Jalna collector Ashima Mittal meets hunger striker over Maratha reservation
Ashima Mittal, Jalna's district collector, is leading negotiations with activist Manoj Jarange Patil, who's been on a hunger strike for five days over Maratha reservation demands.
On Tuesday, Mittal visited Patil to urge him to end his fast for health reasons and shared updates on recent government moves.
Patil wasn't happy, saying she was only speaking for the government, but Mittal stayed calm and kept the conversation going.
Mittal known for 'Super 50' initiative
Mittal is a 2018-batch IAS officer from Rajasthan with a B.Tech. from IIT Bombay and an M.A. in anthropology.
She's known for academic excellence (12th rank UPSC, Shankar Dayal Sharma Gold Medal) and her "Super 50" education initiative in previous roles.
Since becoming Jalna collector last year, she's been central to keeping talks peaceful and representing Maharashtra in tough discussions, even when faced with criticism from protest leaders.