Sheila Dikshit changed the face of Delhi; Sunita Narain took on the mighty MNCs while Aravinda Pillalamarri tackled problems at the grassroots. Meet three women who, over the last year, have taken on - and won - battles that have made our lives that much easier

Sheila Dikshit
Age: 66 years
Designation: Chief Minister, Delhi, second time around. First took over the chief ministership in 1998 and followed it with an impressive victory in 2003.
Agent of change: Absolutely. Delhi is no longer an old metropolis gasping for breath thanks to Sheila Dikshit's no-hungama but quiet, firm way of seeing things to its fruition.
Success quotient: A cleaner and greener Delhi: She ensured that the more-than-12,000 diesel-run buses in the capital were converted into compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles. It wasn't exactly an easy job, caught as she was between the Supreme Court's deadline for doing so and the bus operators' claim that they could not afford to do so. In her usual efficient way, she delivered the goods. Today, every city wants to go the Delhi way.
Metro Railway: Sure, she can't lay full claim to the newest mode of transport in parts of the capital. However, the fact remains that it was during her tenure that the system was inaugurated. Her BJP rival and former chief minister Madan Lal Khurana has been seeking credit for the separate fund earmarked for it but, as they say, the doers don't make loud claims, they just deliver.
Privatisation of the power sector: It needed courage to privatise the distribution network of the Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB) in the face of staunch opposition and charges of 'distress sale'. Sheila Dikshit did it. And the results show.
Flyovers: At one time, the flyovers springing up everywhere (and still doing so) drew heavy raps. The streamlined traffic and better roads have turned the tables.
Proof of the pudding: As they say, you cannot fool all the people all the time - twice chief minister and now, the resounding victory of six Congress MPs from Delhi.
Credibility: Absolutely high. The elegant Sheila Dikshit makes it possible to believe that politicians can be dignified, sincere, doers and above corruption.

Aravinda Pillalamarri
Who she is: A student of comparative literature from Columbia University who happened to watch a film about the Narmada controversy. Life was never the same after that...
What she does: She, along with her husband, IIT engineer Ravi Kuchimanchi, set up AID, Association for India's Development, an NGO which would work with projects in literacy, health care, family planning, vocational training, women's empowerment and rural development. The couple also provides
an important interface between volunteers in the US and grassroots contacts in India, and is active in movements for cooperatives, local currency, community radio, fair labour, and organic farming, specifically in Andhra Pradesh.
She believes: "Problems don't arise out of the lack of money; they arise out of bad planning or poor calculations."

Sunita Narain
She is: Director, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Delhi
Identity: Firebrand activist, tireless crusader, the little lady who can shake up big giants. In her own words, "journalist and activist". Publishes the acclaimed environmental magazine, 'Down To Earth'.
We know her because: She has the power to challenge the system. She's the one who made the Delhi government realise the importance of CNG, exposed the fact that mineral water bottles have toxins and took on cola giants over pesticides in soft drinks.
Fresh on our mind: Her victory over the cola giants. The battle erupted last summer when CSE claimed that Coke and Pepsi products manufactured in India contained toxins far above the norms permitted in the developed world. CSE's tests showed that Pepsi and Coke had 36 and 30 times the level of pesticide residues permitted under EU regulations respectively. CSE found toxins like lindane and DDT in the 12 soft drinks it tested, which was alarming because it could cause cancer and failure of the immune system if consumed over a long period. Though cola companies went to town proclaiming their innocence, a joint parliamentary committee ultimately vindicated Sunita's brave stand.
Pet project: Rainwater harvesting. "Water is not the problem in Delhi, water management is," Sunita has repeatedly said. The CSE is promoting rainwater harvesting as a solution and the result is that many housing societies and colonies are now involved in it.
Strong points: Dedication. Passion towards the cause. Focus. In a country where corruption and apathy reign supreme, it takes a lot of conviction, guts and preparation to raise an issue and see it through.
The future: To make CSE an organisation that continues the good work beyond her.