29 October 2026
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

An IRS Officer With A Bard’s Heart

Indian Masterminds Stories

“It’s not the destination, it’s the journey”, this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson perfectly describes the life of Dr. Kundan Yadav. He started his journey from the ghats of Kashi and then moved through Allahabad, Benras Hindu University, and Jawaharlal Nehru University. He even went to the USA on Full Bright Scholarship to finally return to be an IRS officer.

His father was in the police, continuous transfers made Kundan Yadav change schools 17 times before passing his 12th Board. Dr. Yadav was not always a scholar, in fact, he did not pass 12th in one go, had it not been his missed opportunity to secure a room in JNU, he would never have been an acadaemic.

Without a proper room in a hostel when he had to spend days in the library, his life took a 90-degree turn and he became only the second person to get a Full Bright Scholarship in Hindi and went to the USA. But America couldn’t get Banaras and India out of him and he came back here.

He even cleared NET but then circumstances propelled him towards the civil services. Before clearing UPSC CSE, he also passed UPPCS. Dr. Yadav joined IRS (Customs and IT) even though he had another chance for appearing in MAINS. He could have been an IAS officer but he doesn’t regret it. He believes that IRS has given him all that an all-India service could have given.

He has just started his journey as a writer and poet with his first book published “Gandese Guru Ki Shapath”. In an earlier video, Mr. Yadav shared his poem on the Moon. Here he shares his connection with the Hindi language.

SELECTION IN HINDI

Dr. Yadav gave his written papers in Hindi but gave his interview in English. He believes
that although aspirants are still getting selected in Hindi the path is tough with any vernacular.
During an exclusive video interview with Indian Masterminds, Dr. Yadav shared his journey and talked about why he craves to be a professor, besides tips and advice for Hindi medium aspirants.


Watch the third part of the interview here:


Indian Masterminds Stories
Join our WhatsApp Channel
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
PMGSY Bihar rural road connectivity
Bihar IAS Reshuffle: CK Anil Appointed Education ACS, Arvind Kumar Chaudhary Gets Additional Charge 
coal-India-limited
Coal India Q2 FY27 Results: Net Profit Jumps 53% to ₹6,516 Crore; Declares ₹10.25 Interim Dividend
IAS Sanjay Kumar Singh
Who Is IAS Sanjay Kumar Singh? Odisha-Cadre Officer Likely to Become Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary’s Principal Secretary 
SECI New Corporate Office
Pralhad Joshi Opens New SECI Corporate Office, Highlights Role in India’s Clean Energy Transition 
India Energy Stack
India Energy Stack Taskforce Reviews Final Report; REC Limited to Lead Digital Infrastructure Rollout in Power Sector 
Ramesh S
Who Is Ramesh S. Thete? Retired IAS Officer Arrested in Nagpur Over Fraud, Cheque-Bounce Case
Tamilnadu-police-resized
Tamil Nadu Govt Transfers 5 IPS Officers, Sanjay Mathur Appointed DGP of State Crime Records Bureau
Odisha govt_resized
Odisha Transfers 8 IAS Officers; Poma Tudu Named Agriculture Director, Shubham Saxena Gets BDA Charge 
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Five years after Kargil, India sent its cricketing heroes to Pakistan where terrorism posed a deadly threat. The man guarding them, former Special Director of Intelligence Bureau, Mr. Yashovardhan Azad, reveals what all went behind the scenes during that crucial tour. 
Trust No One, Said His Instinct in Pakistan
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
How India Plans to Boost Tourism, Create Jobs and Ease Overcrowding : Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on the Road to 2047
Dr Saket Badola IFS
Beyond Tigers and Safaris: How Corbett Literature Festival Wants to Change the Conservation Conversation
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Vishwas Jhargad UPSC CAPF
A Photograph of His Mother Accompanied Vishwas Jhargad to the UPSC Interview, Where His Dream Came Closer
Vishwas Vijay Jhargad lost both parents as a child. With his family's support, he secured AIR 145 in...
IA&AS Lokesh Datal
‘Dreams Don’t Change Lives, Daily Habits Do’: IA&AS Officer Lokesh Datal on UPSC and Discipline
IA&AS officer Lokesh Datal shares his UPSC journey, clearing the exam in his fourth attempt, building...
Mavis tak
From Dropping Out of School to Becoming an IPS Officer : How a Father’s Unwavering Support Helped Mavis Tak Achieve Success
For Mavis Tak, becoming an IPS officer once seemed like a distant dream. Despite financial struggles...
CSR NEWS
MCL
MCL Signs MoU to Provide ₹3.20 Crore for Multipurpose Community Hall in Anugola Under CSR
The project at the Reserve Police Office in Chheliapada aims to strengthen local civic infrastructure...
nalco
NALCO Foundation Signs MoU to Sponsor 21 Odisha Youths for Three-Year Nursing Diploma 
The three-year nursing course will support youths from villages near NALCO’s Anugul and Koraput complexes,...
NALCO Nursing Education Initiative
NALCO Foundation Signs MoU to Sponsor 40 Odisha Youths for Three-Year Nursing Diploma Course
The initiative will support GNM nursing education for youths from villages near NALCO’s Angul and Koraput...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
PMGSY Bihar rural road connectivity
Bihar IAS Reshuffle: CK Anil Appointed Education ACS, Arvind Kumar Chaudhary Gets Additional Charge 
coal-India-limited
Coal India Q2 FY27 Results: Net Profit Jumps 53% to ₹6,516 Crore; Declares ₹10.25 Interim Dividend
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Five years after Kargil, India sent its cricketing heroes to Pakistan where terrorism posed a deadly threat. The man guarding them, former Special Director of Intelligence Bureau, Mr. Yashovardhan Azad, reveals what all went behind the scenes during that crucial tour. 
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
Dr Saket Badola IFS
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT