Meera Chadha Borwankar : First female IPS Officer in Maharashtra Cadre from Fazilka

Another reason to feel proud for the entire community of this India’s smallest big town Fazilka. Daughter of Fazilka, Meera Chadha Borwankar, for becoming the first ever woman to be posted as Commissioner of Mumbai Crime Branch in its 150-year-long history. To be a woman police officer in a force that has barely one or two per cent women is unique in itself; but to head an investigative force of 300 police officers is definitely a first. At present she is working as Special Inspector General of Police, CID State Crime Branch, stationed at Pune.

Mumbai's Crime Branch is known as the premier department of the city's police force, handling the investigation of organized and white-collar crime, and law enforcement in the mega-polis. While it didn't exactly cover itself with glory during the Mumbai riots in the early 1990s, it has had to deal with the operations of rival underworld gangs remote controlled by Dawood Ibrahim, Chhota Rajan and even the don-turned-politician Arun Gawli. It has had to grapple with criminal cases against big film financiers like Bharat Shah, the ignominious Prevention of Terrorist Act (POTA) case against Mohammad Afroz and myriad encounters against gangsters by trigger-happy cops who call themselves `encounter specialists'.

Born and brought up in Fazilka, studies till matriculation from D.C Model School Fazilka. Her father, Mr. O P Chadha, was with the Border Security Force and Posted in Fazilka region till 1971 war. Later she completed her Master's in English Literature from Lyallpur Khalsa College and did her post-graduation from DAV College in Jalandhar, Punjab. She was, by all accounts, a very good student and became head girl of her college. Later, she also studied Policy Analysis in Law Enforcement at the University of Minnesota, USA, was awarded the President's Medal for meritorious service in 1997, apart from the police medal and the Director General’s insignia for meritorious service and Hubert Humphrey Fellowship (2001-2) in three decades of her policing career. During her stint with the state Crime Investigation Department from 1993-95, one of the important cases she investigated was the Jalgaon sex scandal

While answering to a question about choosing IPS as her career, she said “I was good at studies too, participating in plays, debates, etc. I was also in the Punjab Cricket Team”. So, in general I grew up with no future thoughts, but I was sure I did not want my life to end with marriage. When I was in college, during '71-'72, Kiran Bedi had just joined the IPS and was creating waves. That is when, one day, my teachers called me and told me that they saw within me the potential for the IPS and that I should consider it as a career option. I completed my M.A. In English Literature, cleared my UPSC examinations and did my basic police training at SVP National Police Academy, Hyderabad. She asserts that women are much more patient, resourceful and capable than men. All they need to do is throw away the yoke of selfdoubt and their own insecurities

In 1981, she became an IPS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, served as Deputy Commissioner of Police at Mumbai between 1987-91, held independent charge of Aurangabad as District Superintendent of Police (and later of Satara in 1996-99) and was posted at the state CID crime branch in 1993-95. She worked with the Economic Offences Wing of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Mumbai and was DIG of the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the CBI in New Delhi.

She is married to Mr. Abhay Borwankar, who quit the Indian Administrative Service to start a food-processing business. She has two children and they presently live in Pune with family.Her immediate ongoing tasks are the extradition case of gangsters like Abu Salem and his partner Monica Bedi from Portugal, Iqbal Mirchi and Tariq Parvin from Dubai and Sharmila Shanbhag from Germany.

Entire Fazilka is proud on her achievements. It is wonderful to have such police officers in our country. We wish Fazilite Meera a bright and further satisfying career ahead. She would be a source of motivation to thousands of young girls in the country. We all know this upright and down-to earth and no-nonsense officer will achieve greater heights and fulfill her mission for the good of the nation! May God Bless Her in All Her Endeavors and Godspeed!

Interview with ADGP Karuna Sagar IPS

Shri. Karuna Sagar is the Additional Commissioner of Police, Traffic, Chennai. He joined Indian Police Service in 1991 and presently heads the Traffic wing of Chennai police.

He has held several positions including that of DIG of Police, Crime Branch CID; Chennai, DIG of Police, Armed Police, Chennai; Commissioner of Police, Thirunelveli; and Commissioner of Police, Trichy.

In an exclusive interview with Marie Banu, Shri Karuna Sagar IPS talks about his passion towards social causes.

* What motivated you to become a police officer?

> Basically, I come from Bihar. We have seen what a good law and order can do to a State and what a bad law and order can do. I was very interested since my early school days to join the Indian Police Service, since I thought that police has a big role in terms of being a social changer; creating a consumer atmosphere; and creating a society where there is equality of law.

* We recently saw a discussion on whether Sanjay Dutt can be relieved from punishment. You can have sympathy for one person, but law has to be blind. If you are talking about one individual, what about the human rights of those who have been convicted earlier?

