Quick Facts
Biography
Dame Asha Khemka DBE DL (born October 1951, in Bihar) is a former British educator who resigned as Principal and CEO from West Nottinghamshire College in late 2018 when the college experienced financial difficulties. She joined the college in 2006, succeeding Di McEvoy-Robinson. Prior to her resignation in October 2018 she was one of the highest paid in the sector.
Honours
She was awarded the OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 2008. In 2014, she was elevated to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Khemka is the fourth woman of Indian origin to be awarded a damehood of the Order of the British Empire (DBE or GBE) since the order was instituted in 1917, following, chronologically, Kaikhusrau Jahan, Begum of Bhopal (1917), Maharani Lakshmi Devi Bai Sahiba of Dhar State (1931), and Indira Patel (2011).
In April 2017, Khemka became the recipient of 'Asian Businesswoman of the Year' award in an award ceremony in Birmingham.
She is a Deputy Lieutenant of Staffordshire, where she is a long-term resident.
Other awards
Mrs Khemka's previous awards include:
The National Jewel Award for Excellence in Healthcare and Education, 2007.
The Asian Women of Achievement Award, 2008.
The Midlands Businesswoman of the Year, 2009.
The NRI Welfare Society of India Gold medal for her work in education as a non-resident Indian, 2010.
Inspirational Woman of the Year, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce, 2011.
Business Personality of the Year, Ashfield and Mansfield Chad, 2011.
Personal life
Khemka is married to Shankar Lal Khemka, a trauma and orthopaedic surgeon. They have three children. She left education in the Bihar area of India at age of 13, and travelled to live in UK during 1978, where she first learned English by watching television and speaking to local people. After being a housewife for 20 years, she returned to education as a mature student, achieving a degree at Cardiff University, then secured her first career-step as a college business studies tutor.
Resignation
Khemka resigned on 1 October 2018, with 'immediate effect', following a special Board of Governors meeting. The college experienced serious financial irregularities throughout 2018 and prior, and has been placed in 'special measures', having been handed a "Notice To Improve" during July, 2018.
Prior to her resignation, Khemka was one of the highest paid principals/CEOs in the sector, with £275K in 2015/16 and £262K in 2016/17. In early 2019, Khemka was reported to have claimed in excess of £41K expenses over a three-year period. FE Week reported that Khemka resigned without accepting a financial payout amounting to £130K.