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Famous IAS officers in India, Know about their Roles and Contributions!

PWOnlyIAS May 28, 2024 06:49 4760 0

Famous IAS officers in India have been successful in bringing changes to the society. Here you can read about some of the famous IAS officers in India!

Famous IAS officers in India, Know about their Roles and Contributions!

Famous IAS officers in India have not become famous overnight. They have worked hard to improve governance and development of India, taking up a variety of initiatives that have brought them into the limelight.

These famous IAS officers in India are not just drivers of change in society. They have the capability to inspire a generation of youngsters to contribute to society. Aspirants can take inspiration from these famous IAS officers in India to work hard and realise their dreams of serving society.

Here, we will read about some of the famous IAS officers in India who have managed to make a positive difference in administration and governance!

Famous IAS Officers in India: An Overview

Many IAS officers in India have shown exceptional dedication, integrity, and leadership when it comes to service to society. Many such famous IAS officers in India have become role model to youngsters because of their work.

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From anti-corruption drives to innovative schemes, these famous IAS officers in India have managed to bring some change in the lives of common people. Their reforms and steps have served as inspiration for future officers to work in the same direction. 

Also Read: First IAS Officer in India

Top 10 Famous IAS Officers in India

IAS officers have been sources of inspiration for common people, as they have led by example to make this society a better place. Here are the top 10 most famous IAS officers in India.

Armstrong Pame (23-09-1984)

Famous IAS officers in India

The IAS officer from Manipur, belonging to the Zema Naga tribe, is known for building a 100-km road by raising money through crowdfunding on Facebook.

Mr Armstrong is a Physics (Hon.) graduate from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University. He has completed a Transformational Leadership Course from Oxford University and Leadership in 21st Century Executive Education Module from Harvard Kennedy School. 

He has been declared by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global leader of Class of 2018. Known as “Miracle Man” for building the “People’s Road”, Mr Pame was nominated for the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year award in 2012.

Smita Sabharwal (19-06-1977)

Famous IAS officers in India

Smita Sabharwal is a 2001 batch IAS officer of the Telangana cadre. She has been dubbed as the “The People’s Officer” due to her proactive approach to addressing citizen issues.

During her posting as Municipal commissioner, Sabharwal introduced the “Fund your City” scheme where a large number of public infrastructures such as Traffic Junctions, Foot-overbridges, Bus-stops, Parks were created with Public-Private partnership (PPP). 

She is the first woman to be appointed to the Chief Minister’s office and currently serves as the  Secretary to CM, Government of Telangana and holds additional charge as Secretary, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Department (Mission Bhagiratha Department).

Durga Shakti Nagpal (25-06-1985)

Famous IAS officers in India

Durga Shakti Nagpal is an IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre. Earlier, she was with the Punjab cadre. Nagpal graduated with an undergraduate degree in computer engineering from Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University in 2007.

Nagpal is known for launching a massive drive against illegal sand mining during her tenure in Gautam Buddh Nagar. Her suspension due to political interference led to massive protests from civil society, forcing the then government of Uttar Pradesh to reinstate her.

Suhas Yathiraj (02-07-1983)

Famous IAS officers in India

Suhas Yathiraj is an IAS officer of the 2007 batch from the Uttar Pradesh cadre and is known for his remarkable achievement as a world-class para-badminton player.

Mr Suhas became the first Indian bureaucrat to win a professional International Badminton Championship when he won the gold medal in Asian Para Badminton Championships, 2016.

He won a silver medal in the SL-4 category at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021. He was honored with the Arjuna award for his contributions to the sport. He is currently posted as the Secretary and Director General of Youth Welfare and Prantiya Rakshak Dal, Uttar Pradesh

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Dr Raju Narayana Swamy (24-05-1968)

Famous IAS officers in India

A 1991 batch officer of the Kerala cadre, Dr Raju was the top rank holder of his batch. For his anti-corruption zeal, he has been transferred 30 times in 32 years of his service.

Mr Raju has acted as a whistleblower who has been involved in investigating illegal land dealings and political corruption in Kerala. 

He is also a prolific writer who has won prestigious awards such as Kerala Sahitya Academy Award for his literary works. He has also been honoured with the Satyendra K. Dubey Memorial Award from IIT Kanpur for professional integrity in upholding human values.

B K Chaturvedi (09-07-1944)

Famous IAS officers in India

He is an IAS officer of the 1966 batch who has served as the Cabinet Secretary to the Government of India.

He has a master’s degree in Physics from Allahabad University, with specialization in Electronics. Before joining the service, he was the professor of physics at the Motilal Nehru Regional Engineering College, Allahabad.

Mr Chaturvedi has served in the Planning Commission and as the Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas. Chaturvedi has specialized in finance and commerce, serving in roles such as Secretary (Finance) in Uttar Pradesh and Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the State Trading Corporation of India. He pioneered insurance sector reforms and initiated gender budgeting in India. 

