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Anil Swarup IAS (Retd)

Anil Swarup is a former 1981 batch, Uttar Pradesh cadre  IAS officer, and was awarded Director's gold medal for "best officer trainee" at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA). He served the Government of India in various capacities for 38 years and went on to become Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy and the Coal Secretary of India. He also served as Additional Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, Additional Secretary, Labour & Empowerment, Export Commissioner in the Ministry of Commerce & Industry of India and as the District Magistrate of Lakhimpur Kheri. He couldn’t make it to the “elite” Indian Administrative Service (IAS) on his first attempt but qualified for the Indian Police Service where he worked for one year before clearing IAS in his next attempt. He is today an author of several looks like 'No More a Civil Servant,' ‘Ethical dilemmas of a civil servant’ and ‘Not just a civilservant’. The views expressed are his own.

Latest Articles

Modi 3.0- agenda for governance in the age of Artificial Intelligence

Technology and artificial intelligence (AI) can revolutionise how governments operate, make decisions, and interact with citizens. However, the million-dollar question is, who will tell the PM?

Narendra Modi 3.0 – way ahead, challenges and priorities

Narendra Modi is back in the saddle as PM but perhaps not as firmly as during the previous two tenures. This could be a blessing in disguise for him as well as the country.

India needs a fool-proof system to prevent entrance exam paper leaks

India is on the throes of an unprecedented crisis as the future of a number of aspirants to medical profession hangs in balance.

Dharmendra Pradhan : education is far more slippery than oil

Unfortunately, there were allegations of leakage of the test paper this year. The Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan initially denied all such allegations but as more and more evidence emerged about the paper leak, he took the moral responsibility.
Anil Swarup, IAS

Bharat Ratna moments in the lives of Civil Servants…

There are many so-called Bharat Ratna moments in the lives of civil servants. These moments of self-satisfaction, contribute to a sense of purpose, achievement, and fulfillment in the civil servant's personal and professional life.

Challenges before Modi 3.0 government

As the dust settles on the 2024 general elections and new government assumes charge, it is clear that the ‘silent’ voter has spoken quite strongly and the real winner is India’s democracy.

Making things happen in Government

There is no dearth of ideas in the country. There is no dearth of “expert rai sahebs” (advisors) either. In fact, there are too many of them.

Challenges for the new government – reforming school education

Education has not been given the desired importance by all political parties as most of them have looked at immediate political gains that are not forthcoming from this sector.

Mafia in the education sector

There are mafia-like structures in school education who undermine the integrity and effectiveness of education systems. These groups, often involving a mix of corrupt officials, politicians, administrators, and even educators, manipulate the system for personal gain

Dilemmas of young civil servants

Once the initial flush of having made it to the civil service dies down and the civil servants look around, wondering which path should they pursue.

Is it all over for the IAS?

The All India Services officers are under enormous pressure. Perhaps as never before. However, to say that it is all over for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), is a bit too far-fetched.

Civil Servant’s dilemma: why things don’t happen in the government?

There is a famous saying that a civil servant's duty is to work with the fearlessness of a lion and the humility of a lamb.

Journalists in politics

Belonging to UP cadre, I came across a number of journalists who indulged in politics but never formally joined it. Many such journalists indulged in power games and some as “middle-men” enjoying the fruits of their labour.

Mallikarjun Kharge – a visionary leader par excellence

Mallikarjun Kharge a lawyer turned MP from Karnataka is serving as the President of the Congress party and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha.

Kalyan Singh – a politician bureaucrats loved to work with #...

Babri Masjid built by Mir Baqi on the orders of Emperor, Babar was a bone of contention between the Hindus and Muslims.

Kalyan Singh – a politician bureaucrats loved to work with #...

Kalyan Singh took over as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1997 as a part of a deal between Mayawati's BSP and Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP)

Kalyan Singh – a politician bureaucrats loved to work with #2

Kalyan Singh was different from the previous Chief Ministers. He belonged to that rare breed of politicians that was fast vanishing. 

Kalyan Singh – a politician bureaucrats loved to work with #...

The 1991 General Elections saw Bharatiya Janata Party secure an absolute majority and Kalyan Singh became Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

Rajnath Singh – the ever smiling & calm politician

Rajnath Singh is a man of few words but when he speaks he is eloquent. He has a smile that never leaves his face

Prakash Javdekar – the minister who dared to defy the education...

In the article published last week, I had delved upon some of my initial experiences with Prakash Javdekar in my capacity as Secretary, School...
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Prakash Javdekar – the minister who dared to defy the education...

Prakash Javdekar helped NCERT had put in place a system to ensure that students were not compelled to buy expensive books