For Mr. P.K. Jena, being a civil servant has never been just about holding a position or following orders. It has been about asking a difficult question: are the decisions being taken in government actually serving the people? From challenging decisions he believed were against public interest to helping Odisha strengthen its disaster response systems, the former Odisha Chief Secretary has built his career around a simple principle: a public servant must remain honest, objective and connected to the people.
A retired 1989-batch IAS officer, Jena has witnessed the pressures of administration from several sides. He has worked with political leaders, handled difficult departmental assignments and helped manage some of Odisha’s most challenging disasters. His experiences have taught him that good governance requires more than technical knowledge. It demands courage, preparation, sound judgement and the ability to understand what people need in moments of crisis.
In a conversation with Indian Masterminds, Jena reflected on the difficult choices that shaped his career, the importance of administrative integrity, Odisha’s disaster management journey and the qualities that distinguish an effective civil servant.
THE COURAGE TO STAND BY ONE’S CONVICTIONS
A career in the Indian Administrative Service often involves navigating competing expectations. Officers must implement the government’s policies while ensuring that decisions remain lawful and serve the public interest. The challenge becomes particularly difficult when an officer’s assessment differs from that of those in power.
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Jena recalled moments when disagreements with political leadership tested his resolve. During one such episode, he felt that the way he was being perceived had made it difficult for him to continue in his position. Rather than allowing the disagreement to become a question of personal standing, he chose to express his concerns directly.
“I don’t need your certificate,” he recalled telling a senior political leader during a difficult exchange. For Jena, the issue was not whether someone approved of him. It was whether he could continue to discharge his responsibilities with integrity.
He believes that an officer’s strength lies in being conscientious and objective. Personal disagreements should not determine administrative decisions, and pressure should not prevent an officer from presenting facts.
However, standing by one’s convictions does not mean disregarding the constitutional relationship between elected governments and the civil service. Jena recognises that civil servants must implement the government’s policies. Their responsibility is to offer honest advice, assess consequences and ensure that decisions are informed by facts.
The difficult part is knowing when to accommodate differences and when to raise a firm objection. For Jena, that distinction rests on public interest.
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WHEN ELECTRICITY BECAME A QUESTION OF GOVERNANCE
One of the major challenges Jena encountered in Odisha concerned access to electricity. When he returned from an international assignment and took up responsibilities in the state, the scale of the problem became apparent.
According to his recollection, only around 17 per cent of households in Odisha had electricity connections in 2009. Power supply was unreliable, and rural communities faced even greater difficulties. Electricity was not simply an infrastructure issue. It affected education, livelihoods, healthcare and the daily lives of families.
Jena understood that improving the situation would require substantial investment and administrative commitment. The state had to look beyond immediate constraints and build a system capable of delivering reliable power.
He recalled discussions with the political leadership in which the poor electricity situation was recognised as a serious governance challenge. Improving access required investment, coordination and a willingness to address longstanding weaknesses in the sector.
The experience reinforced his belief that civil servants should approach problems with evidence and practical solutions rather than excuses. When a problem affects millions of people, the administration must find a way forward.
For Jena, development is ultimately measured by what changes in people’s lives. Policies and financial allocations matter, but their real value lies in whether households receive electricity, villages gain better facilities and public services become more dependable.
THE LESSONS THAT SHAPED ODISHA’S DISASTER RESPONSE
Disaster management became one of the defining areas of Jena’s administrative experience. His early exposure to a cyclone taught him how difficult it could be for an administration to respond effectively when warning systems, institutional preparedness and field-level coordination were inadequate.
He recalled receiving information about an approaching cyclone early in his career, when he had limited experience of handling such an event. The experience made him realise that disaster management could not depend entirely on the judgement of individual officers at the moment a crisis arrived.
A state needed established systems, trained personnel, clear responsibilities and the ability to translate warnings into immediate action.
Odisha gradually strengthened its disaster management capacity through institutional planning, coordination and preparedness. Jena’s account highlights how administrative learning can turn the experience of a crisis into systems that reduce the impact of future disasters.
