I EARNED an MScinphysics in 1946 and was pursuing further research. Myresearch guide,Sir KS Krishnan, was doing collaborativere search with the renowned scientist, CV Raman. One fine morning, in April 1947, I saw the advertisement for the Indian AdministrativeServices.Thelastexamfor theICShadbeenheldin1944and,aftera gapofthreeyears,brilliantstudentsacross the country were waiting to appear for the IAS exam.I too tried my luck in the first IAS exam held between July 20 and August 7, 1947.After the exams, I was appointed a lecturer in Allahabad University and thought of continuing withacademics,myprimeinterest. On August 15, 1947, I travelled to Delhi to witness the historic event of Lord Mountbatten bringing down the British flag along with Jawaharlal Nehru and the Tricolour being hoisted. I still recall it vividly. I returned to Allahabad and became engrossed in studies. The results of the IAS exam came out in March 1948. Topper Venkateswaran opted for the Indian Foreign Service. Tirumalai was second and Rajeshwar Prasad third. Sushital Banerjee ranked fourth, followed by me.
The selected candidates came to Metcalfe House, Delhi, for training and stayed in hutments with the Yamuna flowing nearby. On a full moon day, Nehru came to meet us. We were thrilled to find him amongst us. He asked which lunar day it was. Everyone said, “Purnima.” But Sunil Mukherjee said it was Buddha’s Nirvana Day.Nehru seemed to like the answer. I also recall the visit of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Home Minister and the greatest advo cate of the IAS. He was unwell and sat on the sofa. He said, “All of you undergoing training have been provid ed security of life and family by the country. Now it is your turn to repay the debt.” Then he elaborated the importance of the service: “You will become so important and busy in the coming days that we shall not be able to address all of you on a single day and under one roof again.”While we were talking to him, a message came that the Maharaja of Jaipur and the Nawab of Bhopal wanted to see him urgently.We went to the garden and watched.Sardar Patel was seated on a chair,truly looking an iron man.The Nawab of Bhopal was bending,whispering in his ear while the Maharaja knelt on the other side and waited for his turn to speak.
The caste system has been exploited. I call upon the
new generation of civil servants to shed the fear of
transfers and say no to unfair diktats
Our training got over and I joined the UP cadre. I was posted as Joint Magistrate, Etawah in 1948. I would go to villages, meet people, listen to their grievances and settle them on the spot. Mywife accompanied me on my visits. Once, at Rae Bareli, I took a boat to reach a remote village.On the way,I saw a sadhu sanctifying an idol with holy water.Mywifeaskedifhewouldgiveher theidolforworshipathome.Hesaidthat a number of such idols were lying in the fields and she could pick up one. We foundplenty.Theincidentledtostudyof antiques becoming my hobby. I later became a collector of antiques. When Sampoornanand was Chief Minister, I was appointed Additional Director of a relatively new department, Heavy Industries. Realizing the immense untapped potential this sector had for the development of the state, I made a 15-year dynamic plan, with 27 groups of experts. The Jawaharpur Heavy Electric Plant, the Hindustan Aluminum plant and an antibiotics fac tory,a joint venture with the then Soviet Union at Rishikesh,were established during this period.But after I left,the 15-year plan was not followed up.
I became Chief Secretary in December 1976 and worked for 15 months. Itwas adifficult period.The JanataPartycame topower andRam NareshYadavbecameCM.Ileftthestate forDelhiandwasappointedSecretary, Department of Statistics. I suggested mergerofthepostofRegistrar-General oftheCensusofIndia,whichfunctioned under theHomeMinistry,with the Statistics Department. Lord Curzon formedthisdepartment in 1905 and it was logical to merge it with the Statistics Department,whoseworkwassimilar. During my four-year tenure in the Ministry of Family Planning as Joint Secretary,I restructured and established the entire set-up.A road map of the fam ily planning programme was prepared and family welfare centres established across India.The programme was mov ing steadily on the right track A single overenthusiastic act by Sanjay Gandhi derailed it during the Emergency.We have not been able to revive it since.
The present IAS lot is sharper,intelligent and more energetic. Their canvasis much bigger than ours.But they lack
interaction with the masses.This should be addressed on priority.Ioften wonder why we have not been able to take the poor of this country along with us We know the reason yet are helpless todo any thing about it.The caste system has been exploited I call upon the new generation of civil servants to shed the fear of transfers and say no to unfair diktats In spite of many drawbacks, and ups and downs in the growth of the Indian econ omy I see a silver lining.India is develop ingveryfast intherightdirection.We only need to becautiousandkeep the welfare of thedowntroddenat the centre of allourdevelopmentalplanningand implementation.The biggest assetis the love and affection of the people with whom civil servants work
