India Needs More IAS Officers Like Keerthi Jalli And None Like Sanjeev Khirwar
The names of two officers from the Indian Administrative Service have become viral simultaneously for their walk. one walked through ankle deep mud and another walked on a athletic track with his IAS wife and their family dog. The former earned praise while the later earned notoriety. One displayed humility and dedication to her sense of responsibility towards the common people and the other displayed an obnoxiously feudalistic attitude and arrogance.
In a few viral photos and videos, Keerthi Jalli, the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar District in Assam can be seen visiting flood affected areas and supervising relief operations either on foot in ankle deep mud or on rafts in turbulent waters. Keerthi has earned praise from people and local media in Assam for her dedication and humility. Even during the Covid-19 crisis Keerthi was one of the bureaucrats who had earned praise for her dedication and people-friendliness.
The other IAS officer who has gone viral is Sanjeev Khirwar, the Principal Secretary of Delhi. But his name has not hit the headlines for any good reason. Rather, he is making news for his alleged feudal behaviour and classic display of arrogance very commonly associated with ‘babugiri’. Khirwar has allegedly been misusing the Thyagarajan Stadium in New Delhi for his ‘family dog’ just like a medieval Maharaja. For more than a month, athletes at the stadium have been ordered to vacate the facility as early as 7 pm so that the Khirwar, along with his IAS wife Rinku Dhugga, can walk the family dog.
While Officers like Keerthi Jalli represent the values and idealism in the Indian bureaucracy that has still kept the system alive, people like Khirwar and Dhugga represent the rot in the system that prevents India from progressing. No doubt, the officers like Khirwar and Dhugga, holding very senior positions, also dampen the spirit of upright and honest officers.
For the sake of a bright future of the country, India needs to clean up the system of rots like Khirwar and fill it up with more people like Keerthi.
