If it’s not money and perks then what attracts an aspirant to spend hours and days and weeks and months preparing for arguably the most demanding competition exam of India? Power, Prestige and the Possibility of serving the country.
Let’s meet few of these gents and ladies whose footsteps you seek to follow. We are releasing the first list of what we would call – Badass Bureaucrats!
#1. U. Sagayam (IAS/Tamil Nadu/2001)
On a hot summer afternoon, on Madurai’s busy main road, the district collector saw a young man talking on a cellphone while riding a motorbike. Wonder what he did next? He handed the reckless youth a swift punishment: Plant 10 saplings within 24 hours.
Weird right? But that’s how Sagayam works.
‘Lanjam thavirthu nenjam nimirthu’ (Reject bribes, hold your head high), says a board hanging above Sagayam’s chair in his modest office.
U. Sagayam went to Madurai to probe in a multi-crore granite scam. The evidence lied in the graveyard and required exhumation. District Police expressed its inability to carry on the work in the night. What did Sagayam do? Spent the night chatting with localities and journalists at the very same graveyard! Now, that’s badass!
Allegedly, the reason Sagayam chose to stay a full night in burial ground was for the suspicion of the local police supporting the accused as they took the rules to benefit him instead. According to the law, the police cannot perform the post-mortem after sunset.
#2. Armstrong Pame (IAS/Manipur/2009)
The first from the Zeme tribe of Nagaland to become an IAS officer, Armstrong Pame earned the sobriquet ‘Miracle Man’ for building a 100 km long road in a remote part of the hilly state of Manipur without government’s help.
How did he fund the road? Here’s where the badassery comes to fore –
“My wife and I donated our one month’s salary, Armstrong paid five months’ of his, and our mother paid our dad’s one month’s pension of Rs 5,000. Our youngest brother, Lungtuabui, recently started working. He donated his entire first month’s pay for the project,” his elder brother mentioned.
#3. Dr. Nazrul Islam (IPS/West Bengal/1981)
Nazrul Islam retired from service on February 28, 2014, after a running battle with Mamata Banerjee for what he claimed was a deprivation of legitimate dues in terms of respect and dignity in service.
He took up on Didi and that by no means is a small feat. He is also claimed to have dragged an MLA to the court of law in one case.
#4. Ajit Doval (IPS/Kerala/1968)
Anything we state here will fall short of his achievements, so let’s direct you to his wiki page for all the glory that he deserves.
But one major achievement, which we have got to share is this:
In 1988, Doval was awarded one of the highest gallantry awards, the Kirti Chakra, becoming the first police officer to receive a medal previously given only as a military honour.
#5. Syed Akbaruddin (IFS/1985)
It must go to the credit of the visionary and workaholic Akbaruddin that he made the job of MEA spokesperson the most important public job in the Government of India. In fact, Modi wanted him to become the PMO’s spokesperson as he does not have a media advisor, but he respectfully declined.
Feeling pumped up already?
Start on with your preparation if you haven’t already. The best way to start is by reading this post first – A Beginner’s Guide on How to Clear IAS.