The scale of the challenge was enormous. Cyclones could disrupt electricity, damage infrastructure, isolate villages and threaten thousands of lives. An effective response required government departments to work together rather than operate independently.
For Jena, the essential question was not simply whether the administration had received information about a disaster. It was how quickly that information could be converted into action on the ground.
ANTICIPATION CAN SAVE LIVES
As Odisha strengthened its disaster response, preparedness increasingly involved identifying vulnerable people before a cyclone made landfall.
Jena recalled how the administration used advance information to move people from exposed locations to safer places. In one instance, preparations included identifying pregnant women whose expected delivery dates were close and arranging their movement to hospitals before the cyclone struck.
He remembered this as one of the most meaningful aspects of disaster management: acting before people were forced to seek help in dangerous conditions.
The approach reflected a broader change in administrative thinking. Disaster response could no longer begin only after damage had occurred. It had to anticipate risks, identify vulnerable communities and prepare essential services in advance.
Jena also described the challenge of protecting people in villages threatened by severe flooding. In one operation, he recalled that around 26,000 people were moved from 28 villages during the night, after information indicated the danger they faced.
Such operations require more than instructions issued from a government office. Officials must assess the information, coordinate teams, communicate clearly and ensure that evacuation orders reach the people who need them.
The difference between receiving a warning and acting on it can determine whether a disaster becomes a tragedy.
LEADERSHIP MEANS TAKING RESPONSIBILITY
Jena’s experiences have also shaped his understanding of leadership within the civil service. He believes that an officer’s effectiveness depends not only on personal ability but also on the capacity to guide colleagues and help teams perform better.
When an assignment does not produce the desired result, a leader must examine whether the instructions were clear, whether the team received adequate support and whether the problem was understood correctly.
He reflected on the importance of taking responsibility for shortcomings instead of placing the entire burden on subordinate officers. Administrative work is rarely the achievement of one individual. It depends on teams operating within a larger institutional framework.
Mentorship is equally important. Young officers enter the service with knowledge and ambition, but their early experiences can influence how they approach authority, responsibility and public service for the rest of their careers.
Jena believes that the guidance they receive from senior officers can make a significant difference. A good mentor can help a young officer develop sound judgement and confidence. Poor guidance, on the other hand, can push an officer towards ineffective habits.
The responsibility of a senior officer, therefore, extends beyond completing departmental assignments. It includes preparing others to handle difficult decisions with maturity and fairness.
TECHNOLOGY CANNOT REPLACE HUMAN CONNECTION
In an era of artificial intelligence, digital governance and instant communication, Jena believes that technology can make administration faster and more efficient. However, he cautions against allowing digital tools to replace direct engagement with people.
Young officers may be tempted to rely on messaging platforms, social media and online systems to manage public grievances. These tools have their place, but they cannot fully capture the circumstances behind every complaint or the concerns of every citizen.
“I don’t think that is okay,” he said while discussing the idea that administration could be managed entirely through digital platforms and artificial intelligence.
For him, personal contact remains an important part of effective governance. An officer who meets people, listens to their problems and visits the places where policies are implemented develops a clearer understanding of the administration’s impact.
This is particularly important during disasters, when people may be frightened, displaced or unable to access formal channels of communication.
Technology can provide information and improve coordination. But empathy, judgement and the willingness to listen remain human responsibilities.
A CAREER DEFINED BY PUBLIC PURPOSE
Looking back on his career, P.K. Jena’s experiences offer a reminder that administrative success cannot be measured by designations alone. It must also be assessed through the problems solved, the institutions strengthened and the people whose lives have improved.
His journey through difficult political conversations, electricity-sector challenges and disaster management illustrates the many dimensions of public service. Each demands a different combination of technical understanding, institutional coordination and personal courage.
For young IAS officers, his message is particularly relevant. Integrity must guide decisions, facts must inform judgement and technology must remain a tool rather than a substitute for human engagement.
Ultimately, good administration is not about winning every argument or avoiding every difficult situation. It is about remaining committed to public interest, learning from experience and building systems that continue to serve people long after an individual officer has moved on.
For Jena, that is the enduring responsibility of a civil servant: to make governance work where it matters most — in the lives of ordinary people.
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