The Narendra Modi I Knew: Part 3

April 26, 2022

During both the first and the last meeting with PM Narendra Modi, I had a view that was at variance with his. On both the occasions he heard me out, he concurred with me on each of these occasions. Yes, Modi was prepared to listen, ready to accept a difference...

The Narendra Modi I knew: Part II

April 19, 2022

As mentioned in the article published last week, I had met Narendra Modi for the first time in 2002 when he was Gujarat Chief Minister. The second meeting with Narendra Modi happened after more than 12 years. I met a different man altogether. I was posted as Officer on Special...

The Narendra Modi I knew

April 12, 2022

My first meeting with Narendra Modi happened way back on the 7th of June 2002. He was then the Chief Minister of Gujarat grappling with the post- Godhra crisis. I was posted as Chairman, Agriculture and Processed Food Exports Development Authority (APEDA) in the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India....

Why the IAS, again?

April 5, 2022

During this life, my future was perhaps decided the day I was born. My father did it for me. He himself had fulfilled his father’s dream of becoming an engineer, and now, in turn, he wanted his son to join the ‘elite’ Indian Administrative Service (IAS) observing the respect and...

Why things don’t happen in the government?

March 29, 2022

Late Arun Jaitley was at his eloquent best when he said in the Parliament, “The desire of a post-retirement job influences pre-retirement judgements”. This was stated by him in the context of Judicial Officers. However, it is perhaps equally relevant in the context of civil servants as well. This was...

Why is it difficult to make-things-happen in the government?

March 22, 2022

THE 5 C S ‘Why to blame only netas, 5Cs also hinder decision making’: Coal Secretary. This was the headline of a leading daily that generated a tsunami of reactions. Perhaps almost everyone felt it, but no one had the courage to state it. It all began with small comments...

What ails the IAS?

March 15, 2022

ABSENCE OF ETHOS Prime Minister Narendra Modi was very clear in his mind when he announced the setting up of Groups of Secretaries in 2015 to discuss and come up with recommendations on a variety of subjects and issues. As an accomplished leader, he could quickly discern what was not...

Intellectual dishonesty

March 8, 2022

The call was from the Prime Minister’s office and the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister (PM) was on the line. I was posted as Secretary, School Education and Literacy and into the last year of my 38 year long career in the civil service, but the conversation we had...

Making it happen: Level of ‘attitudinal intelligence’

March 1, 2022

After the infamous incident at Hathras, Uttar Pradesh more than year ago I had tweeted: “Handling situations like the one at Hathras or improving governance doesn’t really require artificial intelligence (AI). It requires attitude and empathy, critical parts of emotional intelligence. Let us get ‘real’ before we get sold out...

Need To Mentor Young Civil Servants

February 24, 2022

This was 2019. I had superannuated and settled in NOIDA. The telephone call was at around 6 pm in the afternoon from a young IAS officer who was posted as Sub-Divisional Magistrate in Muzaffarnagar District in Uttar Pradesh. It was his first posting after completing his training. I could discern...