Civil Service is not just about serving the nation and helping in its administration. It is also the duty of every civil servant to be responsive and sensitive towards the common people. That’s what the Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of Bihar, Dr. S Siddharth, swears by and strives for. The 1991-batch officer, who is a doctorate in Information Technology, prefers to stay always humble and grounded to his roots.
In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, he shared some of his experiences and learnings from his early days in service.
LOVE FOR COUNTRY
Dr. Siddharth did his graduation from IIT Delhi in Computer Science. Recollecting those days he said that only 31 students in his batch took the CS exam and, except for 2-3, all had plans to settle abroad. “We 2-3 guys were filled with pride and love for our country. We had decided that we will stay and contribute to our country because the government has invested so much on our education.”
He the entered IIM Ahmedabad with the thought that wherever he works, he will enter from a managerial position. “I was clear about my aim. I wanted to get into a position from where I can contribute the most.”
The management course went on. During that time, most of the syllabus included business economics and marketing of consumer products. That was something which he had no desire to work for. “It was before the liberalisation happened. Government had bigger roles in policy making for business and production. So I decided to go for administrative service to be part of that. I only wanted to attempt it since the exam was too tough and success was not guaranteed.” He gave the attempt and made his way into IAS.
LEARNED ON THE JOB
After the probation course at LBSNAA, Dr. Siddharth was sent to Giridih for training as an Assistant Collector. Since Jharkhand adjoins Bihar, he took a bus from Ranchi to reach there. “I chose to travel in a bus to observe and know the local people. By the time I reached the Circuit House in Giridih, I had met a lot of them and gained a lot of love and respect. That journey made me realise that people are not charmed by the IAS post, but they respect it because they hope that the person will do something good for them. The traffic can’t be one way. They give so much love and respect to you, the least you can do is to be there for them.”
Dr. Siddharth got his first posting as a trainee in Pirtand. During that time, the area was a centre for the Laalkhand movement and there were arm struggles happening. Police were attacked and arms were looted. It was not a safe environment at all. However, without caring for his safety, Dr. Siddharth kept on travelling and meeting people. “Four of my bodyguards left saying that I go to dangerous places. Still, I continued to travel in jeep. I was determined to know the real problems of the people and get them resolved. I used to spend nights in Panchayat offices. Many a time, the armed groups would walk past by me knowing that I was just a trainee.”
Dr. Siddharth efforts brought results. He tried to establish the presence of government and administration at a time when the people there were on the verge of revolting. He also roped in many of them in government projects and works.
GAP SHOULD BE BRIDGED
He still considers those days as his best learning experiences. “When there is dissatisfaction among people and society, they start feeling betrayed by the government and policymakers. This creates a gap. This gives a chance to anti-social elements to grow and thrive. So, the government and administration should make sure there is no such gap. They should be sensitive and responsive towards people. All they need to do is talk to them and try to understand their problems and solve them. I learned this early on and still practice it.” To check the ground reality, he never misses a chance to roam around in public places in incognito mode. Often he could be spotted on a rickshaw, buying vegetables, enjoying street food or walking around the common waiting areas of airports or railway stations.
