At the age when people start planning for retirement, 1990-batch IPS officer Dr Sanjay M Tarade embarked upon a post-graduation course. That it was not for pretence was clear, when he passed the M. Sc. (Cyber Security) exam with aplomb and a gold medal. President Draupadi Murmu presented him the gold medal for scoring highest marks in his batch. Indian Masterminds got in touch with Dr Tarade to find out reason the unusual step.
Posted as Director General (Training) at police headquarter in Lucknow, Dr Tarade was supposed to train fellow officers in latest policing techniques. He felt the need to be fully equipped with knowledge of the subject himself before training others. That’s why he took admission in M. Sc. (Cyber Security) in Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Lucknow in 2019. The course ended in 2021 but due to pandemic, the convocation could be organised in 2023 only.
This is not the only degree under his belt., He has done B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Delhi, MBA from Pune University, PhD in management from IIT Delhi and postgraduate diploma in cyber laws from Dr Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University, Lucknow. He has also received the honour of DGs Commendation Silver Disc in 2018 and DGs Commendation Gold disc in 2020.
An avid scholar and practitioner of the adage – Practice what you preach – Dr Tarade told Indian Masterminds, “In the digital era Cyber Security is a big challenge. I was aware of some practical knowledge about cyber security, but found myself lacking in theory and technical aspects. So, I decided to learn everything myself before I could train others.”
AT 55, DOING M.SC.
Dr Tarade didn’t pull strings either to clear the course. Like a regular student he took the entrance test for admission to M Sc (Cyber Security) conducted by the BBAU. He got admission after passing the entrance exam. Since the entire studies was online during pandemic, he didn’t have to take leave from office. After working in the office all day, he used to attend online lectures in the evening.
He wanted himself to equip well for any query from fellow officers. “Training of the 9000 sub-inspectors recently recruited officers has to start from March 13. They also have to become technically sound on all aspects of cyber security. So, I felt that first I should understand all the nuances, intricacies and complexities of this field, then, I will be able to train them better. It was goth a professional as well as personal need to update myself.”
While doing the course, he never thought he would get such good marks qualifying him for Gold Medal. “Receiving the medal from the President is a great feeling. This is truly God’s blessing. Credit for this medal also goes to the faculty of IT department of BBAU.”
60 IS NEW 40
The 55-years old officer believes that studies and hobbies have nothing to do with age number. He said, “Nowadays, 60 is the new 40.” He stressed upon that there is no shortcut to success. One has to work hard for this.
