An IAS officer’s job is of great responsibility and accountability. For each and every action of an officer, there can be serious consequences at personal and professional level. And who knows it better than the firebrand officer Ms Durga Shakti Nagpal.
In 2012, when Ms Nagpal took action against the Sand mafia of Uttar Pradesh and also ordered the demolition of an illegal mosque wall, it was her conviction of doing the right thing that helped take these steps. So, when she had to face the consequences- like suspension- she remained unafraid.
In an exclusive interview with ‘Indian Masterminds’, Ms. Nagpal spoke about her experiences and struggle during one of the toughest periods of her career.
I got the experience of 10 years in just one
Ms. Nagpal is a 2010 batch IAS officer. At first, she was allotted the Uttar Pradesh cadre, but now she has been transferred to the AGMUT cadre and currently she is posted as the Deputy Secretary in the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry. During her first year of service after the completion of training she was posted as SDM of Gautam Buddha Nagar. There she launched several drives against corruption & sand mafia and also ordered the demolition of a mosque wall.
This steps of her led to her suspension, but also generated a big wave of support from her, from bureaucrats, media and the public. In 2013, her suspension was revoked and she was given the charge of Mathura.
The Experience was Unsettling, but I remained Unperturbed
When asked about this particular episode of her career, Ms Nagpal said, “I won’t deny that it wasn’t hard on me. That was very first of year of my service and I was really sad with all that was happening with me. But I wasn’t afraid for a single moment. I knew that I am not wrong and my every action was under the boundary of law. This was the only reason that gave me strength. Now when I look back to those times, I feel I got 10 years of experience in just one- something like ZIP file. I don’t regret anything. The whole thing just made me strong”.
I want to sing professionally someday
Before joining the civil services, Ms. Nagpal completed her engineering and got a placement. But she didn’t join; somewhere down the line she realised that her passion was serving people. She said that engineering was still helping her in many ways while working on any project.
When asked about how she deals with day- to-day stress, she said, “I am very health conscious and can’t ditch exercise for any reason. Every day I take out at least one hour of time for exercise daily which keeps me energetic. Apart from this I am also very fond of singing. If I wouldn’t be an IAS, I would have become a singer. I will definitely sing one day, and that too professionally”.
Ms. Nagpal’s husband Abhishek Singh, also an IAS officer, is already going to be seen in the web-series Delhi Crime 2. “I have to give him full competition. He will act and I will sing”, she said with a laugh.
The joint performance will certainly be worth waiting for!
