during her profession, she experienced many bad and good incidents. “Because of the chair on which I am sitting today , I was able to help many of poor families”, she said.
Amitha remembered an incident in the year 1992, when she was in Zilla Panchayat , she - under an scheme for SC/ST to provide a bore-well- provided 4 acers of land and seeds of Sunflower to sow in it, to a family which was in financial crises. “Later, when I went for inspection to the family, they were very happy and thanked me for providing a source for them to survive”, she said.
She narrated a few more incidents in which she was able to help people due to her profession. When asked about her family, Amitha said that she was a grand daughter of a freedom fighter. She said that her husband is a police officer and her two kids- daughter and son - are studing.
Questions of the children and answers of Amitha -
Q: What do you like?
A: Listening to music, reading books.
Q: What do you dislike?
A: To carry office at home and home at office.
Q: Do you like static job?
A: I hate.
Q: Will you allow your children to try for IAS examinations?
A: Only if they promise me to study and work harder.
Q: Why is that most of the Bihari’s are in civil services?
A: Roti, Kapada, Makan and Padia - is what Bihari’s desire. Feeling of government jobs are more secure than any other jobs they are at that place. Also, education system is very sound at Bihar.
Her Husband Sri Ashit Mohan Prasad is also an IPS of Karnatka Cadre .
3 comments:
Hi ,
Good to know that Amita Pd , IAS has so many hidden qualities and thought which touches us .
Wish all her wishes on Bihar political system come true .
Thanks
Amit Kumar - Suman ,
Hi ,
Good to know that Amita Pd , IAS has too many qualities and sound thought which touches us while reading her interview.
Wish all her wishes on to improvement of Bihar political system come true .
Thanks
Amit Kumar - Suman ,
Hey,
It's great to read about my cousin sister doing all these wonderful things while I am sitting all the way over here in California. When I read these types of interviews I always think that people are making things up to cast their childhood experiences in a more interesting light. In Mrs. Prasad's case all of these happen to be true.
Thanks for a great interview with a really great role model.
Rajesh Pankaj
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