Spurred in the race by bigger ambitions, people often sacrifice their joys, those smaller things which would otherwise be giving them extreme pleasure. Perhaps that’s the nature of the beast. But sometimes, there are noteworthy exceptions- a lady civil servant in 1997 who has just picked up her long lost hobby of singing devotional songs.
Ms. Rakhee Gupta is a senior IAS officer of 1997 batch from Punjab cadre and is currently serving as the resident commissioner of Punjab, in New Delhi. Her latest song “Main Toh Ratungi Radha Naam’ on YouTube, her debut in the music world, has garnered more than three lakh views in just a week.
THE VIRAL VIDEO
Ms. Gupta’s debut in the music industry was not an ordinary event. Her music video was published by the Times Music Spiritual Label and was composed by Gaurav and Kartik Dev. The video was shot in Vrindavan, a holy place which is believed to be the home town of Lord Krishna, and was made by Kamal Kamavat. Apart from showcasing her melodious and soothing voice, she is also expressing her acting skills in the lush green landscapes and temples of Vrindavan.
The video, which Ms. Gupta has dedicated to her mother Meena Goyal, went viral the moment it was uploaded. It is being applauded by one and in Twitter and Facebook too.
Singing has been a passion of Ms. Gupta since her childhood. Since her early days in school, she used to be a part of most of the choirs and family functions. In an interview, she said, “The video was being planned for last year, but due to the Covid pandemic it got postponed to this year.”
A LITTLE ABOUT Ms. GUPTA
Ms. Rakhee Gupta completed her schooling from Delhi Public School and is an alumnus of Lady Shree Ram College and Delhi School of Economics. She did her Masters of Philosophy (Defense and Strategic Studies) from National Defence College, and has also pursued Masters in Sociology.
In her 23 years of service, Ms. Gupta has been honoured with many prestigious awards. In 2012, she was awarded the `Stree Shakti Puraskar’ for her administrative and leadership acumen. This award is presented annually by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to encourage more women to work in the public administration.
After joining the All India Services, in just four year down the line, she received the President of India’s Silver Medal for Census Operation. She was also sent to Bhutan by the Government of India for overseeing the first Parliamentary election there as a National Observer. Prior to her appointment as the Resident Commissioner in Punjab, she also served as the joint secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs (during 2015-16).
