Breaking Barriers while Pursuing Dream

Myself Harshini Bapurao Kanhekar, Chief Manager (Fire Services), ONGC also known as “First Lady Fire Engineer Of India.”

Prestigious National Fire Service College, was with out a Uniform cladded woman student till year 2001, but in 2002, Miss Harshini get into the NFSC with all its admission procedures and made NFSC an co-ed college.

As been single entry that year she became the first in to the History of India to take admission in an entirely Gents Institute breaking all the barriers just to peruse her dream to wear uniform and serve the Nation, which was her dream during her NCC tenure at No. 02 Mah Air Sqn, Nagpur, where she got her NCC “C’ Certificate and a DREAM to serve the Nation. She was a proud Aeromodeller during her NCC tenure and represented Maharashtra State in All India Vayu Sainik Camp at Bangaluru in 2000.

After completing her 7 Semester BE Fire Engineering Degree Course including her practical attachments at Kolkata and Delhi Fire Services of total 6 months, she got into Maharatna Company Of India i.e. ONGC in 2006. Till today she is getting learning at different posting locations since past 15 years.

She joined ONGC, Mehsana Asset Gujrat in 2006, as a Fire Officer, with routine fire calls she attended 04 blow outs there. Also, being a small place, ONGC used to provide Fire Fighting facility to civil/ locals too.

After Mehsana, during her tenure at Offshore Drilling Services, Mumbai, she got opportunity to visit Offshore Drilling Rigs (ONGC and Charted Hired Rigs) when there was no infra structure for women working at Offshore i.e. before 2013. Since 2013 offshore installation got posting for women employees on 14 days on off duty pattern, which was indeed a great milestone for aspirant women employees who has same technical degree as other male employees.

Presently she is working as a capacity of Chief Manager (Fire Services) and posted at Tripura Asset, Agartala as Incharge Fire Services and looking after fire safety of ONGC’s highest gas producing onshore asset i.e.. Tripura Asset.

Message for women: Just pursue your dreams no matter what difficulty you may face, no matter how many negative thoughts and acts may challenge you..but use those negative THOUGHTS AND ACTS to enhance more power towards your goals.

Lats but not the list I give my credit to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar ji, Savitribai Phule ji , our constitution only because of them women empowerment had possible in India.