When Chhavi Rajawat, a young, female MBA graduate became the sarpanch (village head) of a small village in Rajasthan, it hit the headlines for more reasons than one. Hers is a tale that actually is a mix of many stories.

  This jeans-clad smart female from India had created quite a stir at the 11th Info-Poverty World Conference held at the United Nations. She is a live example of the changing Indian society and signifies the arrival of the women on one of the hitherto male bastion, and also signifies slow but emerging acceptance of the women power in every sphere of social activity. Women have slowly yet steadily widened their areas of activity and social presence in the country in the last few years, which is a very positive development.

   For countless women, Rajawat, who rides a horse named Magic and conducts village meetings dressed in jeans and T-shirt in an Indian state where women cover their face with a veil as part of the....