13 November 2026
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

From UP to UN: An IAS Officer’s Odyssey

Indian Masterminds Stories

‘Small Cogs in a Large Wheel’ is the memoir of former 1981 batch IAS officer Naresh Nandan Prasad. Besides serving in three states of India, he also served at the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation and the World Intellectual Property Organisation, because of which, he was known as the international bureaucrat.

He started writing about his bureaucratic experiences, that included some of the turning points in the country like the Babri Masjid demolition, on his mobile phone! However, he passed away suddenly a year back leaving his wife, who is also a retired IAS officer, and his only daughter Urvashi Prasad bereaved and devastated.

It is this daughter, Urvashi Prasad, a Director at NITI Aayog, who has published her father’s precious writings saved carefully on his mobile phone. The book titled ‘Small Cogs in a Large Wheel’ is being launched today in New Delhi. It is a happy day for Ms. Prasad and her family members to witness Mr. Naresh Nandan Prasad’s memoir being finally released. At the same time, the book launch will no doubt make powerful memories come alive, as family and friends recount the life and works of the Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS officer who also served at the international level.

Watch this video interview of his daughter, Ms. Urvashi Prasad, Director at NITI Aayog, to know more about late Naresh Nandan Prasad:


Indian Masterminds Stories
Join our WhatsApp Channel
Related Videos
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve Safari Violation
Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve Issues Notice to Retired IAS Officer’s Son Over Alleged Safari Route Violation
Tamil Nadu Library AI Generated Book Scam
PMO Approves Prosecution of Two Tamil Nadu IAS Officers in ₹98.25-Crore Tender Scam Case 
Mohan Yadav Uttarakhand Visit
CM Mohan Yadav Praises PM Modi's Leadership During Uttarakhand Visit, Highlights India's Global Influence 
telangana-police-resized
Telangana Govt Transfers 21 IPS Officers; Mahesh Bhagwat Appointed Hyderabad Police Commissioner 
AGMUT resized
MHA Transfers IAS Officer Owais Ahmed to Ladakh, Keeps Rakesh Minhas' Transfer on Hold
GAIL KRIBHCO Fertiliser Plant
GAIL and KRIBHCO Sign MoU to Explore 1.27 MMTPA Gas-Based Fertiliser Plant in Andhra Pradesh
pump deep boring ban
Jharkhand to Revive 9,519 Dry Borewells Under VB-G RAM-G Scheme, Boost Rural Employment
cmpdil
CMPDIL Partners with Tata Steel Foundation to Upgrade Technical Education at ITI Tamar 
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Aniket Sagar ICoAS
No Coaching, Full-Time Job and Two Attempts: How Aniket Sagar Cleared ICoAS
Aniket Sagar, a chartered accountant from Bundelkhand, cleared UPSC ICoAS 2025 after working at PwC,...
IDAS Himanshu Tembhekar
Should UPSC Aspirants Give Up Their Hobbies? IDAS Officer Himanshu Tembhekar Explains
Should UPSC aspirants give up their hobbies? IDAS officer Himanshu Tembhekar explains how hobbies help...
UPSC Story
He Taught Students to Meet Expenses. Today, Sachin Bhadouria is a Scientist ‘B’ at CWPRS
Sachin Bhadouria overcame financial challenges and a Hindi-medium background to secure AIR 2 in a UPSC...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Tripura TPS Officers
Tripura Inducts 3 Senior TPS Officers into IPS, DGP G.S. Rao Confers Insignia at Ceremony
Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve Safari Violation
Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve Issues Notice to Retired IAS Officer’s Son Over Alleged Safari Route Violation
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT