11 November 2026
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The Wizard of Bureaucracy

Indian Masterminds Stories

The 1981-batch IAS, Mr. Anil Swarup, might have retired from the service two years ago, but he claims he is more active now. Considering he pioneered many ideas, championed several causes, and piloted a number of landmark schemes and projects, the statement raises the level of curiosity of even people who know him for decades.

From conceiving, formulating, and implementing universal health insurance for the 30 crore people living below the poverty line to netting lakhs of crores for the treasury by designing online auction of coal mines and reigniting stalled mega projects, Mr Swarup was always a doer.

Belonging to UP Cadre where there always a premium for plum postings and an average stay of a bureaucrat on a post is often in months if not in days, such sterling performance does need a thorough inspection. After all, everyone wants to know, how managed to keep his backbone intact and had his way with the political class as well.

Serving under Chief Ministers like Mulayam Singh Yadav, Kalyan Singh, and Mayawati doesn’t come easy. Similarly working under Prime Ministers like Atal Behari Vajpayee, Dr Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi, must have been challenging. In this free-wheeling interview, he shares the challenges he faced during his service and how he overcame them.

He had already written two books on his experiences in the bureaucracy and in this interview he discloses the name and subject of his third book and when is it expected to be released.

For more details, please watch the full interview on clicking the link…


Indian Masterminds Stories
Join our WhatsApp Channel
Related Videos
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary A.V
Who Was A.V. Singh? Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary and State Election Commissioner Dies at 83
HHRC
Who Allowed an ITI Apprentice Access to a Police Malkhana? Haryana Commission Seeks DGP Report After 32 Weapons Stolen in Faridabad
Kashi-Vindhya City Economic Region
UP Plans 32 Projects Worth ₹5,000 Crore Across Seven Districts Under Kashi-Vindhya Economic Region
Uttar Pradesh Smart Cities
17 Uttar Pradesh Cities Under Smart City Initiatives; All 10 Central Mission Cities Have Operational ICCCs
Government of MP
Madhya Pradesh to Mark Birsa Munda Jayanti Across Four Locations; ₹1,353-Crore Dahi Irrigation Project to Be Inaugurated
AP High Court Bar Licence Renewal
Andhra Pradesh HC to Take Up Long-Pending Contempt Cases Against Senior IAS Officers on November 13
Pooja Singh
Bihar Police Book IPS Officer Bhanu Pratap Singh’s Estranged Wife After Overnight Sit-In Outside Khagaria SP’s Residence
Punjab Skill Development Agreement
Punjab Signs Key MoUs To Strengthen Vocational Training And Employment Opportunities
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
Alka Upadhayay
Alka Upadhyaya IAS: Managing Political Pressure, Contractors and India's Road Infrastructure
Alka Upadhayay
How Alka Upadhyaya IAS Led NHAI and Changed the Rules of Infrastructure Leadership
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT