The Making of Modern India Mission Karmayogi

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At the time of our independence in 1947, while Patel systematically went about getting the princely states to accede to India, using persuasion, incentives, and force, he also perhaps, realised at the same time, that the unification of India will last only if we have a band of patriotic civil servants, having a national character, not dependent on regional pulls and pressures, and who enjoy the independence to talk back to their political bosses when necessary, and work for the welfare of the people, without fear or favour. Patel, therefore, created the Indian Administrative Service. In order to ensure that the IAS officers have the independence to freely express their opinion without fear of losing their jobs, he built-in safeguards in the Constitution itself. The Indian Administrative Service has served the country well. The IAS, together with the other two All India Services, namely the Indian Police Service and the Indian Forest Service, has helped keep in check the diseases of corruption, anti- national activities, and terrorism, helped hold free and fair elections since our independence, and ably assisted the political leaders implement myriads of schemes beneficial to the nation as a whole and target groups in particular, enabling India to grow into the fifth largest economy, one of the strongest military power, one of the largest producers of food, a nuclear power, a leader in space research and many more laudable achievements.
Since the IAS operates in anonymity, and they are bound by the code of conduct, very rarely do they inform the public about what exactly is their contribution. The collection of essays presented in this book is an attempt to provide a glimpse of what the Indian Administrative Service has been doing for the nation over the years and how it is still silently serving the citizens of this country. The book contains an anthology of essays by Indian Administrative Service officers relating to diverse fields of governance, such as agriculture, infrastructure development, disaster management, elections, international trade, law and order, finance, pandemic management, rural development, water resource management, sanitation, privatisation, tax reforms, setting up and running a university, and vignettes from an officer's life and career etc. The officers belong to different state cadres, within a wide spectrum of seniority from the 1966 batch to 2008 batch, so that it provides a comprehensive flavour of the things they do and the diversity involved.

Prabeer K. Basu, a post graduate in physics, spent his life mostly as a civil servant, as a member of the Indian Administrative Service. He retired in May 2012 as Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. Thereafter, he joined the Central Administrative Tribunal as a Member, in which capacity he served till May 2017. While at CAT he simultaneously held the position of Member, Academic Council, Vishwa Bharati University, Shantiniketan, West Bengal. After 2017, he was the Chairman, Scientific Advisory Board, TERI-DEAKINS Nanotechnology Centre, Gurugram till mid-2021. He may be contacted.

Permanent civil service is an important component of the institutional edifice of a modern democracy, for providing policy advice, implementing decisions of the elected Government and upholding the rule of law. This role is particularly vital in a country as vast and as diverse as India. The contribution of Civil Services to India's economic growth, social justice and peoples' welfare, since independence has been truly phenomenal.

1. Indian Administrative Service provides unparalleled opportunities to its members to contribute to the country's progress, besides giving them a unique ringside view of events of national importance, as they unfold. This volume is a collection of fascinating stories - each told in its own style-by eminent LAS officers, who have been active participants in and witness to India's rise, its socio-economic progress and its achievements as an independent nation These stories take the readers on a journey, through time, of the years gone by, of remarkable men & women, who managed to stand tall & remain steadfast to their ideals, often in the face of adversity and who, through their actions, ensured that the faith of the citizens in the system didn't waver. Through these essays, they have shared their experiences, perceptions, successes and failures.


2. Such stories are numerous, of which this volume offers just a glimpse. There are many others, who have similar stories to tell, individuals who joined public service to realise their dreams of playing a role in building this country. Throughout their careers, they tried to give their best in terms of intellectual inputs and also in terms of sheer diligence & perseverance, to ensure successful execution of the tasks and responsibilities assigned to them. From the initial postings in the sub-divisions, to running districts and then taking up responsibilities in the State Secretariat and in Centre, these officers have traversed a breath-taking diversity of roles.


3. Working diligently without nurturing an attachment towards fruits of labour is ingrained in our culture and is implicit in the day to day working of an IAS officer. One who traverses this path values karma or action and; action alone. The title of this book Karmayogis of the Kartavyapath is thus quite apt.


4. With time, the expectations from the civil service and individual officers have grown higher One has to not only do his duties bur has to be also mindful of the social impact of his endeavours. The bar is set really high. I hope the experiences shared in this volume will guide and inspire the serving and future Civil Servants. And that this will encourage many others to tell their tales for the benefit of the younger officers.