In one respect, Covid 19 has proved to be a great equalizer. It has struck at all classes of people with equal intensity and insensitivity, be they rich, poor, migrant workers, factory owners who employed these workers, big ticket politicians, businessmen or even those with no co-morbidities. Everybody has been made to suffer in equal measure. But of all these classes, artists of different hues and shades have suffered in silence; and barring a few senior bureaucrats such as Rajasthan IAS officer Ms Mugdha Sinha, not many have turned their focus on these artists.
Ms Sinha is one officer who feels art in her blood and proudly exclaims that appreciating art is the best form of meditation for her. She just couldn’t sit idle during the pandemic. She was itching to do something for these artists, whose condition had become quite perilous due to lack of running income.
In this exclusive interview with ‘Indian Masterminds’, Ms Sinha talks about the upcoming policies in Rajasthan government for artists as also her experiences in the administrative services.
Artists are the Soul of any Country
When the Covid-19 hit the World, everybody got affected in some way. Some were struggling mentally, while many others were facing financial hardships. The condition of the artists, specially in India is not hidden from anyone. Pointed out Ms Sinha, “During the pandemic, it was high time that the state starts looking for them. For centuries, our kingdoms and various governments have been giving patronage to artists, painters, creators and sculptors. That is why they were able to build such a civilizational legacy which we can admire proudly. Now that they are finding it difficult to survive, the state needs to support them. ‘’
Ms. Sinha is currently posted as the Secretary of Art & Culture in the Rajasthan government. After taking this position, she analyzed the conditions of the artists and started creating a data base. For the first time, it was done not through crowdsourcing and voluntary participation of artists themselves in the spirit of Public-Citizen partnership. The state government directly communicated with the citizens to gather information on artists, thus doing away with any`middle men’.
After the data base of artists was ready, the next step was to provide financial support to the artists who were senior citizens or going through serious illness. Talking about it, Ms Sinha said, “ We are ready with the data and the policy. Shortly you will be hearing about something very good in the state. Personally, this whole process was very satisfactory for me. I am very content that I was able to contribute a bit in the process of saving the soul of the country.”
My Work Humbles Me
In an over two decade old career, Ms Sinha has been associated with many districts and departments, at both State and Central levels. When asked about her best experience so far she says “Other than the department of Art & Culture (her present posting), my tenure as Secretary of Food and Science & Technology department has been very enriching.”
As the Food secretary, Ms Sinha revolutionized the allocation of ration through leveraging the technology. In her tenure, not a single case of corruption in ration was filled. This became possible because of the data dashboard and app which was created under her supervision. Through this software, the officials- with a single click of the mouse- could know all the transactions among 24000 thousand ration shops and 4.06 crore beneficiaries, thus ensuring that right allocation was made.
Talking about her experience in the Science and Technology Department, Ms Sinha says, It was a delight to be part of the department during covid19 times. Science, Reaearch & Technology has to play a major role in combating it. We were able to bring experts many on board and talk about medical problems that could hit the people.”
IAS is Not Just a Job
Expressing her views on civil services, Ms Sinha says, “IAS is not just a job. It is a service and very few people get this opportunity. It is bridge between the government and the public and it has to be rock solid. When I look back, I feel this whole journey has been a very humbling experience. Of course there are challenges also, but I embrace them. After all, in the long run your commitment to work is more important than all the shortcomings.
Other than the administration, Ms. Sinha is also keen about trying various art forms. During the lockdown, she got time to explore that artist in her more seriously. She does fantastic bottle arts, doodles meditative mandalas and is an avid reader and writer, who as Literary Secretary of the IAS Association, Rajasthan regularly curates and moderates book author conversations.
