Some Committed Indian Civil Servants
1. VINOD RAI
• Reports on the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the allocation of licences for 2G telecom spectrum and coal mining blocks during Rai's five-year tenure (2008-2013) severely harmed the UPA government's image and provided ammunition to the opposition.
• Rai also ensured that CAG reports are written in plain English and made available to the general public through the publication of "Noddy Books," which are condensed versions of large reports.
• Rai, he said, had directed his officials to concentrate on large-ticket expenditures involving large sums of public money while also encouraging them to improve their professional skills.
• Rai, who holds master's degrees in economics and public administration from the Delhi School of Economics and Harvard, respectively, noticed that the CAG is working on forming a team to conduct specialised audits and possibly branch out into environmental auditing.
• Rai, a 1972-batch Kerala-cadre officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), also took steps to improve media access to his office. In 2010, he appointed a media advisor.
• Rai's tenure as CAG has drawn comparisons in public opinion to that of TN Seshan, who served as Chief Election Commissioner in the 1990s and was credited with ensuring free and fair elections.
2. T. N. SESHAN
• From December 12, 1990, to December 11, 1996, he served as India's 10th Chief Election Commissioner. He is well-known for his dedication to ending electoral fraud in India, which he was largely successful in doing. He was also a member of the planning commission and a cabinet secretary.
• He looked into nearly 40,000 cases of false returns and ruled out nearly 14,000 candidates. In fact, parliament amended the constitution in 1993 to limit his powers by adding two more election commissioners.
• During his tenure, voter education campaigns were launched. He upheld the election commission's authority at a time when the public was beginning to lose faith in it.
3. NARENDRA KUMAR
• IPS Narendra Kumar began his career in Bihar in 2009, and since then, he has demonstrated great courage and dedication to his work, eventually moving to Morena, Madhya Pradesh. He was well-known for his active efforts to combat illegal stone mining and spent a significant amount of time fighting the mining mafia.
• At the age of 30, this brave officer was allegedly killed by members of the same mining mafia in 2012. He tried to stop a tractor carrying illegally mined stones, and when the driver refused to slow down, he stood in front of it to bring it to a halt.
• The driver, however, did not come to a halt and ran over Kumar, crushing him to death. His wife is a Gwalior-based IAS officer.
4. AJIT DOVAL
• Doval is already a well-known name, and he is well-known for his outstanding performance as an IPS officer from the 1968 batch. He was involved in counter-insurgency operations in Mizoram, Punjab, and Kashmir.
• He was able to persuade militants to cooperate with Indian forces in the fight against terrorists. Along with his outstanding work in these states, he deserves credit for putting an end to all 15 hijackings of Indian Airlines planes between 1971 and 1999. He also stayed in Pakistan on a high-risk assignment as an undercover agent.
• He later joined the intelligence bureau and is now Prime Minister Narendra Modi's National Security Adviser.
5. B. CHANDRAKALA
• Bulandhshahar's feisty District Magistrate is known for standing firm against illegal practises. She has always spoken out against corrupt officers, and she was even transferred from her previous position because she would not accept the wrongdoings.
• She has no qualms about publicly exposing those who are not doing their jobs properly. Three corrupt contractors were arrested as a result of her intervention, one of whom was the brother of a member of Uttar Pradesh's ruling Samajwadi Party. Here's a video of her teaching a lesson to inept city officials.
6. RAJNI SEKHRI SIBAL
• Many stories have been told about bureaucrats unwittingly becoming a party to politicians' loot for the next election. Here's an alternative viewpoint. This Haryana cadre woman IAS officer was the first to say "no" to any bribe to change the results of 3,200 Junior Basic Training (JBT) teachers in 1999-2000.
• When her transfer order arrived, she wrapped a four-metre-long cloth and bandages around the steel almirah containing the actual list of results, making it impossible for anyone to open the almirah and tamper with the list.
• According to insiders, her seemingly insignificant act of wrapping the almirah was actually a major step toward spotting a major scandal. Former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, his son Ajay Chautala, and 51 others are currently detained in Tihar jail on serious corruption charges related to the JBT Recruitment Scam.
• According to the CBI, then-political advisor to Haryana chief minister Sher Singh Badshami asked Ms Rajni Sekhri Sibal to change the award list in the presence of OSD Vidya Dhar, a promoted IAS officer, and OP Chautala's son Ajay Chautala.
• In her note sheet dated June 20, 2000, she said "no" and then suggested compiling the results. She was reassigned. Ms Sibal testified as a witness during the investigation.
7. SATYENDRA DUBEY
• Satyendra Dubey is another name that comes to mind when it comes to admirable dedication and work ethics. He worked as a Project Director for the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in Koderma, Jharkhand, on the Golden Quadrilateral Project.
• He displayed extraordinary bravery in exposing serious financial irregularities as well as many corrupt industry practises. He also ordered a number of contractors to resurface the roads, which were in poor condition.
• He exposed the project's corruption and financial irregularities in a letter to then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He suggested keeping his identity hidden when he wrote the letter because it involved several big names, but his name was eventually revealed, and he had to pay the price.
• He was shot dead in Gaya, Bihar, a few months later, and the country lost yet another capable and sincere bureaucrat.
8. ARMSTRONG PAME
• Few people are aware of this outstanding young IAS officer from Manipur. His commitment to the betterment of society was so strong that he built a 100-kilometer road in a remote Manipur hill without the assistance of the government.
• People flocked to his side in large numbers, forming the "people's road" that connects the hill to the rest of the state. He raised funds for the project using his own savings and social networking sites, and the villagers affectionately refer to him as "miracle man."
9. SHANMUGAM MANJUNATH
• This brave officer worked for Indian Oil Corporation as a sales manager and actively worked to stop the sale of adulterated fuel. His bravery and honesty made him one of the most admired officers in the country's history.
• But, while on his way to expose two petrol pumps in Lucknow selling adulterated fuel, he, too, paid the price for being an honest man. He ordered them to be sealed, and when they resumed their work, he staged a surprise raid.
• The same night, he was shot to death, and his body was discovered in the backseat of his own car, with six bullets in his body. That was a day when the entire country was ashamed and despondent.
10. HARSH MANDER
• Many Indian civil servants have demonstrated empathy, compassion, and tolerance. Harsh Mander is one such example. After the Gujarat riots, he resigned from the Indian administrative services. Harsh Mander is a social activist and writer from India. He is the founder of "Aman Biradari," an organisation dedicated to communal harmony.
• Harsh Mander spent nearly two decades in the Indian Administrative Service, primarily as the head of tribal district governments in the predominantly tribal states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh.
• He is involved in social movements and causes such as communal harmony, tribal, dalit, and disability rights, the right to information, custodial justice, homeless people, and bonded labour. He writes and speaks about social justice issues on a regular basis.
11. SHIVDEEP WAMAN LANDE
• This 2006 batch IPS officer has been in the news for all the right reasons. He has arrested numerous criminals, worked to improve women's safety, and taken on the pharmaceutical mafia, and the crime rate in Patna has decreased dramatically during his tenure.
• He has been very accessible to the public and has taken strong action against eve teasers. Every day, he is said to receive hundreds of messages, and he ensures that each one is answered. He was instrumental in shutting down illegal wine shops in his jurisdiction.
• When he was transferred from Patna to Araria, many people took to the streets to protest the government's decision with candlelight protests. He allegedly donates 70% of his salary to social causes such as poor girl marriages and the construction of hostels for poor students.
12. U. SAGAYAM
• In his 20 years of service, this Tamil Nadu civil servant has been transferred around 20 times. Wherever he goes, he is known for fighting corruption. He was also the first IAS officer to disclose his financial assets.
• His extensive investigation into illegal granite mining in Madurai resulted in the indictment of a number of well-known politicians and businessmen.
• He also seized over 5,000 subsidised gas cylinders intended for domestic use but being used illegally by restaurants. He looked into it and spoke out against vote-buying. Many people protested against the government's decision to transfer him from the position of Madurai Collector to the position of MD of Co-optex.
13. V. V. LAKSHMINARAYANA
• Lakshminarayana is a typical commoner who frequently takes the bus to work. He maintained his modesty while working on some of the well-publicized cases and exposing many corrupt officers.
• He rose through the ranks of the Central Bureau of Investigation to become the Joint Director, where he oversaw 19 high-profile cases, including the Satyam scandal, Gali Janardhana Reddy's illegal mining case for the Obulapuram Mining Company, Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy's disproportionate assets case, and Sohrabuddin Sheikh's fake encounter case. He's also known for apprehending Jagan Mohan Reddy and giving powerful speeches.
14. S.R. SANKARAN
• "An ideal people's IAS officer," as this former IAS officer was known. He was the driving force behind the abolition of bonded labour, the establishment of the special component plan for SCs and STs, and the allocation of resources for marginalised communities in rural development programmes.
• He remained single so that he could serve society and help over 500 poor students with their education. He died in 2010 as a result of illness, but he will always be remembered as a "people's man."
15. ASHOK KHEMKA
• Another IAS officer who has become well-known for his proactive approach to combating corruption is Ashok Khemka.
• Mr Khemka, a native of Kolkata, is an IIT graduate who joined the Haryana cadre as an IAS officer in 1991. He is best known for exposing irregularities in a land deal worth Rs 57 crore between the real estate conglomerate DLF and Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law, Robert Vadra.
• He had previously discovered a scam involving the Haryana Seed Development Corporation, in which the corporation was being sold seeds at exorbitant prices.
• Mr. Khemka has received 45 transfers in his 23 years of service as a reward for his hard work. He has also been charged with failing to fulfil his responsibilities as the Haryana Seed Development Corporation in two separate charge sheets.
16. ARUNA SUNDARARAJAN
• Forbes magazine described Aruna Sundararajan, a Kerala cadre IAS officer, as "an IAS officer who thinks like a businesswoman." She played a key role in the development of e-governance in Kerala as the state's IT secretary.
• She also led the Kudumbashree project, which is now a shining example of women's empowerment by providing long-term job opportunities for working-class women.
• Aruna Sundararajan has been named the new head of the Universal Service Obligation Fund, which is tasked with increasing telecom penetration across the country.
17. DR SAMIT SHARMA
• Dr. Samit Sharmaan, an IAS officer, began his pioneering work in a generic medicine project long before Aamir Khan's show Satyameva Jayate brought him to the attention of the entire country.
• He was the Managing Director of the Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation and a practising paediatrician in the state before joining the IAS.
• His life's work has been to ensure that every Indian has access to affordable health care, primarily generic drugs.
18. PRATYAYA AMRIT
• Pratyaya Amrit, an IAS officer who is now the Chairman and Managing Director of the Bihar State Power Holding Co. Ltd as well as the state's Energy Secretary, is known for his 'get it done now' attitude and thoroughness when it comes to resolving complaints or maintaining power station safety and hygiene.
• He was one of the main draughtsmen of Bihar's change storey, having built bridges and roads.
19. SMITHA SABHARWAL
• As Municipal Commissioner of Warangal, she launched a determined 'Fund Your City' scheme to make available to the town parks, traffic intersections, and pedestrian pathways managed through public-private partnerships.
• Karimnagar was named 'Best District' under the PM's 20-Point Programme for 2012-2013 as a result of her efforts as its collector. She ensured fair polling in last year's general elections as the Medak district collector.
20. POONAM MALAKONDAIAH
• This officer from the 1988 batch is well-known for being a straight-shooting officer. She may keep a low profile, but politicians and other powerful petitioners have discovered that she is not easily swayed.
• She has worked in education, social welfare, transportation, and civil supplies, establishing a reputation for efficiency and providing the best possible service to the people in each department.
• Surprisingly, she took on Monsanto, forming it specifically to promote farmer welfare.
21. KRISHNA GOPAL TIWARI
• Thousands of differently-abled people in the country look up to this IAS officer as a role model and source of inspiration. Krishna Gopal Tiwari is the District Collector of Umaria in Madhya Pradesh and India's first visually challenged collector.
• He doesn't believe that his disability is a hindrance, and he even goes to construction sites to test work in progress with an iron rod.
22. SANJIV CHATURVEDI
• Between 2005 and 2010, Sanjiv Chaturvedi, an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, was transferred 12 times as a result of his campaign to expose corruption in Haryana's forest department.
• He blew the lid off a multi-crore plantation scam in 2009 as the Divisional Forest Officer of Jhajjar, Haryana, where funds from the state government and international agencies were being syphoned off for fictitious plantations.
• He filed around 200 cases of corruption against doctors, pharmacies, and other entities after taking over as Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) at AIIMS, Delhi, which led to his removal from the post by the government in 2014.
• Sanjiv is an IFS officer from the 2002 batch. For his work in Haryana, he received the Manjunath Shanmugam Integrity Award (2009), and in 2011 he received the S R Jindal Prize for "Crusade against Corruption" for his campaigns to expose corruption in high places.
23. RASHMI V MAHESH
• Rashmi Mahesh, a 1996 batch IAS officer, has been transferred 20 times in 18 years! She stepped on the toes of the medical and engineering college lobbies after taking over as executive director of the Karnataka Education Authority (KEA) in 2011, by putting an end to seat blocking and irregularities in seat distribution.
• She gave many college administration panels a run for their money by putting an end to the abuse of government seats. She was later transferred as Secretary to the Department of Medical Education (Health & Family Welfare, Bangalore), where she continued her fight against private institutes' unethical practises.
• She was attacked by an enraged mob in October 2014 after she exposed a multi-crore scam at the Administrative Training Institute (ATI) in Mysore, where she was Director General.
24. OM PRAKASH CHAUDHARY, IAS (CHHATTISGARH)
• At the age of 30, OP Chaudhary was assigned to Dantewada, a Maoist hotbed with a literacy rate of 42%. Soon after, he launched Choo Lo Aasmaan, a programme in which the brightest students were taught by teachers from Kota, the engineering and medical coaching capital of India.
• He wants to turn Dantewada into a world-class educational centre. He established a science museum, a district library, and a state-of-the-art audio-visual theatre as part of another project called Tamanna.
• For the 2011-12 fiscal year, Chaudhary received the Prime Minister's award for excellence in public administration.
25. SANJUKTA PARASHAR, IPS (ASSAM)
• Sanjukta Parashar is ten times better than all the badass police officers from Bollywood. Because there are no retakes when she's on the field. This officer is said to be feared by Bodo militants, who are known throughout the region for their barbaric torture tactics.
• This mother of two frequently leads CRPF jawans through insurgent-infested terrain in Assam's Sonitpur district, and has even dealt with ethnic clashes. She's not only a cop, but she's also spent a lot of time in relief camps.