IT was a sunny winter afternoon in Delhi. Omita Paul was completely engrossed in her daily busy schedule at the office of Pranab Mukherjee Foundation which she formed in 2017 to carry forward the legacy of Pranab Mukherjee, who served as the 13th President of India from 2012 until 2017 in the course of a political career spanning five decades, On request for an interview, publicity-averse Omita replied with a smile, “I don’t give interviews.” However, upon insisting, she agreed to our request. In an exclusive interview with the Dignity Foundation she revealed her deep insights on life and her purposeful journey at the Pranab Mukherjee Foundation, which she has been fostering with motherly care for over two years. Excerpts:
You had an illustrious career in civil service. What ignited you to foray into social service during your post-retirement days and build the Pranab Mukherjee Foundation?
It is not merely a post-retirement engagement for me. I had a long career of nearly five decades in the civil services and worked on multiple important assignments throughout my public life. When I retired in July 2017, as secretary to President Pranab Mukherjee, I had many options to choose from as a second career. Here I took a pause and I asked myself: ‘What is it that I really want to do for the rest of my life?’ In the silence of my heart, I found the answer.
This story is from the February 2020 edition of Dignity Dialogue.
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This story is from the February 2020 edition of Dignity Dialogue.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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