https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Coronavirus Seeps Into India’s Bureaucracy

The bureaucratic system of the country is facing major issues, what with a number of officials themselves down with Covid19.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Bureaucrats are the foundation of our country. We look up to them in case of a crisis, with the hope to get our grievances solved. But what happens when this sector has to face the same crisis as we do? Following the surge in coronavirus infections, the top rungs of India’s bureaucracy are facing a major manpower challenge, with key officials across central government departments and ministries indisposed. Most of these affected officials were working frontline, managing critical healthcare matters.

“The second wave of Covid 19 has affected every section of society in the country, including the bureaucracy. As a rule of thumb, one in every two officials is either affected by the infection or has a family member who is affected,” stated an officer in an interview.

In the health ministry itself, two senior officials are down with Covid, while family members of another senior official involved in the vaccination program have tested positive. At least four union ministers have also fallen ill courtesy of the virus. The officers are – Prakash Javadekar, Ramesh Pokhriyal, Kiren Rijiju, and Jitendra Singh. The union health secretary, Mr. Rajesh Bhushan is also down with Covid 19.

People getting tested for the virus

AFFECTED OFFICIALS AMONG DIFFERENT STATES

Numerous top-tier officials and ministers of Uttar Pradesh tested positive for the coronavirus recently, including Chief Minister, Mr. Yogi Adityanath who had isolated himself after three members of his team tested positive for the virus.

With rapidly rising cases in Uttar Pradesh, as many as 12 civil officers have been affected by the virus. Among those infected is Additional Chief Secretary Mr. SP Goyal, a key member of the chief minister`s team, Chairman, Board of Revenue, Mr. Deepak Trivedi, Additional Chief Secretary (agriculture) Devesh Chaturvedi, Additional Chief Secretary (urban development) Mr.Rajneesh Dubey, Additional Chief Secretary (labor) Mr.Suresh Chandra.

Similar is the condition in Madhya Pradesh where over 100 journalists and several top bureaucrats, along with the Chief Minister, were asked to isolate themselves, after a press conference wherein a journalist, who had hidden his travel industry and was positive, was also present.

State Principal Secretary (Health) Ms. Pallavi Jain-Govil had tested positive for the virus after her son returned from the US. She had been attending meetings that included the Chief Minister, the Chief Secretary, and the Director-General of Police without going through the mandatory isolation. Dr. Veena Sinha, Additional Director of the Health Department, too has tested positive for coronavirus. Both of them were admitted to AIIMS Bhopal.

Around 150 Health Department employees are now under medical supervision. On Saturday, 12 IAS officers of the coronavirus core group were quarantined at home. Eight more Health Department employees tested positive on Saturday, said Chief Medical and Health Officer Bhopal Sudhir Kumar Daheria. Eleven more Health Department staffers reported positive during the weekend.

The second wave has been harsher than before

93,000 RAILWAY OFFICIALS TEST POSITIVE FOR THE CORONAVIRUS

The wildfire of Covid 19 cases has now severely affected the railway sector with 93,000 employees of Indian Railways testing positive for the virus.

“Railways are no different [from what is happening in the country]. Roughly around 93,000 Railway beneficiaries were infected with COVID-19. More than 5,000 beds are earmarked for these people in the 72 hospitals of the Indian Railways,” stated the Railway Board Chairman and CEO Mr. Suneet Sharma.

With such a large number of employees falling sick, the railway sector is also facing a manpower crisis. However, they are trying to fully utilize the resources that they have with them right now.

Railway is suffering major loss with 93,000 employees tested positive for the virus

FALLEN OFFICERS FROM THE COVID19

While several officials of the country fought the virus strongly and recovered soon, some were not so lucky. India lost numerous diligent officers to the coronavirus.

Picking up a few states and mentioning their deceased officers won’t do justice to the system when we have lost so many of our leaders to the pandemic. Not just the IAS officers but also several police officers from all ranks big or small have lost their lives in the line of duty.

This pandemic has been a tough nut to deal with for a year and a half now. The second wave of the virus has risen up even more harshly and has devastated millions of lives and families. Nobody knows till when will this go on. All that we know is to stay strong, follow the laid-out norms, and fight this virus with all our strength.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
CM Vishnu Deo Sai - resized
Chhattisgarh: CM Vishnu Deo Sai Launches Chief Minister Bus Service Scheme; Push for Connectivity and Development in Bastar and Surguja
CM Pushkar Dhami-resized
Uttarakhand: CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Unveils First Yoga Policy; Bhararisain to Emerge as Global Yoga Capital
IPS Laxmi Singh
UP: IPS Laxmi Singh, Commissioner of Gautam Budh Nagar Police, Cracks Down on Laxity, Suspends Officers over Crime Control Failures
Uttar Pradesh UP Government
Uttar Pradesh to Relocate Forest Dwellers to Curb Human-Wildlife Conflict, Rs. 22 Crore Compensation Package Drafted - All Details Inside
Govt
Uttarakhand Government Transfers PCS Officers Again, New Postings Announced - Check Here
Justice Yashwant Verma
Unidentified Man Spotted Near Burnt Cash Raises New Questions in Justice Yashwant Varma 'Cash-in-Kothi' Case - Know More
Bihar Government-resized-IM
105 Bihar Administrative Service Officers Reshuffled Ahead of Polls - Details Inside
Image Yoga Day NBCC
Yoga Mahakumbh & Meditation Workshop: NBCC Commemorates 11th International Day of Yoga with Holistic Wellness Initiatives
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Inderjit Singh Interview Plane Crash
What ill-fated pilots of AI171 may have gone through in those 40 seconds before the crash? Intro:
IRAS Ananth Rupanagudi
IRAS Ananth Rupanagudi’s 27-Year Odyssey with Indian Railways | Exclusive Interview
Monika Singh
The Civil Servant Who Finds Peace in Poetry
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Raju Wagh
When the Battlefield Became a Study Room and a Dream Took Flight
Amid IED blasts and anti-Maoist operations in Bastar, CRPF Commando Raju Wagh taught village kids, studied...
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-18 at 10.31
"I Just Wanted to Breathe Again": The Man Who Fought Death and Made It to UPSC
Struck by COVID at the peak of his UPSC prep, Devanand Telgote spent months on ECMO, unsure he'd live,...
Ravinder Nandal IDES
IDES Ravinder Nandal's Story of Self-Made Success
Balancing fatherhood, full-time jobs, and six UPSC attempts, Ravinder Nandal’s story is one of perseverance,...
Social Media
Tigress Arrowhead
The End of an Era: A Queen Falls - Ranthambore’s Iconic Tigress Arrowhead (T-84) Passes Away at 14, Hours After Daughter’s Relocation
Ranthambore mourns the loss of one of its fiercest and most beloved tigers, Arrowhead, the granddaughter...
Screenshot 2025-06-13 194001
Wild Elephant Disrupts Riverside Picnic, Sparks Debate on Human Encroachment; IFS Parveen Kumar Shares the Video - Watch Here!
Mr. Kaswan used the viral video, which has garnered over 1.5 lakh views, to highlight the risks of human...
Tiger jump Sundarban
Stunning Viral Video Shows Royal Bengal Tiger Making Spectacular 30-Foot Leap Across River in Sunderbans - See It Here
Retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Susanta Nanda shared the clip online, which quickly went...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
CM Vishnu Deo Sai - resized
Chhattisgarh: CM Vishnu Deo Sai Launches Chief Minister Bus Service Scheme; Push for Connectivity and Development in Bastar and Surguja
CM Pushkar Dhami-resized
Uttarakhand: CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Unveils First Yoga Policy; Bhararisain to Emerge as Global Yoga Capital
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Inderjit Singh Interview Plane Crash
IRAS Ananth Rupanagudi
Monika Singh
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT