Isha Basant Joshi

Infobox Person
name = Isha Basant Joshi


birth_date = 1908
image_size =
caption =
birth_place = Lucknow
death_date =
death_place =
education = La Martiere Girls Lucknow University
occupation = Civil servant
spouse = Yes
parents =
children = no

Isha Basant Joshi, (31 December 1908 - ) 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" [http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20041114/women.htm#1 Uncivil Treatment] Shahira Naim The Tribune November 14, 2004, Chandigarh, India "accessed July 2007] school of La Martiniere Girls High School in Lucknow, India.

Biography

Isha 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 (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 editting a magazine 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, there was a sad story reported that Isha 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". However following media reports she was taken inside.

Major works - by Esha Joshi (incomplete)

* "The Jewel in the Case and other stories", ISBN 81 718 956 46 [http://www.alibris.com/search/books/author/Esha%20Joshi Esha Joshi at Alibris.com] accessed July 2007]
* "Spindrift: Poems", ISBN 81 718 956 2X, 1994, Writers Workshop
* "Sanctuary", poems, 1987
* included in: Narayan "The Journal of Commonwealth Literature", 1995

References