> I think IPS gives you an excellent platform to transform your ideas into concrete action, and that is the reason why I wanted to join.

* What did you study in College?

> I did my Graduation as well as Post-graduation in History from Delhi University. History is a subject I am very passionate about. Because, it tells you everything that happens in society—all the changes, all the events, all the developments, and the progression in society is chronicled in History. I consider it as a holistic subject that gives you a perspective of many things – science, art, literature, social developments.

* Which of the social issues are you passionate about?

> I am very passionate about equality before law. Wherever I take charge, the first thing I tell my officers is that the weaker section of the society (whether they are minorities or SC or ST or women or elderly or disabled or those who are somehow disadvantaged in the social system), should be given due protection and we have to be very proactive.

I am very passionate about social issues. In fact, all my readings are books that deal with social issues. I am very alive about what is happening in society and I closely watch.

* Police and Social work – Your thoughts?

> I think that policing is a tool to do something good for the society as a whole. It is a very strong mechanism where you can deliver. You can make sure that a rape victim gets quick and correct justice; and we can interfere when an old man or old woman is badly treated by his or her children. The kind of interference powers that police have is phenomenal and we can do tremendous amount of social work by being in the police.

* In case of any natural or man-made disaster, it is the policemen who are the first to engage in rescue operations. Is there any ongoing disaster preparedness programme that your department engages in?

> We do coordinate disaster management programs for our department from time to time. But, the way we have been trained to work, we know how to respond to a disaster. For instance, if a flood or tsunami occurs, the policeman is going to be first person to respond. In case of a fire accident, even before the fire tender reaches the spot, the policeman arrives here. So, we know that we are the first responders. Being the first responders there are certain kind of actions which is expected of us, and those things we do.

There is a lot of talk about Disaster Management. The State and the Central Government have a Disaster Management committee and there is a National Disaster Management Force which is now operational all over our country. A structured force is always welcome, but to cover one lakh police force in Tamil Nadu will take some time.

* The city traffic is chaos during peak hours, and more during school hours. Do you think that like school uniform and common syllabus a compulsory school bus service could make the traffic scene better at least for the school going children?

> Actually, that is a wonderful idea! The schools today are established in busy localities. They were established 20 or 30 years back. For example, Don Bosco at Egmore, there is no space for parking except on the road. So, when the parents come to drop and pick up their children there is traffic congestion.

If you take one car, you will be taking one student; whereas one bus can carry 50 to 60 students. It is to that extent we can reduce congestion and a bus may take the space of three cars. Therefore, it is a very logical idea. It makes all the sense in an urban living today. We are talking about car pools for gentlemen who are in services. So, for children to have a mass transportation system is absolutely the best thing to happen.

Unfortunately, the Traffic Police cannot enforce this rule as I do not have the powers. The decision has to be taken by the school management and the authorities.

* About the health of the policemen, especially police women who serve on bandobust duty for several hours with no proper toilets nearby. What steps have been taken by your department to address this issue?

> For women, the toilet access is definitely an issue. But, there are posted only for a short time. I don’t have regular women manning the traffic. It is only during major bandobust that we assign them. At the most, they would spend two to three hours a day. We arrange to pick them up and dropped them back to their place of duty.

More so, the women traffic police are aged between 21 to 25 years. They are young, smart, and physically fit. They are from the Tamil Nadu special police and have just joined the force.

For the other traffic police—we are providing them with buttermilk twice a day and giving them pith hats so that they do not suffer from heatstroke. I am also trying to revamp my traffic umbrellas so that they are better. The signal controls will be transferred to the umbrellas so that the policeman can sit and man the traffic.

* Your advice for social workers?

> One of my passions is Social Work. I think that the whole NGO system is extremely important. They should be above pettiness, above corruption, and deliver the goods. Because, they have been tasked to deliver the goods where the governments’ reach does not transcend.

Right now, at my level, I do small things with the help of other NGOs. In the future, I plan to involve myself in Social Work in a big way.

