Who is IFS officer Pooja Jha, who objected to the incorrect J&K map in Dhaka?
Pooja Kumar Jha objected during a Dhaka seminar after a map showed Jammu and Kashmir on the Pakistani side. Her intervention reiterated India's stated position and drew praise on social media.

"The map of India being displayed is incorrect. Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India," declared Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Pooja Kumar Jha during a seminar at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) in Dhaka.
Jha, who is serving as the Second Secretary at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, raised the objection while former Bangladeshi diplomat to India Ahmed Tariq Karim was delivering his presentation.
During the presentation, a map of India was displayed on the screen showing Jammu and Kashmir on the Pakistani side.
The young Indian diplomat immediately objected to the map, asserting India's official position on the issue.
The seminar was attended by several diplomats and dignitaries, including Bangladesh's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed, who was the chief guest.
Jha's prompt response has drawn widespread appreciation on social media, with many Indian citizens praising her for firmly defending the country's sovereignty while representing India abroad.
POOJA JHA'S JOURNEY TO THE INDIAN FOREIGN SERVICE
Pooja Kumari Jha is an Indian Foreign Service officer from the 2022 batch and is currently posted as Second Secretary (Political and Information) at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
She cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination in 2021 in her very first attempt, securing an All India Rank (AIR) of 82.
Pooja hails from Puranhiya village in Bihar's Sitamarhi district, while her family currently resides in Delhi. Her father has worked as an office helper at a private company in Gurugram for nearly four decades, and her mother is a homemaker.
Despite financial hardships, her parents ensured that all their children received an education.
Pooja is the fifth daughter in her family and also has a younger brother.
In an interview later after cracking UPSC, she said that in the society she grew up in, sons were often valued more than daughters. She acknowledged that changing such a mindset was difficult but said she answered society's bias through her education and achievements.
FROM GOVERNMENT SCHOOL TO UPSC
Because of the family's financial constraints, Pooja and her siblings had to shift from private schools to government and MCD schools. Despite limited resources, she consistently excelled in academics. She has said that every achievement motivated her to work harder and pursue larger goals.
Pooja has shared that she witnessed gender inequality closely, both within society and around her.
These experiences strengthened the bond among her sisters, who often discussed the issue together.
Pooja Kumari Jha's immediate objection to the display of an incorrect map of India at the seminar in Dhaka highlighted India's consistent stand on issues related to its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Her journey continues to inspire many young aspirants, particularly girls, to pursue their dreams despite social and financial challenges.
"The map of India being displayed is incorrect. Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India," declared Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Pooja Kumar Jha during a seminar at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) in Dhaka.
Jha, who is serving as the Second Secretary at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, raised the objection while former Bangladeshi diplomat to India Ahmed Tariq Karim was delivering his presentation.
During the presentation, a map of India was displayed on the screen showing Jammu and Kashmir on the Pakistani side.
The young Indian diplomat immediately objected to the map, asserting India's official position on the issue.
The seminar was attended by several diplomats and dignitaries, including Bangladesh's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed, who was the chief guest.
Jha's prompt response has drawn widespread appreciation on social media, with many Indian citizens praising her for firmly defending the country's sovereignty while representing India abroad.
POOJA JHA'S JOURNEY TO THE INDIAN FOREIGN SERVICE
Pooja Kumari Jha is an Indian Foreign Service officer from the 2022 batch and is currently posted as Second Secretary (Political and Information) at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
She cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination in 2021 in her very first attempt, securing an All India Rank (AIR) of 82.
Pooja hails from Puranhiya village in Bihar's Sitamarhi district, while her family currently resides in Delhi. Her father has worked as an office helper at a private company in Gurugram for nearly four decades, and her mother is a homemaker.
Despite financial hardships, her parents ensured that all their children received an education.
Pooja is the fifth daughter in her family and also has a younger brother.
In an interview later after cracking UPSC, she said that in the society she grew up in, sons were often valued more than daughters. She acknowledged that changing such a mindset was difficult but said she answered society's bias through her education and achievements.
FROM GOVERNMENT SCHOOL TO UPSC
Because of the family's financial constraints, Pooja and her siblings had to shift from private schools to government and MCD schools. Despite limited resources, she consistently excelled in academics. She has said that every achievement motivated her to work harder and pursue larger goals.
Pooja has shared that she witnessed gender inequality closely, both within society and around her.
These experiences strengthened the bond among her sisters, who often discussed the issue together.
Pooja Kumari Jha's immediate objection to the display of an incorrect map of India at the seminar in Dhaka highlighted India's consistent stand on issues related to its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Her journey continues to inspire many young aspirants, particularly girls, to pursue their dreams despite social and financial challenges.