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The Lady from Chennai

ENERGY AND GRACE Lady Sridhar

Lady Sridhar has this rare quality of lighting up a room even as she walks in. With the right dose of energy and grace, she exchanges courtesies with wide-eyed relatives at their modest apartment in Nungambakkam. Her Chennai visit featured a jam-packed itinerary that no ordinary person can maintain. But she is no ordinary person.

The Chennai girl has crossed several learning curves and, at present, holds a job at 10 Downing Street as policy advisor to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Dharshana gets excited as she discusses her career graph. “It’s been a tough, but extremely interesting journey. I finished Std. X at Sacred Heart School, Church Park, in 1995, and applied for a Commonwealth Scholarship. I was one of the two students to have been selected from applicants across 64 countries. Being the only child, my dad was a bit reluctant. It took a lot of convincing before I landed in England. And England being England, it rained throughout the day. In hostel, I cried myself to sleep on the first night. But from then on, I started building relationships and friends, and I was okay.”

Dharshana didn’t stop there. After completing her A-Levels, she obtained her first degree in Genetics from the Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London. “Soon, marriage and motherhood happened. Rather quickly. I’m now the mother of four children ranging from nine to two years,” she adds in one breath.

But education and career didn’t take the backseat. Her can-do spirit and must-do resolve took her to greater heights. “I passed the Civil Service exams and the second round of intensive assessments, interviews and psychometric tests. Since then, I’ve advised various Home Secretaries, the Lord Chancellor, who is also the Head of the British Judiciary, and various other Ministers. In the intervening years, I worked with the United Nations Youth Forum on providing assistance to areas affected by war or natural disasters. I also project worked on the Respect agenda for the British Prime Minister’s office in partnership with the Commission for Racial Equality.”

As if this was not enough, she also did her Masters in Politics. “I found it very interesting.” Adds Dharshana, who is now Lady Sridhar, “I’m currently policy advisor to the Prime Minister on health, education, economics and foreign affairs (including being a spokesperson for the United Nations). I’m also Chief Executive of the U.K.’s Council for Science and Technology. So whatever I learnt comes into use one way or the other. It’s a combination of things. Altogether, they give me a sense of fulfilment.”

Talk about the British Civil Services, and she says, “It’s known for maintaining the highest standards. Honesty, integrity and impartiality are the three things it stands for. Being a people’s person, these principles attracted me to it. I like doing things that can make a difference to people’s lives.”

A seamless career apart, Dharshana also pens poetry. “Yes, I have a publication of verses that cover a range of topics — from current affairs and Nature to destiny. I’m also a trained Bharatanatyam dancer.”

But how does she manage all this — and her four children? Her smile dissolves into full-throated laughter, “I was waiting for this question. My parents are with me. And my husband has been extremely supportive. It’s my family that’s helped me.”

Switching to reminiscent mode, she says, “Hard work and commitment are what my school and environment taught me. School also gave me a lot of confidence to handle different situations. It’s helped in my journey. Achievement is a relative term. To be honest, everyone can reach for the stars.”

On being lady sridhar

I was taken by surprise when I was informed about it. I thought I was too young for it. I remember asking, ’Are you sure?’ I consider it a very big honour.

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