Harjot Kaur Bamhrah is the 1992 batch IAS officer, and presently is Managing Director of Bihar Women and Child Development Corporation, Government of Bihar. She has also held positions as Principal Secretary, Mines and Geology Department.
| Name | Harjot Kaur Bamhrah |
| UPSC CSE Batch | 1992 |
| Cadre | Bihar |
| Age | N/A |
Ms. Harjot Kaur Bamhrah, who is a senior bureaucrat in the women and child welfare ministry and heads the Women and Child Development Corporation in the state, seemed to be annoyed by the schoolgirl’s questions.
Controversies, Condom Remark by Harjot Kaur Bamhrah
IAS officer Harjot Kaur Bamhrah came under fire recently after publicly mocking a school girl when she asked for affordable sanitary napkins at a workshop organized in the eastern state of Bihar.
The teenager made the request at a workshop organised with Unicef in the eastern state of Bihar.
In the event, the girl had asked the IAS officer if it could provide them the sanitary napkins in cheaper amounts to which several praises were received but IAS Bamhrah seemed upset with the question and asked if there is any end to the demands.
The official responded by saying the girl would soon expect the government to provide free clothes, shoes and even condoms.
“Today you are asking for sanitary, tomorrow you will need jeans, then good shoes and when the question of family planning will arise, you will ask for condoms too,” she replied.
Regret / Explanation on Sanitary Napkin Controversy
In a three-page explanation letter issued over this incident, Harjot Kaur Bhamra said, “The purpose of this workshop was to empower the girls so that they can march ahead independently in their lives without having to take any support from the government, the family, or the society. The participants informed us about the lacunas pertaining in various schools and the education department is taking an action on the same. A part of a few things I said in the course of this discussion was presented as an offensive statement by the media through many news items.”
She added, “The sole purpose of this workshop was to promote the girls to lead their lives independently breaking all the shackles of dependence and to imbibe confidence in them. If the things I said in the program are listened to as a whole, it will be clear that I was intending to inspire the girls to become self-reliant.”
National Commission for Women’s letter to Harjot Kaur Bamhrah
As for the controversial incident, as of now, the National Commission for Women (NCW) took cognizance of the incident and has sought a written explanation for the remarks made by Bamhrah, “The reply must be communicated within seven days,” said NCW.
As per an official statement by the Commission, its Chairperson Rekha Sharma has written to the IAS Harjot Kaur Bamhrah, seeking a written explanation for her inappropriate and highly objectionable remarks.