Isha Basant Joshi
Encyclopedia
Isha Basant Joshi was born Isha Basant Mukand and published books under the name of Esha Joshi. She was the first woman to be accepted as an officer in the Indian Administrative Service
. She was also the first "Indian" to be accepted into the "Bastion of the British" school of La Martiniere Girls High School
in Lucknow
, India
.
She went on to study in Britain and she claimed the honour of being the first woman to be an officer in the Indian Administrative Service
(one of the three key organisations created to organise India as part of the British Empire
).
She went on to serve in roles as senior roles in the Ministry of Education as well as editing a magazine
before her retirement in 1966. However, she published a number of books under the name of Esha Joshi long after this date.
Indian Administrative Service
The Indian Administrative Service is the administrative civil service of the Government of India. It is one of the three All India Services....
. She was also the first "Indian" to be accepted into the "Bastion of the British" school of La Martiniere Girls High School
La Martiniere Lucknow
La Martinière College is an educational institution located in Lucknow, the capital of the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh. The college consists of two schools on different campuses for boys and girls. La Martinière Boys' College was founded in 1845 and La Martinière Girls' College was established...
in Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Biography
Mukand was the first Indian girl educated at La Martiniere girls high school and she then went on to study at Isabella Thoburn College and Lucknow University where she obtained an MA.She went on to study in Britain and she claimed the honour of being the first woman to be an officer in the Indian Administrative Service
Indian Administrative Service
The Indian Administrative Service is the administrative civil service of the Government of India. It is one of the three All India Services....
(one of the three key organisations created to organise India as part of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
).
She went on to serve in roles as senior roles in the Ministry of Education as well as editing a magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
before her retirement in 1966. However, she published a number of books under the name of Esha Joshi long after this date.
2004
In 2004, it was reported that Joshi, who at that time was a 96 year old childless widow, was being looked after by distant relatives "near a cowshed in the servant quarters of her own palatial mansion in Lucknow". Following media reports, however, she was taken inside.Major works - by Esha Joshi (incomplete)
- The Jewel in the Case and other stories, ISBN 81 718 956 46
- Spindrift: Poems, ISBN 81 718 956 2X, 1994, Writers Workshop
- Sanctuary, poems, 1987
- included in: Narayan The Journal of Commonwealth Literature, 1995