https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Love for Simplicity, Passion For Photography

Indian Masterminds Stories

Civil services is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious careers in the country. Besides offering a large canvas for initiating change, it also offers a quality lifestyle. However, rarely do we spot civil servants ditching their VIP status and comforts, to live life on simple terms like the common man. One such bureaucrat is Dr. S Siddharth, who is currently the Additional Chief Secretary of Bihar. 

Not only will you find him waiting patiently in the queue for the general public in airports and railway stations, you will also see him moving around freely on roads on a rickshaw or a three-wheeler. 

The 1991-batch IAS officer, who likes to keep himself grounded and close to reality, is an avid photographer, too. Besides photography, he is also into scriptwriting and video-editing. In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, Dr. Siddharth spoke about his creative interests, and how these pursuits help him to keep himself calm and grounded. 

LIKES TO TRAVEL INCOGNITO

Dr. Siddharth is often seen traveling on rickshaws and it makes headlines since people are used to seeing bureaucrats travelling in their official cars. However, for the officer, it is just a way of life. 

“I love to travel incognito. If I have an option to travel or wait in a VIP lounge or common area, I will always choose the latter. This has been my way of life and a practice to observe people, understand them and the ground realities. Plus, in VIP areas, you will find people boasting and throwing around weight and I don’t enjoy that,” Dr. Siddharth said, adding that face masks are actually a big help to him for going incognito. 

PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY  

A graduate in engineering, Dr. Siddharth started photography after getting into IIT. Pursuing photography was, and still is, a costly affair. He used to save from a National Talent Search Scholarship to fund his hobby. 

“With that money I bought my first camera in 1985, I probably was in second year of IIT. That was a black and white camera of Russian company Zenit. I started with it but the rolls were too costly and I couldn’t afford it. Thankfully, the IIT had a photography club which used to purchase roles. I got into the club and managed to continue my photography.”

He didn’t take any formal training and learnt most of the technicalities about photography by hit and miss. In the club, he also learnt the skills to print photographs. Today, of course, he has a professional kit. 

LOVES BIRD AND WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY 

He started with family photographs and portraits. After few years, when coloured reels were introduced, he slowly explored other genres of photography as well. Now, he loves bird photography and wildlife. In spare time, he also clicks architecture and nature. 

Sharing an experience, he said, “I was on a jeep trying to capture a lion. The lion took a pounce pose towards me and I was busy with my camera. Then the guard realized that the situation is dangerous. As adventurous as it looks, while clicking wildlife, one needs to be alert and careful.”

A lover of birds, Dr. Siddharth feels contented when he gets a good click of them. He said that that clicking a bird is very difficult. 

“You might aim for a certain frame but the very next second it will fly. You need to understand the bird before you click it. You need to be disciplined, too, otherwise you won’t be successful. When I wanted to shoot Bar Headed Goose which passes through Bhagalpur Diara, I used to wake up early, reach there, and wait for hours for one single shot,” he said. 

Apart from photography, Dr. Siddharth also knows the art of editing and edits the videos shot by him. He is also a very good writer and has already copyrighted three movie scripts with Film Writers Association. He told Indian Masterminds that in future he would like to be a filmmaker and do a full feature movie. 

(This is the first part of our feature story on Dr S. Siddharth. The second part will highlight his journey from IIT-IIM to bureaucracy.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Haryana gov resized
Haryana Set to Promote Two IPS Officers to Director General of Police
Complaint
Complaint Filed Against Senior IPS Officer for Sending Inappropriate Messages
Jammu and Kashmir Government
Three IAS Officers Assigned New Postings in J&K; Check Names Here
IAS Officers Indian Administrative Services
Senior IAS Officer Rajendra Ratnoo Opts for Voluntary Retirement
SEBI
SEBI Appoints 3 New Executive Directors: Amit Pradhan, Avneesh Pandey & Sanjay Purao Take Charge
Lateral_entry_resized
No Reservation in Lateral Govt Job Entries, Centre Tells Rajya Sabha Citing Single-Post Rule
DelhiPolice
Top-Level Shake-Up in Delhi Police: 3 IPS Officers Reassigned Amid Security Concerns; Chahal Named DG, Civil Defence
mp
MP’s ₹3 Lakh Crore Infrastructure Boom: 255 km Greenfield Highway, ₹5,500 Cr Tiger Corridor Among Key Road Projects
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
Resisted Flawed Schemes, Transferred Thrice In Three Months, Found Solace In Writing
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
IAS SVR Srinivas on Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Tough Calls, and the Real Power of IAS Officers | Video Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
Dharavi Redevelopment: IAS Minds Turning 100-Year-Old Slum into a Modern City | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Minnu P M
“Lazy, Sleepy, Yet Determined”: Minnu P M’s Honest Take on Cracking UPSC
Minnu PM, once a clerk in Kerala Police, cleared UPSC with AIR 150 after five years of struggle. Her...
IPS Ashish Tiwari
From IIT and Investment Banking to Public Service, Meet IPS Ashish Tiwari 
Ashish Tiwari, IIT graduate and former investment banker, chose public service over global finance. As...
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-12 at 7.27
First Attempt IRS, Fourth Attempt IPS: The Relentless Pursuit of Jitendra Kumar Yadav Who Cracked UPSC 3 Times
IPS Yadav is originally from Chhattisgarh. He was first selected for the IRS through UPSC and later for...
Social Media
Masahiro Hara
From Go Board to Global Use, How QR Codes Changed the World: IRAS Officer Ananth Rupanagudi Spotlights Masahiro Hara’s Vision
IRAS officer Ananth Rupanagudi shared a video on Masahiro Hara, the inventor of QR codes, highlighting...
IFS Susanta Nanda Video
A Mother’s Duty: Tigress Watches Over Cubs Splashing in Waterhole — Heartwarming Video Shared By Retd. IFS Officer Susanta Nanda
A tender wildlife video shared by Retd. IFS officer Susanta Nanda shows a tigress keeping watch over...
Mohanmala
Kaziranga Mourns: Beloved Elephant Mohanmala Passes Away After Five Decades of Service
Kaziranga National Park mourns the loss of Mohanmala, a beloved elephant who served over 50 years as...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Puducherry
Scientific, Strategic, and Sustainable: How Dr Arulrajan is Transforming Puducherry’s Ecology
Haryana gov resized
Haryana Set to Promote Two IPS Officers to Director General of Police
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT