Senior IPS officer Karuna Sagar, who recently got the prestigious Bharat Gaurav Award 2019 from the Central Government, is a man of many talents and qualities. But above all, it’s his keen desire to extend the helping hand to the poor, the downtrodden and the marginalized sections of society that has given him something of a cult status in his home town of Bihar.
Hailing from Bihar, Mr Karuna Sagar is a 1991-batch IPS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre. He is at present posted as Director Modernisation, Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D) in Delhi.
Needy and Poor First
During the nationwide lockdown, when people of India were reeling under unimaginable hardships, a large number of civil servants rose to the challenge and provided succor to them. Mr Sagar too was one of them, but he went much beyond the call of duty. Often in the dead of the night, he could be seen distributing blankets and other essential items personally to beggars and homeless people!
As Mr Sagar told Indian Masterminds, “What’s the whole point of your existence and professional training if you cannot provide help to the helpless?’’
Adding to the Cultural Landscape
Mr Sagar has also added a curious feature to Bihar’s religious and architectural landscape when he commissioned the construction of a temple in the South Indian style in his village Dhamaul in the district of Patna. This temple was built by Sthapatis brought from the famous Madurai temple. It was completed in 2007. The temple, distinct in style from virtually every other temple in the state, has added to Bihar’s already rich cultural landscape.
Mr Sagar is also famous in Bihar for his charitable activities which began in 2005. These acts included distribution of saris, dhotis, blankets and the like to the needy, as well as organising sports competition for local school children.
Mr Sagar also took on the infamous caste hierarchy of Bihar, by organizing ‘sangat-pangat’ events where members of all castes sat together to share a meal. The objective here was to inculcate values of equality and fraternity amongst the participants. One such event was presided upon by former IPS officer and noted social worker Acharya Kishore Kunal.
His journey
Mr. Sagar hails from Bihar’s Patna district of Dhanrua. The district was severely hit by Naxalites and caste-based violence. People were expecting more from the police officer. This motivated Mr. Sagar to be an IPS officer. He believed that police service is a solution to eradicate such kinds of violence.
Mr Sagar completed his schooling from a government school in his village. Later on, he moved to Delhi to complete his graduation and post-graduation in history from Hansraj College.
He became a lecturer and served in two colleges of Delhi University- Rajdhani College and Hindu College.
But he quit the lectureship to be a civil servant. He added that he likes to read and teach. “I like to collect books. I have a good collection of books,’’ he told Indian Masterminds.
After clearing UPSC, Mr Sagar was allocated Tamil Nadu Cadre and he served there for 27 years.
Message to UPSC Aspirants
Mr. Sagar says the UPSC is the best career choice for the youth. “You can help people on a large scale. You can be the voice of the downtrodden. No service can give you the satisfaction as the UPSC gives’’ he said with utmost satisfaction.
Mr Sagar has proved that once a person comes out of his skin, he can do a lot beyond his professional duties.
