Book Review – Method in Madness(2021), Parameswaran Iyer

Access - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00195561211045812 https://doi.org/10.1177/00195561211045812 Parameswaran Iyer, former Secretary to the Government of India, is best known for leading the implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) - which became the world's largest sanitation revolution.But Iyer is not your typical bureaucrat. With a far-from-usual career combining two distinguished tenures in the government and an eventful stint …

Notes from a day at Council!

Municipal Council and its nuances are a deep dive study of functional forms of local self-government. The intent of 74th Constitutional amendment and its careful reading of the subject therein, makes one appreciate, recognise and value the intent laid down in the drafting of the Article 243 G. This Council- is ironically marred by, compulsions …

From being in-charge to holding the barrel.

Working in the shadows: Revised note to self! In an attempt, to detach oneself from all that 'mundane in the moment noise around', perhaps, as one of my cadre seniors in his mentor tonality mentioned that one fails to take cognizance ‘till one is right there inside the frying pan’, this note to self is …

From being Selected to being Incharge – A note.

The journey to Charleville, LBSNAA often than not is unique, special and peculiar to each of us who ends up being there. Once out of the safe havens of Academy, this post is more of a note to self from the initial days of posting; What it was like to prepare as a naive 'aspirant', …

B G Deshmukh, A Cabinet Secretary Looks Around (II)

About the Author: Bhalchandra Gopal Deshmukh (1929-2011), was the 17th Cabinet Secretary of India between 1986-89. An M.A in Economics, Shri Deshmukh was born on 26th March, 1929, joined IAS in 1951, was the Secretary to CM, Maharashtra 1971-75; Municipal Commissioner of Bombay 1975-78; Additional Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs 1978-81; Secretary, Labour and Rehabilitation, …

Narendra Luther- Bureaucrat with a Difference

Narendra Luther (1932-2021) Source: India Today A career bureaucrat, writer-biographer, translator, historian, amateur geologist, columnist and a documentary maker, among many, Sri Luther in a touching summing up of his account on his early life in ‘My Hoshiarpur Days’, notes: “…I have seen a thousand moons. For those who have accomplished that feat, there is …

History Optional Paper 2020

17th January, 2021 saw examining of another interesting collection of questions, themes and sub-topics, drafted for those taking up the CSM Optional Papers. Admittedly, it was drafted quite proportionately, with its share of unpredictable questions, and some very familiar questions alike. Brief Analysis: Except 3(b) on Alexander, almost all the question(s) in Ancient India part, …

On De-notified Tribes of Telangana

Forgotten Communities of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh: A Story of De-notified Tribes Vijay Korra, First Edition, Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore, 2019. Page XXIV- 183. ISBN - 978-981-15-0162-3. DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0163-0. The book is written under Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), Hyderabad, Telangana. It has been developed from a major research study sponsored by the Indian …

On Essay Paper

Essay (1000-1200 words), like Ethics is one of the papers, which allows a display of knowledge and creativity alike, through extended time and word limit, with the possibility of selecting two out of eight essay topics, as per our comfort and choice. The rationale for writing the essay paper, right at the beginning of the …

For Mains 2020

Yes! for those of you, who are to write the Mains this year, are having this common goal- “aspiring” to be an IAS, IPS, or an IFS. Preparing for this exam, and performing to be selected in this exam, are like two sides of the same coin. So, this aspiration, needs an effective translation, within those 9 days …