https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

A Bureaucrat’s World-view: Through the Eyes of a Cartoonist

Retired IAS officer Mr. Amitabha Bhattacharya gives the review of former IAS B.P. Acharya's recently published book, Obtuse Angle, giving an overview of his wit and cartoons published on bureaucracy
Indian Masterminds Stories

Civil servants, especially after retirement from senior echelons of the government, have been writing like never before. In an essay published recently in The Statesman (From File Notings to Fine Literature, February 6, 2025), I sought to understand what motivates civil servants to wield the pen and, on a rough count, identified well over a dozen authors from amongst my batchmates and close colleagues who have brought out a book in very recent times. 

But the author of the book under review, B.P. Acharya, who retired from the IAS as a Special Chief Secretary to the Government of Telangana, has not followed the well-trodden path. He decided to express and share his views on life and reality through sketches in the form of cartoons. This is an innate skill that he has honed over time and, in the process, succeeded in creating a distinct identity in his chosen field. With R.K. Laxman as his mentor, he has developed his own style that bears certain identifiable characteristics.

Cartoons have been broadly defined as a kind of visual and commercial art ‘that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style’, or is projected in an exaggerated form, primarily ‘intended for satire, caricature, or humor’. From Shankar and Kutty to Laxman and Abu Abraham, the number of acclaimed cartoonists in India, as in the Western world, is legion. Unfortunately, civil servants take themselves too seriously, often bereft of the capacity to laugh at themselves. Besides, the constraints of Conduct Rules prevent them from making light of their political superiors too.

Acharya, in that sense, belongs to a rare breed of civil servants. However, his long exposure to the disciplines of bureaucracy has ensured that he never goes overboard. His cartoons, therefore, are gentle, and marked by sobriety. Even the caustic ones do not cross the levels of decency.

The book compiles 188 carefully selected cartoons, divided into five chapters, namely, Mussoorie Miscellany, Obtuse Angle, It’s Economy, Stupid!, Medley, and Autumn Sonata. Most of these had earlier been published in newspapers or magazines. The book starts with his days as an IAS probationer in Mussoorie in 1983 and ends over four decades later with a cartoon of the just-departed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with P.V. Narasimha Rao. Dedicated to R.K. Laxman and Sankaran Kutty Nair, it begins with an introduction [explaining the title Obtuse Angle] and ends with an interview where Acharya talks about his evolution as a cartoonist and about the problems cartoonists face whenever society turns intolerant of decent humor.

The book’s strength cannot be conveyed through a review. To enjoy its worth and uniqueness, one has to buy the book and savor its contents. One hopes that Acharya’s success will inspire other budding cartoonists in the tribe of civil servants.

Amitabha Bhattacharya

Obtuse Angle: A bureaucrat’s journey through cartoons by B.P. Acharya, J.C. Kumarappa Technology Park and Innovation Center, India (2025), 195 pages, ₹ 599.

Amitabha Bhattacharya retired from the IAS as a Principal Adviser in the Planning Commission, New Delhi. He had also worked with UNDP and in the private sector. He writes on issues of public interest.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
grse mou
GRSE Signs Strategic MoU to Boost Indigenous Development of Advanced Naval Navigation Systems
Mazagon_Dock_Shipbuilders_Ltd_Organizes_Diwali_Mela_
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) Hosts Diwali Mela to Boost Vigilance Awareness and Empower Rural Self-Help Groups
NALCO_MOU_
NALCO Foundation Signs MoU to Boost Skill Development and Livelihood Opportunities for Rural Youth
Concor
Dividend Alert: CONCOR to Announce Q2 FY26 Financial Results and Second Interim Dividend on November 11
ircon and coal india
Coal India Partners with IRCON to Strengthen Rail Network for Seamless Coal Transportation
BEML_Joins_SCOPE_GIZ_Initiative
BEML Showcases Green Leadership at SCOPE-GIZ LeadIT Workshop on Industrial Decarbonisation
World Habitat Day 2025
World Habitat Day 2025: HUDCO's 30-Year Legacy Empowers Underprivileged Children Through Art
BEL and IREDA
BEL and IREDA Set to Announce Q2 FY26 Results in October; Investors Await Key Growth Updates
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IDES Saquib Alam
UPSC Strategy & Mindset Tips from IDES Officer Saquib Alam | Video Interview 
Dr G K Goswami IPS
Everything you ever wanted to know about e-murder, e-dacoity and data safety
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Ravikant Meena on IFS Preparation, Optionals, and Life in Forest Service
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Jitendra Baghel MPPSC
7 Years, 4 Interviews, Now Dy.SP: How Jitendra Baghel Cracked MPPSC Through Relentless Struggle
Jitendra Baghel’s inspiring journey from a humble farming background to MPPSC Dy.SP showcases relentless...
IDES Saquib Alam
UPSC Strategy & Mindset Tips from IDES Officer Saquib Alam | Video Interview 
Discover how IDES officer Saquib Alam left his corporate job at Mahindra, overcame six UPSC attempts,...
Utkarsh Ujjwal IAS
IAS Utkarsh Ujjwal Shares Key Advice for UPSC Aspirants: Work Ethic, Failure, and Focus
Read the inspiring journey of IAS Utkarsh Ujjwal, 2023 batch, Gujarat cadre. From IIT Guwahati to clearing...
Social Media
World Rhino Day India
On World Rhino Day, IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan Shares Rare Insights - India Now Hosts 80% of the World’s One-Horned Rhinos
September 22 Marks Global Call for Rhino Conservation; India Holds 80% of World’s Greater One-Horned...
Parag Madhukar Dhakate
Relentless Rains Wreak Havoc in Dehradun: IFS officer PM Dhakate Warns Citizens Amid Flash Floods
Cloudbursts in Dehradun triggered flash floods. IFS officer Dr. PM Dhakate warned citizens to stay indoors...
Forest Guard Tiger Encounter
Tigers Clash in the Wild as Forest Guards Capture Rare Footage , Retired IFS Mohan Pargaien Posts Viral Video
Retired IFS officer Mohan Pargaien shares viral video of three tigers brawling in Ramnagar, as forest...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
grse mou
GRSE Signs Strategic MoU to Boost Indigenous Development of Advanced Naval Navigation Systems
Mazagon_Dock_Shipbuilders_Ltd_Organizes_Diwali_Mela_
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) Hosts Diwali Mela to Boost Vigilance Awareness and Empower Rural Self-Help Groups
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IDES Saquib Alam
Dr G K Goswami IPS
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT