https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Selling Art In The Times Of COVID 19

This IAS officer in Bihar has been setting many examples. From using the age-old `Mithila’ Art on face-masks to generate employment for the people to using `boat ambulances’ for the corona patients, he has provided assistance to a large number of people.
Indian Masterminds Stories

With COVID 19 pandemic striking all across India, people started facing a lot of difficulties. One direct result was the rapid increase in job losses among the youth. It is estimated that as many as 41 lakh people suffered .job losses and unemployment due to the pandemic. However, during this unprecedented time, some civil servants rose to the occasion and started helping the needy by their novel approach to the mounting challenges.

Among such bureaucrats is a 2011-batch IAS officer Mr. Thiyagarajan SM. This remarkable man has not only been in the limelight for initiating a maternal health monitoring app, but also for providing livelihood to the skilled `Madhubani’ artists by enabling them to create the art, and highly sought after, ‘Mithila masks’ in the Darbhanga district of Bihar.

An Offering Of Mithila Masks

During the nationwide lockdown in India, when the migrants and students were returning back to their hometowns, Mr. Thiyagarajan SM decided to welcome them mask adorned with Mithila art. This was not only meant for the protection of students during COVID 19 but also to promote and generate employment to the `Madhubani’ artists who had made these masks.

DM Darbhanga, Mr. Thiyagarajan SM with other police officials welcomes migrant students (Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Mr. Thiyagarajan ordered around 1000 such masks from Shatakshi Creations proprietor Asha Jha, who is also a National Award winner in Madhubani Art. Within a period of five days, she made the delivery to the DM. The students who were studying in Kota, Rajasthan, and the migrant workers from Thrissur in Kerala were accorded with a warm welcome by Mr. Thiyagarajan SM and other police officials.

Connecting Skilled Artists With E-Commerce Giant Amazon

Apart from this, Mr. Thiyagarajan is also helping in finding skilled artists, mostly women, and providing them with a platform where they can earn a livelihood. In conversation with the Indian Masterminds, he said “We firstly connected with people like Asha Jha who have been awarded for their exemplary work in Mithila painting. They further connected us with people who were talented but did not have a platform to earn. This is how we traced such artists and started working in promoting their work outside Darbhanga.”

Mithila petted masks (Photo Courtesy: Social Media)

“After we got a list of people involved in making the exquisite Mithila masks, we formed groups of these skilled artists in the District Innovation Fund, where they started preparing masks which were initially sold locally. But then to scale up the demand for the product we tagged them with the e-commerce giant Amazon. We brought Amazon to the table and asked them to feature the work of these skilled artists on their platform. They were also very happy to contribute in the process”, he added.

Mithila masks listed on Amazon (Photo Courtesy: Amazon)

Soon the demand for the masks started increasing and people from all over the country began appreciating and buying the product. Not only in India, but the craze of these Mithila masks spread outside the country. Many local institutions and self-help groups also contributed to the process
While the single-layered mask was being sold at Rs 120 to 150 and the three-layered-mask at Rs 250 in India, it found a handsome price of Rs 699 on the e-commerce website Amazon. “The artisans were paid according to the sales of the product and overall, it was a profitable project as the demand of the masks was very high,” Mr. Thiyagarajan said.

Introducing Boat Ambulances During Floods In Bihar

Mr. Thiyagarajan SM has turned out to be a real corona warrior during this extraordinary time as he has taken initiatives that have been very useful and highly appreciated by others. Among such initiatives was the launch of ‘boat ambulances’ when Bihar was suffering from a double whammy of COVID as well as the floods.

Mr. Thiyagarajan told Indian Masterminds, said “The boat ambulances were launched when the floods were ravaging parts of Bihar. It was mainly launched to transport the COVID patients to the nearby hospitals, for taking COVID samples and to treat people who were affected in flood-prone areas.”
“A team of doctors and staff used to visit the patients, treat them, and used to collect samples from them. In serious conditions, they used to take the patient to nearby hospitals. We used to get a lot of phone calls from various people and information about the needy from various sources. This is how we used to connect to people who required help during that time”, he added.

Boat Ambulances launched by Mr. Thiyagarajan SM during floods in Bihar (Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

This initiative was again a success for the DM as well as the people, as it saved a lot of lives. It was also replicated in other parts of Bihar which turned out to be a major source for providing help to the public.
In just nine years of service Mr, Thiyagarajan SM has set an example for other civil servants, by his innovative initiatives and the will to serve the public.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
bureaucracy news
Major Bureaucratic Reforms on the Anvil as Centre Hires Consultant to Map Bottlenecks & Draft Roadmap - Details Inside
MTNL
MTNL Defaults on ₹8,585 Cr Bank Loans from Seven PSU Banks; Debt Soars to ₹34,484 Cr
HSL CMD Khatri
Upskill to Stay Ahead: HSL CMD Cmde Khatri’s Call to Maritime Sector at BIMSTEC 2025
IPS A.B
HC Clears Former Top Cop: Andhra Ends All Legal Action Against IPS Venkateswara Rao
Minister Sonowal
Hydrogen Tug Project Gets Boost as Minister Sonowal Backs Hindustan Shipyard (HSL)’s Vision - Details Inside
IOCL and SJVN
PESB Invites Applications for Director Posts in IOCL and SJVN; Deadlines Set for August 11
IREDA logo 1
IREDA Seeks Shareholder Nod to Raise Borrowing Limit to ₹1.5 Lakh Crore; Pushes for Massive RE Financing
Indian Police Services IPS Officer
Punjab Promotes 8 IPS Officers to DGP Rank, Now Has Nation’s Highest Number of Top-Rank Police Officers
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
promila gupta
The Secret of The Secret – How To Make The Universe Conspire For You
AI 171 CRASH
AAIB Initial Probe In AI-171 Crash Questioned By Aviation Experts
Ravi Kapoor
Why Ex-IRS Officer Ravi Kapoor Walked Away from Power
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-14 at 15.58
The Economist Who Became an IFS Officer
How Abhimanyu Gahlaut balanced global economics and civil services dreams to crack UPSC with AIR 38
Disha Dwivedi UPSC
How Disha Dwivedi Conquered UPSC on Her Sixth Attempt
Disha Dwivedi’s UPSC journey from five prelims failures to securing AIR 672 in 2024 showcases strategic...
Sushmitha and Ishwarya Ramanathan
Their Home Was Washed Away — Sushmitha & Ishwarya Built a Legacy Instead
Sushmitha and Ishwarya lost their home to the 2004 tsunami. But with books, belief, and each other, they...
Social Media
Standing Leopard
Leopard Stuns Internet by Standing on Two Legs Like a Meerkat
A rare video of a leopard standing on two legs in Kruger Park stuns viewers and goes viral across social...
G S Roshni
Kerala’s Fearless Forest Officer G.S. Roshni Rescues 16-Foot King Cobra with Bare Hands, Garners Praise & Critique
Beat Forest Officer G.S. Roshni’s first-ever king cobra rescue goes viral, earning her the title of ‘Green...
Kaziranga Baby Elephant
Chotu the Baby Elephant Reunited with Mother in Kaziranga: Retired IFS Officer’s Post Goes Viral
A baby elephant's emotional reunion with its mother in Kaziranga, shared by retired IFS officer Susanta...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
bureaucracy news
Major Bureaucratic Reforms on the Anvil as Centre Hires Consultant to Map Bottlenecks & Draft Roadmap - Details Inside
MTNL
MTNL Defaults on ₹8,585 Cr Bank Loans from Seven PSU Banks; Debt Soars to ₹34,484 Cr
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
promila gupta
AI 171 CRASH
Ravi Kapoor
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT