https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

A Bare-All Memoir That Calls Out Corruption At High Places

Indian Masterminds Stories

When a retired bureaucrat comes up with a tell-all book that calls out the corruption at high places, it promises to be an interesting read. At the same time, it naturally arouses the curiosity of the public and the powerful alike, about the contents and what they will reveal. 

All through their career, civil servants work closely with public representatives, including Chief Ministers and their cabinet members. Knowingly and unknowingly, they become aware of various internal matters and the deep-rooted corruption in the system. However, even after retirement, very few have the guts to actually write about the same, be it as a memoir or otherwise. 

Hence, Mr. V Balasubramanian’s Fall From Grace: Memoir of a Rebel IAS officer deserves accolades for this reason. As the name of the book suggests, the retired IAS officer of 1965 batch and Karnataka cadre was a known rebel of his time and his rebellious streak is still evident in his writings, as he takes the readers through his brushes with corruption in politics, bureaucracy, and even the judiciary. 

REVEALING HIDDEN TRUTHS

In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, Mr. Balasubramanian shares some excerpts from his book that speak about his experiences of working under several Chief Ministers of the state. 

V Balasubramanian retired as the Additional Chief Secretary to the Government of Karnataka. During his service of 35 years, he was also the Chief Adviser to the Joint Legislature Committee on Land Encroachment (Ramaswamy Committee) and the Chairman of the Task Force for Recovery of Encroached Government Land. He worked under various CMs of Karnataka, including Veerendra Patil, Devaraj Urs, Gundu Rao, H.D. Deve Gowda and Ramakrishna Hegde. 

In the book, which is spread over 407 pages, he writes about almost all of them. He said he never hesitated for a moment or harboured any doubts about writing about the CMs. “No, not at all. I felt that it is important to share our experiences with the public. Luckily, the Covid lockdowns gave me ample opportunity to write.”

NOT AFRAID TO TELL ALL

His writing is interspersed with poetry and ample quotes that make it all the more interesting. Not that the incidents he narrates are not interesting on their own! In fact, they are so candid and bare that they can easily make a lot of people uncomfortable. “I am retired, so I was not afraid to tell anything. I was not bound by any censorship. Even if some people are uncomfortable with it, at the maximum, they can put me in a jail. Even then, how many years am I going to live?” he laughingly asks. 

RESPECT FOR FEW CMs 

Mr. Balasubramanian has only admired few CMs in his book. Among them, Devaraj Urs is one. The two-time CM of Karnataka has been admired by the officer, with all his faults. Mr. Balasubramanian told Indian Masterminds, “I served 10 years during his tenure and was given lot of positions, including Deputy Commissioner of Shimoga and Bangalore. However, I have respect for him not for my postings, but because of the efforts he made to change the power structure of the state.”

Elaborating on it, he said that at that time, two landed-gentry communities (Vokkaliga is one) dominated the political and economic power majorly in the rural parts of Karnataka. By establishing Backward Class Commission headed by LG Havanur, Mr. Devaraj put in major efforts to bring them to the mainstream. He also gave tickets to backward classes and brought them into the legislature as MLAs. 

Beside Mr. Devaraj, two other CMs – Veerendra Patil and Ramakrishna Hedge – receive appreciation. Mr. Balasubramanian describes both as fine and grounded gentlemen. 

CM WITH GREAT AFFECTION FOR BUREAUCRATS 

Mr. Balasubramanian had worked closely with veteran politician H.D. Deve Gowda, since the former was a PWD minister in Karnataka till he became the Prime Minister of India. During Mr. Deve Gowda’s tenure as PM, Mr. Balasubramanian was also at the Centre serving in the National Textile Corporation.

In the book, he describes Mr. Deve Gowda as a straight man when it comes to politics, and very affectionate towards bureaucrats. “He was a PWD minister during the regime of Ramakrishna Hegde and was so upfront. He could take any file directly to the CM and tell him if he likes it or not.”

To show his stand for bureaucrats, Mr. Balasubramanian has mentioned the episode of J. Vasudevan (also a bureaucrat) who was found guilty of contempt and was given one year imprisonment by the Supreme Court. 

“It wasn’t exactly a contempt and Mr. Gowda was so broken to see such a grounded man hounded by judiciary. At one point, he wanted him to be imprisoned in a guest house, which was possible under the law. However, the SC commissioned two High Court judges to ensure that Vasudevan was kept in jail. Mr. Gowda even wanted to refuse permission for his arrest. However, the Attorney General advised him against it, as that act would break down the constitutional machinery and his government could be dismissed. See, there were so many reasons and incidents to believe that he had a soft heart for bureaucrats.” 

(The book is not only about the Chief Ministers. The author also shares his personal experiences, where he had to face consequences because of his rebellion. We will highlight those sections and more in the second part.)


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
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
FINNOVATION 2025
SBI & IIT Guwahati Celebrate FINNOVATION 2025 Winners in Gurugram, Empowering Young Innovators to Solve Banking Challenges
nitish-kumar
Bihar: CM Nitish Kumar Inaugurates Rs 44 Crore Six-Lane Pull-Up Ramp in Patna, Aims to Ease Traffic Congestion- Know More
CM yogi
UP: CM Yogi Inaugurates Two New Kalyan Mandaps in Gorakhpur, Emphasizes Accessible Celebration Spaces- Full Details Inside
CISF
National Security at Risk: Centre Opposes Supreme Court Ruling Curtailing IPS Deputation in CAPFs, Says IPS Presence is Crucial
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
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
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