https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

IAS Alone Don’t Run The Government; It’s A Synergy Of All Services

Dr Sanjeev Chopra, a 1985-batch IAS Officer of West Bengal cadre, retired couple of years ago as Director, LBSNAA, Mussoorie Despite having worked in WB and Uttarakhand in various capacities, he finds LBSNAA job closer to his heart In this free flowing interview, Dr Chopra speaks about the training modules of Civil Services, their needs,  if changes are needed and issues like ethics, morals and superiority of IAS over other services. Please read on...
Indian Masterminds Stories

Every UPSC CSE aspirant aspires to be selected for the Indian Administrative Services (IAS). After all, they are perceived as running the government. There is always an IAS heading for every other service. The Finance Secretary manages the Indian Revenue Services (IRS). The Union Home Secretary manages the IPS cadre. The Forest Secretary heads the Ministry, which consists mostly of IFS officers.

So, are IAS the Brahmins of Civil Services? The former director of Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Dr. Sanjeev Chopra, doesn’t think so. A secretary’s job is to ensure that the budget of that department is passed and to assist the minister in answering questions put up in Parliament. It’s the job of the directorate to implement decisions of the government. It doesn’t make the directorate in any way inferior to the secretariat, he told Indian Masterminds in a candid interview.

Please watch the full interview here…

A very senior and efficient officer, besides being an erudite reader and author, Dr. Chopra feels that this whole notion that only IAS runs the country is not correct. Everyone has to work together. It’s a misconception that only IAS does everything. Government is something where everyone works together.

“You can’t run a district if you don’t have a good rapport with the IPS. We won’t get our salaries unless GST collection (by IRS officers) grows and unless the projection of the country (at international forums by IFS officers) is good. People who represent India in the United Nations Security Council, our ambassadors in other countries, or persons collecting taxes for the government, or for that matter, Indian Forest Service officers preserving our protecting our wildlife and forests, everybody contributes to the making of this nation”, he said.

Dr Chopra, a 1985-batch IAS officer of West Bengal cadre worked with LBSNAA in two stints – first as Deputy Director for six years and then as Director for three years…till his retirement. He has seen officer trainees being turned into officers – of different services and different cadres. He believes his tenure as LBSNAA Director is closest to his heart. Therefore, he has traversed the entire path as Officer Trainee himself in 1985 to mentoring and training hundreds of officer trainees every year.

In this free-wheeling interview, he talks about the atmosphere in LBSNAA – whether it is tense, whether training is rigorous, whether it is all studies/work and no play at LBSNAA or the other way round – considering several events like India Day, Parents Day, Trekking, Horse-riding etc? 

He also answered to the questions like What is the purpose of the foundation course? How is it structured?  Also, what happens to the vacancy created due to the shifting of people like Aditya Srivastava AIR 1 in UPSC CSE 2023, who was already training for the IPS at National Police Academy, Hyderabad, to the IAS after improving their ranks?

And what happens to people who are improving their ranks consistently, over three years – do they have to undertake the four-month-long foundation course every year, year after year on their selection? 


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
MDL_Mazagaon_ltd
Veni Thapar Appointed as Independent Director on Board of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd.
NTPC Green Energy Ltd NGEL
NGEL Gives 378MW Wind Energy Project to Suzlon Energy Ltd
Vikram Dev Dutt IAS
Coal Secy Vikram Dev Dutt Highlights Visionary RSR Model at Stakeholder Meet on Sustainable Coal Transport
ITI Limited
S. Jeyanthi Gets Extension as Director (HR) of ITI Limited - Know About Her
Punjab_govt_resized
6 IAS Officers Reshuffled in Punjab, Rajiv Prashar Made Secy, Punjab State Human Rights Commission
Orissa Minerals Development Company Limited - OMDC
Dr Sarasu T N Re-appointed as Non-Official Director on the Board of OMDC
IAS Officers Indian Administrative Services (IAS)
IAS Officer Avinash Pathak Transferred from Beed Amid Controversy
NTPC
NTPC and Evren Sign PPA for 300 MW of Firm and Dispatchable Renewable Energy
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr Lokesh M IAS
E-Rickshaw Chaos, Waterlogging, Traffic Mess — Can Noida Fix Its Daily Chaos? | Exclusive with Dr Lokesh M, IAS
IRS Padmapani Bora UPSC
IRS Padmapani Bora’s 16-Year-Long Journey in Governance
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-13 at 1.46
This Collector Finds Happiness In Squeaks Of Children With Hearing Impairment Who Start Hearing After Surgery
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-23 at 17.08
Two Births in Two Weeks: How Malavika G Nair Delivered Her Baby And Her UPSC Dreams
Just 14 days after giving birth, Malavika G Nair cradled her newborn in one arm and a UPSC answer sheet...
Komal Punia UPSC 2024 AIR 6
Komal Punia: The IPS Officer Who Pursued Her IAS Dream & Conquered UPSC With AIR 6 | Exclusive
Komal Punia, a trainee IPS officer from Saharanpur, UP, overcame challenges and self-doubt to secure...
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-22 at 21.00
AIR-11, Ettaboyina Sai Shivani: The Girl Who Quietly Dreamt, and Loudly Delivered in UPSC CSE 2024
At 24, Ettaboyina Sai Shivani from Warangal cracked UPSC 2024 with AIR 11—no coaching, no shortcuts....
Social Media
GozJlgrXYAAHoKv
Murals for Cleanliness: Thoothukudi District Launches Art-Inspired Sanitation Drive in Panchayats
Local artists add colour and messages to village walls, promoting hygiene and community pride
Himanshu Nagpal IAS
Varanasi's Beggar Rehabilitation Initiative Recognised by UIDAI, CDO Himanshu Nagpal Shares the News
Mr. Himanshu Nagpal is a 2019-batch IAS officer
IAS Vaishali Chopra
Young IAS Vaishali Chopra Takes a Stand Against Caste Bias During Field Training in Uttar Pradesh
While the issue itself may seem small, the post is resonating widely online for its honest reflection...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
MDL_Mazagaon_ltd
Veni Thapar Appointed as Independent Director on Board of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd.
NTPC Green Energy Ltd NGEL
NGEL Gives 378MW Wind Energy Project to Suzlon Energy Ltd
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr Lokesh M IAS
IRS Padmapani Bora UPSC
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-13 at 1.46
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT