Even as suspended IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal has garnered a lot of media attention for her daring act, professors from her engineering college say that she always maintained a low profile as a student and focussed on studies. Nagpal, a computer science student, has now become an icon for woman empowerment in her alma mater.
“She was a very good student and was mostly busy with her studies. She was hardly involved in any social and cultural activities. She always finished her assignments and projects on time,” said Deepti Chhabra, assistant professor at Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women (IGDTUW) formerly known as Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology (IGIT).
Even after getting a job in a top-notch company during the first placement drive, Nagpal chose to study further and got into civil services. Nagpal’s teachers recall that even though she was a very silent student who never actively took up social causes during college days, she always maintained that she wanted to do something for the country.
“The Tata Consultancy Services had offered her a job. But she studied further and became an IAS officer. She had mentioned in her resume that she wants to do something for the nation,” said Dr Ajay Singholi, training and placement coordinator. “Even though she was a very good engineering student, she still chose a difficult path and we all can see where she is now.”
While studying computer science, Nagpal used to stay in the campus hostel, where she is fondly remembered as a very disciplined student who never flouted any rule.
“Though she was a very silent student and I don’t remember much about her, the one striking thing about Nagpal is that she always followed rules. Students sometime break rules for fun, but she never did any such thing,” said professor Ashwini Kumar, dean students welfare.
At a time when Nagpal is getting support from all quarters of the country, her story is also encouraging students at her alma mater to take up civil services.
“Her story encourages me so much that I want to become an IAS officer. I will not take up an engineering job. I know I might be shunned by corrupt people like her but I still want to do it,” said Divya Yadav, a fourth-year engineering student.
Nagpal, an IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, took up cudgels against illegal sand mining and was sacked for allegedly demolishing a mosque wall.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}