Thursday, July 18, 2013

Is Rahul Anand's a story of a generalist IAS wishing to be a hardcore economist?

IN HIMACHAL Pradesh power circle gossips, this 1996 batch IAS officer, Rahul Anand, is missing in action. Some are airing their sympathy as this bright officer would soon lose his job. The state government has already recommended to DoPT to terminate former Chamba and Hamirpur's deputy commissioner from services. But here is the reality. Anand is very much available at 700, 19th Street, N.W., Washington DC, the address which...
houses International Monetary Fund's Asia and Pacific Department. At IMF, Anand is a respected economist who has written a number of serious working papers concerning India and Sri Lanka. “Structural Transformation and the Sophistication of Production” is one of such papers which he has authored along with two other economists. And in all probability, Anand has already taken a calculated risk weighing the fact that he may be sacked by the government any day.
According to reports, Himachal Pradesh government gave an ultimatum to this officer directing him to report by June 30, 2013, but he did not do so. A news report in Indian Express quoted state principal secretary (personnel) and 1985 batch IAS SK Bhim Sen Negi, to say that Anand is no longer an IAS officer so far as the state government is concerned. Now, the DoPT is likely to take the final call on his termination.
Those who know Anand personally say he is obsessed with economics and its applications in society. A PhD from Cornell University and Masters from Harvard University, Anand is well armed to be a specialist rather than a generalist IAS who could be posted in any department, be it sports or fertilizer. Is Anand a story of a generalist wishing to be a serious economist?
Also Read
Missing Bureaucrats (Oct, 2012)

9 comments:

  1. A Bihar cadre IAS officer, Prabhash Jha, did exactly the same a few years ago, while he was posted in Washington. If I correctly recall, he resigned from the IAS after enjoying his full stint abroad. No idea where he is now. Any clues anyone?

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  2. Sorry.. it was Bihar cadre IAS officer Abhas Jha, not Prabhash Jha!

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    1. IAS officers, creations of the Constitution of India and answerable to the same, join the service with a vow to serve the people of this country. Their salaries and perks are among the best in the country. Yet, it is sad to note how they fall for more, more and more money in the so-called "greener pastures". All this in the name of a false and phoney idea of "better career prospects".

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  3. Another brilliant IAS officer to leave the job. The salary, service conditions and facilities are probably too low to keep these brilliant officers in the system.

    Recently another economist IAS, Gyanendra Badgaiyan from Himachal cadre has resigned due to his love for economics and lucrative officers. Wish you people should come back and serve the country.

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  4. Such things of brilliant officers leaving the service are very common in all services. In the case of Indian Postal Service, one of their most brilliant officers Shri Alok Saxena has also expressed his desire to resign from the service. Saxena is incharge of the Project Management Unit of the department of Posts for its more than 32 thousand crore IT modernisation Program. Saxena is the vision and force behind this project. Foreign Postal administrations like Pakistan Post and Srilanka are lobbying hard to requisition services of Saxena at a lucrative salary. Smt Padmini Gopinath Secretary Posts is finding it hard to convince brilliant talent of the likes of Saxena to stay back. He is one man who can change the universe.

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  5. These"brilliant officers" should serve their own selfish interests rather than the interests of the nation for which they join govt service.Good riddance to them.
    S Singh

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  6. government does not make these babus sign some kind of bond before sending them to study/work abroad?

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  7. why should these highly qualified person work under less intellect selfish politician

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  8. If this happens to a military officer he will undergo a court martial for desertion followed by imprisonment. IAS of course is not accountable for the time and money spend in training and has no oath to serve the nation. God Bless India.

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