He has been recognized for his outstanding performance as District Magistrate of Azamgarh and for his contributions to education, including starting a school for young girls in Azamgarh. He has been awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2010 for his exemplary service.

Amitabh Kant (01-03-1956)

Famous IAS officers in India

Mr Kant was a Kerala cadre IAS officer who served the state in various capacities. During his tenure in central government, he had driven campaigns such as “Incredible India”, “Make in India”, “Start-up India”, “Ease of Doing Business” etc. 

Amitabh Kant, played a pivotal role in India’s G20 presidency, ensuring its success with extensive nationwide engagement. Known for his work on the Incredible India and Make in India campaigns, Kant has been instrumental in initiatives like Startup India and the Aspirational Districts programme. 

His diverse career includes roles such as Secretary, Kerala Tourism; CEO of NITI Aayog; and Chairman of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Development Corporation. Throughout his career, Kant has been recognized for his clarity, decisiveness, and ability to drive major national initiatives.

Vinod Rai (23-05-1948)

Famous IAS officers in India

Vinod Rai, born on May 23, 1948, in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, studied in Delhi and later at Harvard University, specializing in finance and public administration

Known for his disciplined work ethic, he served as Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), where his audits of the 2G spectrum and coal scams earned national recognition for promoting transparency. Previously, he has also served as the Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and the Chairman of the Banks Board Bureau.

Awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2016, Rai is celebrated for strengthening public sector accountability and setting high standards in financial management and governance.

Ashok Khemka (30-04-1965)

Famous IAS officers in India

Khemka is an IAS officer of the 1991 batch of the Haryana Cadre  who is well known for his action against corruption.

Ashok Khemka, born in Kolkata to a lower middle-class family, graduated from IIT Kharagpur in 1988 with a B.Tech in Computer Science. He earned a Ph.D. from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, an MBA, and an MA in Economics from IGNOU. Khemka then passed the IAS exams and was selected for the Haryana cadre

Ashok Khemka is known for canceling Robert Vadra’s illegal land deal in Gurgaon. As a whistleblower, he uncovered several scams under Bhupinder Hooda’s regime, including the Vadra-DLF land scam, the Sonepat-Kharkhoda IMT land scam, and the Garhi Sampla Uddar Gagan land scam. As of 2023, he has been transferred 55 times in his 30 years of service by state governments.

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Ira Singhal (31-08-1983)

Famous IAS officers in India

Ira Singhal became the first differently-abled woman to top the civil services exam. She has been associated with issues such as education, disability, gender disparity, skill development etc.

Ira quit her well-paying job at Cadbury India in Mumbai to prepare for the UPSC exam. Motivated by a desire to help the world rather than money, she appeared for the UPSC in 2010 and qualified for the Customs and Central Excise Service. However, her disability did not fit the listed categories, and her file was rejected.

Ira filed a lawsuit in the Central Administrative Tribunal, fighting under the Persons with Disabilities Act with support from her father, Rajendra Singhal. Despite numerous attempts in 2011, 2013, and 2014 to improve her rank and find a suitable cadre, she faced obstacles. Finally, in 2014, she won the case and was inducted as an assistant commissioner. In early 2015, Ira was declared the UPSC topper.

She is currently the Brand Ambassador for the Department of Disability, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, and is posted as Deputy Commissioner at Tirap District, Arunachal Pradesh.

Also Read: Full form of IAS

List of Famous IAS Officers in India

  • Anna Rajam Malhotra: Malhotra was the first woman IAS officer of India. She is well-known for breaking many gender stereotypes during her tenure as IAS Officer.
  • T N Seshan: T N Seshan had served as the 10th Chief Election Commissioner of India, and is known for implementing many electoral reforms. He won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for government service.
  • D Subbarao: D Subbarao served as the 22nd Governor of RBI. During his tenure as an IAS Officer, he is known to have systematically implemented the land transfer regulation.
  • U Sagayam: An officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, Sagayam is known for his fight against illegal granite mining in Madurai. 
  • Tukaram Mundhe: He took on the powerful politicians in Maharashtra.
  • Pradeep Kumar Jena: An officer of Odisha cadre, he is widely appreciated for his work during cyclone Fani.
  • O P Choudhry: He is known to have implemented many educational initiatives in the naxal-affected Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh.
  • Aruna Sundararajan: She is known to have played a major role in setting up Kerala’s IT department and spearheading the Akshaya project.

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Famous IAS officers in India FAQs

Ashok Khemka, Amitabh Kant, T N Seshan etc are some of the famous IAS officers in India.

The cabinet secretary is the most powerful IAS position in India.

Ira Singhal, Durga Shakti Nagpal, Smita Sabharwal, Anna Rajam Malhotra are some of the famous female IAS officers.

Famous IAS officers are known for their exemplary contributions to society, governance, and public welfare.

Satyendranath Bose was the first IAS officer in India.
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