https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

SVPNPA Director Reminisces His Early Days of Service in Bihar

Indian Masterminds Stories

The umbilical cord can be severed, but not the special cord that ties someone to his birth place and the places where he grew up in. This special connection will always be there no matter how far he wanders off. 

Yet, being in a new place helps one to grow and explore one’s potentials. Although the change can be difficult and challenging, it can also create more opportunities for learning and growth, as it happened in the case of Mr. A S Rajan, Director of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA). 

A 1987-batch IPS officer from Tamil Nadu who was allotted Bihar cadre, he spent more than a decade in this eastern state for work. During an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, he talked about his early days of service in Bihar. 

LANGUAGE WAS NOT A BARRIER

Mr. Rajan first came to Hazaribagh and then spent some significant time in Ranchi (undivided Bihar) as part of his district training. Recalling those days, he said that he feels blessed to have got an opportunity to learn from very decorated and senior officers of the state. “The major challenge that I faced was that of language. Most people spoke Hindi and I wasn’t comfortable with it. I had learned some basics in the police academy, but my Hindi got upgraded only when I was in the field. The language never became a barrier for me as I could somehow relate to the place almost instantly. The geography, language and food might be different, but our hearts, after all, are similar,” he said.

Mr. Rajan presenting award to IPS trainee

As part of his first posting, Mr. Rajan was given the charge of Sasaram, in Rohtas district, as ASP. It was a challenging posting as the place was infamous for murders at that time. Around 220 murders had happened in one year. Besides this, it also grappled with communal violence, gun culture, and other crimes. 

Although Mr. Rajan was just starting his career, he still managed his job with aplomb. His efforts were recognized by the government of the day and he was posted as SP of Rohtas at a time when five SPs had changed in two years. The highest term for an SP was between 3-4 months in that district, but Mr. Rajan served for around two years and handled two elections. Talking about it, he said, “It was really a proud moment for me as I was made SP of the same district where I served as ASP. I learned Bhojpuri there and also got to know more about Bihar policing and how to effectively handle communal tensions.”

STRONG FOUNDATION LAID

He remained in Bihar till 1999 and then went for his central deputation. During his time in the state, he served in Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur and Lohardaga. One of the rarest moments in his service life came when a panel of the Bihar Assembly proposed his name for posting as the SP of Purnea. Actually, in 1997, after the murder of MLA Ajit Sarkar, the district had to grapple with violence and went into complete lockdown for seven days. During those tense days, Mr. Rajan was sent as SP to restore law and order and bring back normalcy in Purnea. He said, “All those experiences in the state built a strong foundation for my career. I still thank the state authority for trusting me during hard times and providing me with challenges. As it is said, you can’t learn swimming without going into the water. Similarly, no academy can train you for the challenges in the field. I feel blessed that I got those challenges and learned on the job.”


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
Devendra Kumar Tiwari Alka Tiwari  IAS Jharkhand
First IAS Couple in India to Hold Both Chief Secretary & State Election Commissioner Posts Consecutively - Know This Powerful Pair
Policing, Trust, and Investment: Insights from IPF - Indian Masterminds
Indian Police Foundation Marks 10 Years, Discussion on How Policing Builds Investor Confidence
Madhya Pradesh football training
Mini Brazil to Germany: Vicharpur’s Young Footballers Get CM Mohan Yadav’s Blessings on Vijayadashami Week
bureaucracy news
Centre Announces Key Bureaucratic Appointments & Deputation Extensions: Neeraj Surendran, Arun G, Anand Mohan Among Key Names
PM Modi CM Nitish Kumar
Bihar Receives Rs. 10,219 Crore from Centre: A Festive Gift On Vijayadashami to Fuel Development & Welfare, Backed by GST Reforms
Chhattisgarh government
Chhattisgarh CM Charts Development Roadmap: Push for Capital Expenditure, Biometric Attendance, & Transparent Governance
Vishnu Deo Sai CM
Chhattisgarh Gets Rs. 3,462 Crore Boost from Modi Government: Here's How CM Sai Pledges To Spend It!
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Ravikant Meena on IFS Preparation, Optionals, and Life in Forest Service
Siddhartha Saxena UPSC CAPF
How Siddhartha Saxena Cracked UPSC CAPF AIR 326 Against All Odds
Dr. S.K
Technology Meets Ecology: IFS Dr S K Srivastava’s Game-Changing Innovations in Forest Management | Eco Warrior Awards 2025 Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar Live Interaction
From Cut-off Dates to Coaching & Reforms: UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar Assures Aspirants of Fairness, Transparency & a Future-Ready UPSC | UPSC@100
A Century of Service: The UPSC’s Landmark Year Begins. Chairman Ajay Kumar on UPSC’s Centennial: “Merit,...
Giriraj Parihar MPPSC 2024
From Constable to Deputy Collector: Giriraj Parihar’s 9-Year MPPSC Journey | Farmer’s Son, Brother to Five Sisters
From a jail guard to MPPSC 2024 Rank 8, Giriraj Parihar’s nine-year journey of self-study, hard work,...
Ankit MPPSC 2024 Rank 3
From Village Dreams to Deputy Collector’s Chair: Meet Ankit, MPPSC Rank 3 Hindi Medium Topper
Ankit, a Hindi-medium aspirant from Balaghat, secured Rank 3 in MPPSC 2024 and became Deputy Collector...
Social Media
World Rhino Day India
On World Rhino Day, IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan Shares Rare Insights - India Now Hosts 80% of the World’s One-Horned Rhinos
September 22 Marks Global Call for Rhino Conservation; India Holds 80% of World’s Greater One-Horned...
Parag Madhukar Dhakate
Relentless Rains Wreak Havoc in Dehradun: IFS officer PM Dhakate Warns Citizens Amid Flash Floods
Cloudbursts in Dehradun triggered flash floods. IFS officer Dr. PM Dhakate warned citizens to stay indoors...
Forest Guard Tiger Encounter
Tigers Clash in the Wild as Forest Guards Capture Rare Footage , Retired IFS Mohan Pargaien Posts Viral Video
Retired IFS officer Mohan Pargaien shares viral video of three tigers brawling in Ramnagar, as forest...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
Devendra Kumar Tiwari Alka Tiwari  IAS Jharkhand
First IAS Couple in India to Hold Both Chief Secretary & State Election Commissioner Posts Consecutively - Know This Powerful Pair
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Siddhartha Saxena UPSC CAPF
Dr. S.K
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT