Nirmala Joshi was an officer of the British Indian Army until the nation's independence in 1947. When she was one year old, her father brought the family to India. Although the family was Hindu, she was educated by Christian missionaries in Mount Carmel, Hazaribag. At that time, she learned of Mother Teresa's work and wanted to share in that service. She soon converted to Catholicism and joined the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa. Joshi completed a Master's degree in Political Science and then went on to secure a doctorate degree in law from the University of Calcutta. She was one
Nirmala (novel) issues. The story uses fiction to highlight an era of much needed social reform in 1920s Indian society. "Nirmala" was serialized in 1928 in "Chand", a women’s magazine in which the novel’s feminist character was represented. "Nirmala" is somewhat like "Godaan" (published in 1936) in that it deals with the exploitation of the village poor, and was translated by multiple scholarly translators. It was first translated in 1988 as "The Second Wife" by David Rubin, and in 1999 as "Nirmala" by Alok Rai, Premchand's grandson. Udayabhanu Lal, a lawyer by profession, arranged to marry off his 15-years-old daughter Nirmala to