The first book in the series is on Pandita Ramabai (1858 – 1922), a nineteenth-century pioneer of women’s education from Maharashtra. Although there are several scholarly books on Pandita Ramabai, none explores her life through the prism of education – her own educational journey as well as the impact of her work on women’s education.

Pandita Ramabai championed the cause of women’s education. She never went to school but learnt to read and write at home. She was given the title 'Pandita' because she could read and write Sanskrit, a remarkable achievement as women then were not allowed such knowledge. She set up a Mission in Khedgaon near Pune in 1898, where widows and poor women were encouraged not only to be independent, but were taught a variety of skills – from carpentry to running a printing press - that are not taught to girls even today.