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 Deshpande Nirmala Deshpande Nirmala Deshpande (17 October 1929 – 1 May 2008) was a noted Indian social activist who had embraced Gandhian philosophy. She devoted her adult life to promotion of communal harmony and service to women, tribal people, and the dispossessed in India. She was awarded Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award of India in 2006. and was awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz posthumously by Pakistan in 2010 Deshpande was born to Vimala (विमला) and Purushottam Yashawant Deshpande (पुरुषोत्तम यशवंत देशपांडे) in Nagpur on 19 October 1929. Her father was the recipient of a Sahitya Akademi Award in 1962 for his work