06-07-2025
A momentous journey of self-discovery
After cine celebrities, the one community whose memoirs raise expectations is that of the civil servants. Having spent considerable time of their lives in the innermost circles of power, the anecdotes they choose to share invariably reveal what their actual intentions are – whether they are keen on exposing the no-go zones for public scrutiny or gloss over the governance imperfections to make it a feel- good experience.
Many a book has fallen into either of these silos and a few, in between. Yet, whatever has been written about the administration of central and state governments have gone on to showcase what this hallowed service is all about, a very coveted profession still, for many youngsters in the country.
'Life of a Karma Yogi' – Memoir of a Civil Servant by M Gopalakrishna (pp 472 – Gyan Publishing House, 2025) is a voluminous compilation. The career bureaucrat, who is a 1962 batch IAS officer has had a kaleidoscopic range of experiences both at the Centre and State having had considerable administrative experience in the North East, a landmine for any official, given its complexity and inaccessibility till recently.
A turnaround expert, as he was hailed, he is known for operationalising Godavari Fertilisers and Chemicals ahead of schedule and within the estimated budget. This earned it a case study in project management. Individually, as the blurb points out he has earned nearly 400 awards over time which highlights his skillful excellence as an administrator and trouble shooter.
Yet the author notes: 'I notice that successor civil servants are educationally, technically and experience-wise, more qualified, versatile and suited to analyse, advise and led our development efforts. India is safe in their hands'.
Spread over 36 chapters, which forms the Part-I of the book the author goes into great detail about his multifarious experiences during his various role plays in different corners of the country. Quite appropriately, he served as Chairman of Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE) as a spokesman for the public sector. The second part of the book elaborates on the post-retirement phase which he terms as 'Seva with Bhava'. It is a very impressive collection of roles, managing different organisations like EMRI, NHRD, NBA, FICCI and Rural Development Foundation.
It is understandable that such a notable career would be commended generously. Beginning with the then Governor, Dr C Rangarajan, to a host of fellow bureaucrats who have held the steel frame together, a 10-page compilation of testimonies put to rest any doubt about his extraordinary abilities to harness his inner potential and burnish his skills continuously.
As Dr Rangarajan notes: 'The narrative is thick with details. Gopalakrishna must have kept detailed notes of his actions all through his career. Or he must have extraordinary memory. Maybe he has both. Another interesting aspect of the narrative is what we get to know about the social and family life all through the last eight decades. The insights offered into the functioning of a joint family are both interesting and revealing'.
To put it succinctly, an inspiring and informative book for civil service aspirants and readers interested to know about what real governance and administration is all about.
