the 1948 ICS topper recalls how a young nation took momentous decisions
Strange are the ways of destiny. Even though I had no inclination to be a bureaucrat, destiny desired otherwise, carving a role for me to serve the people of India. I was born in India but spent my childhood and was educated in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where my father was posted as a civil servant. He was in the colonial Civil Service.
After graduating in history from London University and earning the Bar at Law degree, I landed in India in 1947. With my father and brother, Rameshwar Prasad, being civil servants, my family suggested that I should take the Indian Civil Services exam. Well, I had no option but to take the exam. Remember, I was already married.
I appeared for the Indian Civil Services exam in July 1947. The events leading to and aftermath of Independence delayed the results. They were finally announced in March 1948 and, much to the delight of my family and myself, I had topped. I opted for the Uttar Pradesh cadre as our family belonged to Saharanpur.
After Independence, the government debated abolishing the Indian Civil Services. However, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel – the “iron man of India” – who was also the first Home Minister of the country, stood firmly in support of the ICS. A conference of Chief Ministers was called and most of them, including Govind Ballabh Pant, were against it. They felt the Provincial Civil Service was adequate to run the administration. But Sardar Patel convinced them that a unitary administrative service would help in the integration of India. He got it cleared by the Cabinet. In hindsight, one can judge how farsighted he was.
Earlier, the provincial service officers were hostile to the central service officers. Then the dust settled and both existed peacefully. In the initial stages, young officers were trained at the IAS Training School, Delhi, and the IAS Staff College, Shimla. On April 15, 1958, the Home Minister announced in the Lok Sabha a proposal to set up a National Academy of Administration where training in foundational and fundamental subjects would be given to all recruits in the senior grades of the service.
The Ministry of Home Affairs decided to amalgamate the IAS Training School and the IAS Staff College to form a National Academy of Administration at Mussoorie, a hill station at a height of a little over 2000 metres and just 35 km by road from the railhead at Dehradun. The Academy was housed in the prestigious Charleville Hotel, built around 1870. This provided the location and initial infrastructure for the Academy. There have been subsequent expansions.
When I joined the Academy, A N Jha was director.
That was a difficult and painful time for every Indian—when the country was partitioned. It was a period when everyone was struggling in life.
I observe now that bureaucrats spend a lot of time in office. Instead, they should be going to meet the masses. My batch was the first after Independence. Most of the candidates were from an urban background and did not have any idea about villages. I used to go to villages and talk to the people directly and always get firsthand reports.
My first posting was as joint magistrate, Bulandshahr. Later, I became Sub-Divisional Magistrate at Khurja.
The abolition of zamindari was a major decision we took. Lal Bahadur Shastri inspired the idea and we went ahead with it. Everyone is reaping the fruit of this revolution today.
I was privileged to work with the UP Chief Minister, Govind Ballabh Pant – a simple, honest man and a wonderful administrator. He maintained close contact with the District Magistrates. During his visits to the districts, he would go into minute details of the issues and problems of the people. That kept all the officers on alert all the time. He would even ask about the prices of vegetables!
I also worked with another UP Chief Minister, Sampoornanand. He was a firm administrator and kept control. However, he was not a very popular Chief Minister. But he was popular and respected among bureaucrats as he would back up their decisions.
I had very good relations with his successor, C B Gupta. He was a wonderful organizer and had great control over the party. He was basically a party man. Like Lal Bahadur Shastri, he would listen to everyone but take his own decisions. He could take quick decisions and implement them ruthlessly.
The most inspiring part of my career has been working with and for the people. I was blessed in being able to work with the ordinary citizens of the country and earn their affection and gratitude. It has been a satisfactory journey of life for me.
MEN FOR ALL SEASONS
Lal Bahadur Shastri
I had the honour of working with Lal Bahadur Shastri as his special assistant from 1959 to 1966. He was a down-to-earth, humble, and polite man. He was also a man of principles, of clarity of thought, and firmness. He was softspoken and never shouted at anyone. One day, he came to my room to enquire about a document. I was embarrassed and said he could have called for me. Shastriji replied: “I thought you would be working so I decided to come myself.”
Shastriji would spend a long time in taking decisions. He would consult people and listen to what they had to say for hours. But once he made up his mind, he would stick to the decision.
I was very sorry not to have been with him on the trip to Tashkent, where he died of a heart attack. It was C P Srivastava who accompanied him. Later, I wrote a book on him, titled Days with Lal Bahadur Shastri.
Jawaharlal Nehru
I was privileged to meet India’s first Prime Minister as I used to accompany Shastriji for meetings with Pandit Nehru. Nehruji was a great personality. Besides being courteous, he was also charming. Most of the country’s policies were laid down by him. During his time, Cabinet meetings were a one-man show. Nehruji would do most of the talking and others would only listen and follow him. He was very fond of talking. He was quick in taking decisions and also ensured that they were implemented fast.
Editor, gfiles