IAS: Physically challenged youth cracks UPSC exam

Fulfilling his long-cherished dream, Ashish Kumar Verma (26) secured the 726th rank in the coveted examination results of which were announced late last week.
"I did not let my handicap come in way of my preparation for the examination," he said. "I just concentrated on my studies just like any other student and succeeded."
The wheelchair-bound Ashish said he faced certain difficulties in going out of his home to places such as coaching institutes, but he made it up by doing self-study. "I did not attend any coaching classes but I studied for 12 to 14 hours every day to qualify in the civil services."
Ashish, who opted for History and Hindi Literature as his main subjects in the examination, said that he had never let his disability get the better of him as a student in the past. "I have always had a positive attitude," he said.
The Patna-based youth said that he was happy to note that none of the members of the interview board asked him anything about his handicap. "I was treated as any other candidate," he stated.
Ashish's attitude had helped him attain better academic results over the years. After performing exceptionally well in his school examinations, he got the third rank in the Hindi (Honours) examination at Patna College and followed it up by becoming a topper in the post-graduation examination at Patna University. "I also qualified in the National Eligibility Test (NET) in 2008," Ashish said.
Ashish, son of a postal department official, said he was doing a PhD in Hindi when the UPSC results were announced. "I am at present doing a doctoral research on the works of the noted Hindi writer Dharmvir  Bharti," he said.
He stated that he would like to appear in the civil services examination again to improve his rank. "Though I will join whatever central service is allotted to me this year, I would like to give the examination another shot," he added.
Ashish said that his parents, Satish Chandra Prasad and Neelam Sinha, as well as his elder brother uncle, friends and teachers encouraged him a lot during his preparation. "They all motivated me at every stage to help me achieve my goal," he added.
Ashish, who hails from Nawada district in Bihar, said that he had always aspired to join the civil services since his school days."But it was only after qualifying the NET that I concentrated on the UPSC examination," he added.
Ashish said that he would like to tell all the physically challenged civil service aspirants that they should not let any negative thought get the better of them. "If they truly want to achieve success, a positive approach is a must," he said.
A lover of Hindi, he said that he regularly wrote poems, stories and articles in the language in his spare time. "Writing poem is a passion for me and one of them is the philosophy of my life, "Life is a festival, celebrate it. Every inch of this earth is fertile, grow flowers on it," he said.

Courtesy: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/

Haritha tops Civil service Exam

When told she had topped the civil services examination, Haritha V Kumar thought her friends were pulling her leg. "I could not believe it was true," the Indian Revenue Service probationer, who topped the Civil Service Examination 2012 on her fourth attempt, said.

Haritha Vijaya Kumar, a B Tech graduate from Thiruvananthapuram emerged topper and list contained names of four Malayalees among the top ten.
Haritha Vijaya Kumar is currently in Faridabad as a part of a training for the Indian Revenue  Service (IRS). Her father, Vijaya Kumar told Manorama Online that Haritha was very much dedicated to the Civil Services Examination from early days.

She had passed the preliminary examination in her first attempt, but missed narrowly in the mains.In her second attempt she got 179th rank and opted for IRS. The first rank came in her fourth attempt.

Haritha Vijaya Kumar opted for Economics and Malayalam as main subjects for all her attempts in the Civil Services Examination.

Her study always corresponded with the syllabus and practised writing answers. Haritha worked hard but never missed proper sleep of 6-8 hours a day. 

A trained singer and dancer, Haritha was also very active in extra curricular activities since her school days.

A student of Pala Civil Service Institute Haritha had gone to one or two other institutes for General Studies and mock interviews.
The Union Public Service Commission announced a list of 998 successful candidates (753 men & 245 women), with two from Kerala candidates topping the examination. Kumar trained as an electronics engineer while V Sriram qualified as a doctor from Kerala University. This was his 2nd attempt.
Women candidates retained their top positions across the general, scheduled caste and scheduled tribe categories. But male candidates retained a slim majority in the toppers list, bagging 13 of the 25 seats. More than half a million candidates applied for the examination out of which 2.71 lakh actually appeared.
( Courtesy: http://www.hindustantimes.com/,  Jisha G Nair : http://english.manoramaonline.com/ )

Govind Jaiswal-48th in Civil Service Examination, 2006

His father, a rickshaw vendor, toiled hard, sold off land so that the son can get education. Complementing his father’s struggle and dream, Govind ranked 48th in Civil Service Examination, 2006 – among 474 candidates.

Govind is son of a rickshaw vendor from Varanasi. He has cleared the IAS toppers list this year; thus setting an example of empowerment through education. Although due credit goes also to his father who has toiled all the past years to educate his son with a dream in his eyes!

When Govind got the news of clearing the Civil Services Exam, tears ran down Govind Jaiswal's face and refused to stop. Staring him in the face was the only thing he had ever wanted, and now that he had achieved it.

He waited till the tears dried up, till the news sunk in and made that one phone call on which depended the hopes of his entire family.

Govind, the son of an illiterate rickshaw vendor in Varanasi, had grown up with cruel taunts like 'However much you study, you will still be a rickshaw puller.' He had studied with cotton stuffed in his ears to drown the noise of printing machines and generators below his window in a poor neighbourhood where small workshops existed cheek by jowl with tiny residential quarters.

He had given Math tuitions to supplement the paltry sum his father could afford to send him each month. His ailing father had sold a small plot of land to give Govind about Rs 40,000 so that he could move to Delhi which would provide him a better place to study.

