Top 5 IAS Officers Who Acted As The ‘Steel Frame’ Of Bureaucracy

BY SHANTAM SAHAI

Indian Administrative Service (IAS), as described by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is the steel frame upon which the bureaucracy rests. No matter how many times the government changes, if we have good IAS officers, they would ensure good governance. Since the decades that have passed after Independence, doubts over the competence of the Indian Administrative Service have been raised. People wished to know if the steel frame is still strong, or has it became rusty and weak?

The answer lies in these dynamic and dedicated IAS officers who are doing wonders in their districts through fresh ideas. They are actually changing the country for the better!

ALSO READ: Woman IAS officer Gauri Parashar Joshi saved Panchkula when Local Police Ran Away

1. Rohini R. Bhajibhakare

Rohini Bhajibhakare is the daughter of a marginal farmer who became the first woman collector in Tamil Nadu in 1790. She is known for her people-centric governance.

• She conducts surprise checks in government hospitals.
• Keeps in touch with officials through WhatsApp.
• Also, gives pep talks to school students.
• Even visits the rural areas to directly listen to grievances of the people.
• Banned the use of plastic or polythene articles on the Collectorate campus.

She has recently been appointed the collector of Salem district.

2. Ronald Rose

A 2006 batch IAS officer of the Telangana cadre, Ronald had single-handedly ensured the effective implementation of government initiatives in the district and taken it to the forefront of the rural development in the state. He is a man who is driving an amazing transformation of Mahbubnagar district of Telangana.

• Villages have become free of open defecation.
• Farmers use organic methods.
• Soak pits have been successfully dug in the houses.
• Haritha Haaram programme, a large-scale tree-planting campaign has also been successful.

Ronald Rose is also the brain behind Divyang Solar Society.

3. Saurabh Kumar

A 2009-batch IAS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre, Saurabh Kumar converted a Naxal-hit Palnar village to a cashless village post demonetisation, despite the village had no cellular connectivity.

Lunch with the Collector

Kumar understands how lack of education and unemployment could lead the youth towards violence and extremism. Hence, he introduced counselling sessions to help students make the right career choice. These sessions involve Saurabh and other senior officials directly interacting with the students.

Through this thoughtful initiative, he has earned the respect of the locals of Dantewada.

4. Prasanth Nair

A 2007 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre, Prasanth Nair is affectionately called 'Collector Bro'. He is popular for the initiatives he kickstarted as the collector of Kozhikode.

• Operation Sulaimani: It is a decentralized participatory project to address the issue of hunger in urban areas.
• Tere Mere Beach Mein: It is a project to tackle waste management at Kozhikode Beach.
• Yo Appooppa: It is an attempt to improve the quality of life of the elderly.

Nair also once offered a free plate of Malabar biryani to each individual who volunteers to clean a 14-acre pond. The idea, unsurprisingly, worked.

ALSO READ: The world of Civil Services Aspirants – Coaching Institutes

5. PS Pradyumna

PS Pradyumna is a man on a mission. His well-planned and inclusive initiatives have breathed new life into the development of the Andhra Pradesh district.

• Palle Vanam: It is a rural afforestation programme that will create natural green spots with benches and walking tracks for villagers.
• Nirbhaya Patrolling: it is a programme in which women cops on electric bicycles keep an eagle eye on zones covering educational institutions, bus stops and areas vulnerable to sexual harassment.
• Construction of one lakh individual toilets (under the Palle Nidra programme)
• Water conservation in drought-prone areas (under the Handri-Neeva project)

He has also established affordable selling centres for providing the agriculture equipment to farmers.