The Best of 2020 (Part 3)
- Indian Masterminds Bureau
- Published on 31 Dec 2020, 3:38 pm IST
- 8 minutes read
Highlights
Presenting the best stories of 2020 by our correspondent Pallavi Priya
The year 2020 has come to an end. This year will be remembered for a lot of positive and negative reasons. On the last day of the most unexpected & unpredictable year, we at Indian Masterminds look back at some of the best stories done till date. We have selected five top stories by our correspondent Pallavi Priya in the third part of the series. These stories have detailed the best initiatives taken by IAS & IPS officer around the country. At the same time, it gave a sneak peek to their personal lives, hobbies and experiences so far in the service.
A Nightingale In Uniform
She is a music aficionado, a classical dancer, playback singer in films and a beauty pageant winner with over 2.29 lakh followers on social media. No, she is not a Bollywood diva. She is D Roopa Moudgil, one of the toughest and most upright IPS officers in the country, presently posted as Home Secretary in Karnataka government.
Her tenacity and no-nonsense approach are reflected in the fact that she has been transferred more than 40 times during her 20-years career in bureaucracy. She has never been afraid of standing up to the system – be it withdrawing additional escort vehicles of MPs and MLAs, or revealing irregularities in Parappana Agrahara central prison.
But, few are aware that beneath the demeanour of a tough cop lies an avid lover of arts and culture. And the reason lies in her upbringing, education and family atmosphere. D Roopa had a formal training in Hindustani music and classical dance. The 2000-batch IPS officer has also won several beauty pageant awards while pursuing her post-graduation from Bengaluru university besides the title of Miss Davangere. Ms Roopa hails from a middle-class family with both her parents working. While growing up, she spent most of her childhood in Davanagere. Talking to Indian Masterminds she says, “I was not very fond of dancing. My mother put me in a Bharatnatyam dance class when I was around five years. I developed interest in it gradually during training. But it is quite some time now, probably decades, since I performed.”
Read the full story here : D Roopa Moudgil
The First Woman IPS of Rajasthan, She also Collaborates with Nobel Laureates
Do you know a police officer who has collaborated with Nobel laureates for a research work? Well, she is the first woman IPS officer of Rajasthan, Ms Nina Singh. And her collaboration with Nobel laureates duo Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo has immensely helped policing in the state.
A decorated officer, Ms. Nina Singh is currently posted as Additional Director General (Training) in Jaipur. Ms. Singh was born and brought up in Bihar and joined IPS in 1989. From then till now, she has been posted on many important positions starting from the state police to CBI. Not only she played a key role for police reforms in Rajasthan, but also ensured the safety & security of women as the Member Secretary of State’s Women Commission.
Ms. Nina Singh completed her masters from Harvard University in Public Administration. She also went to MIT for evaluation of social program. During 2004-05, she co-authored a research paper about the co-relation between the police performance and public perception. Noble Laureates couple Mr. Abhijit Banerjee and Ms Esther Duflo was part of this extensive research. Ms. Nina knows both of them from her Harvard days. “Policing is very intuitive. Common people know about us through our actions only. We wanted to know that do the good or bad actions affect the public perception about the police? We wanted an extensive data for this. The idea was that the study should be credible, scientific and evidence based and could be used in the future of policy making for the policing”, she explained.
Read the full story here : Nina Singh
How a Bangle-Seller Became an IAS Officer
Difficulties in life can be turned into assets. It’s only by going through these painful experiences yourself that you are better equipped to understand, and empathise with, the difficulties faced by others. Nobody could know it better than Mr Ramesh Gholap, the 2012 batch IAS officer who started in life as a bangle seller.
Just like a bangle which reflects dazzling colours, Mr Gholap is doing something special. He is filling the drab, and often painful, lives of underprivileged children by adding colours to their existence. This IAS office has adopted many children, is bearing their education expenses and also working towards the abolition of child labour. He has already created a system through which around 50 children have been admitted in schools. They no longer have to work in restaurants or any such place. Those children might have to think hundred times even before having such dreams in life if ‘Collector Babu’ didn’t come in their life. Children’s hunger for education affects him a lot and that’s why he is always ready to help prospective and talented children.
Mr Ramesh Gholap’s efforts towards his duties has triggered a wave of happiness and gratitude in Koderma district of Jharkhand. His efforts have returned the lives of many families. People in the district and nearby places call him ‘Pension Babu’. However, he is very humble about this. While talking to Indian Masterminds she said, “I am not doing anything great. I try to be emphatic towards the people who come to me for help and resolve their issues with whatever resources I have. I have seen a very bad phase and struggle a lot for each and every thing and I don’t want the same to happen with anybody.”
Read the full story here : Ramesh Gholap
An IAS Officer Who is also an Acclaimed Artist
To be an IAS officer means being committed and dedicated to professional duties for 24 hours every day. Most of the times and for most officers, their personal interests and passions take a back-seat. But then, exceptions do occur, such as Kiran Soni Gupta. The 1985 batch officer of Rajasthan cadre is handling the responsibilities of IAS officer and at the same time following her passion for art like a pro.
The officer who has recently retired from the position of Director General of Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur has exhibited her art work in several galleries, at both India and abroad. Some of her special works including “Pooja Times” and “NREGA” were exhibited at Louvre, Paris for three years, in 2012, 2013 and 2017, and gained her international recognition and applause. Ms Kiran is no run-of-the-mills civil servant.
Speaking with Indian Masterminds about her prolific journey, both as an IAS officer and as an artist, Ms. Gupta said, “It has been a wonderful and enriching journey. I find myself blessed that I got an opportunity to serve the country as an IAS and also express myself with my art. I learnt a lot, and still continuing to do so.”
Ms. Gupta who is is also a writer and sculptor believes that it’s easy to say no to any situation whether it is work or life. However, when an individual learns to take out the positivity from a situation and starts making way for the desired outcomes, nothing is too farfetched. This is the attitude which has helped Kiran to nourish herself as an artist, and become one of the most successful IAS officers of the country.
Read the full story here : Kiran Soni Gupta
Fighting Fire with Fire, With No Regrets
An IAS officer’s job is of great responsibility and accountability. For each and every action of an officer, there can be serious consequences at personal and professional level. And who knows it better than the firebrand officer Ms Durga Shakti Nagpal.
In 2012, when Ms Nagpal took action against the Sand mafia of Uttar Pradesh and also ordered the demolition of an illegal mosque wall, it was her conviction of doing the right thing that helped take these steps. So, when she had to face the consequences- like suspension- she remained unafraid.
In an exclusive interview with ‘Indian Masterminds’, Ms. Nagpal spoke about her experiences and struggle during one of the toughest periods of her career. Ms. Nagpal is a 2010 batch IAS officer. At first, she was allotted the Uttar Pradesh cadre, but now she has been transferred to the AGMUT cadre and currently she is posted as the Deputy Secretary in the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry. During her first year of service after the completion of training she was posted as SDM of Gautam Buddha Nagar. There she launched several drives against corruption & sand mafia and also ordered the demolition of a mosque wall.
This steps of her led to her suspension, but also generated a big wave of support from her, from bureaucrats, media and the public. In 2013, her suspension was revoked and she was given the charge of Mathura.
Read the full story here : Durga Shakti Nagpal
END OF THE ARTICLE