Throughout his life, he had lived with only one dream -- to become an officer of the Indian Administrative Service. For him that was the only way. And when he broke the news to his family, that he was ranked 48 among 474 successful candidates in his first attempt at the exam -- it was the turn of his three sisters and father to weep with unbridled joy.

I could not afford to have any other career goal. My life would have been absolutely futile had I not made it into the civil services," says Govind, just back from his medicals in New Delhi, mandatory for the IAS.

"You must understand that my circumstances were such that besides the Civil Services, I had no option. I didn't have much of a chance with lower government jobs because they are mostly fixed, neither could I start a business because I had no money. The only thing I could do was work hard at my studies."

It was almost impossible for him to study in the one room he shared with his family. To add to his woes was the power cut that extended between 10 and 14 hours every day. The moment the lights went out, he had to shut the window to block out the deafening noise of generators in the many workshops around his home.

So in search for a quiet place to study, he briefly shared a friend's room at the Banaras Hindu University. Since that did not help him much, he did what many civil services aspirants in northern India do -- he moved to New Delhi.

For his son to make a fresh start in a city Govind had never visited before, Narayan Jaiswal, Govind's father, sold the only remaining plot of land he had saved after getting his three daughters married.

Working for ten years at the government ration shop, Narayan earned a living by weighing goods at the store. One day when the shop shut down, he bought one rickshaw and hired it out. He added three more and at one time was prosperous enough to own about 36 rickshaws.
That was a period of financial security and Narayan was prudent enough to buy three small plots of land. With three daughters to marry off, he knew he would need it in times to come. But bad times soon befell the family. His wife passed away when Govind was in school. For 10 years there was acute hardship. The rickshaws dwindled.

On his meager earnings, the uneducated rickshaw vendor with a hearing disability continued the education of his children. The girls were married after their graduation -- Narayan sold two pieces of land for the weddings, the last plot was sold to achieve his Govinda's dream.

Narayan gave his son Rs 40,000 to prepare for his Civil Services exam in New Delhi and pursue his childhood dream of becoming an IAS officer. For the next three years, he sent his son between Rs 2,500 and Rs 3,000 every month, sometimes foregoing the expense of treating the septic wound in his foot that continues to nag him till today.

Outside his narrow lane, opposite the Varanasi City railway station, where Narayan Jaiswal parks his rickshaws and spends most of his waking hours, he still walks barefooted with a bandage, one end hanging loose and scraping the dirty road.

"Beyond this year, my father could not have afforded to send Govind any more money. It was getting very tough for him. Govind was earning Rs 1,500 from tuitions, I don't know what he would have done if he didn't make it to the IAS this year. My father could not sleep for 10 days before the results came," says Govind's eldest sister Nirmala, whose son is almost the same age as her brother.

Now that he will earn Rs 8,000 as his starting salary during his two-year training period in Mussoorie, Govind says his first priority is getting good treatment for his father's wound.

"I want to look after him, I don't know if he will leave Varanasi but I will definitely move him out of this rented room that we have lived for 35 years."

If his son's new job dramatically changes things for the better, Narayan Jaiswal is quite unaffected by it. He is surprised by the scores of journalists and well wishers flocking to his house.

Until now, courier delivery boys found his house with great difficulty but now even the fruit cart-wallah, one-and-a-half kilometres away, will tell you where the 'IAS' house is.

"I like my work. I haven't decided about the future -- what could be a better place than Kashi? As long as my son looks after me, what else can one want?" he says, visibly uncomfortable with the media spotlight.

Having lived his life in Varanasi, the holy city on the banks of the Ganga, Govind has given his home state Uttar Pradesh as his preferred region of posting. If he doesn't get UP, he is open to being sent to any state in India.

"Varanasi needs a tight administration. As for me, I want to be a good officer. We are the agents of change and I as an administrator would like to inform common people about their right to know, their right to information. The benefit should finally go to the people."

His hero is President A P J Abdul Kalam. Govind is reading the Hindi translation of the President's best-selling book On Wings of Fire and takes out a nicely thumbed copy from a plastic bag.

"After Gandhiji, President Kalam has given us a dream and the power to dream. His dream is of a developed India and he is a symbol of many common people's dreams."

In a time when the Indian bureaucracy has its drawbacks like a lack of accountability, corruption and perpetuating a system that was handed down by the British to rule a subordinate population Govind's thoughts are fired by the idealism of youth. He insists his idealism will not be watered down in future years, that he will not allow himself to be influenced.

"I am a product of my circumstances that has been wrought with hardships. When I go out as an officer my character will be put to the test, and then I want to see what a real man I am."

[Courtesy: Outlook Magazine and Rediff.com]