IAS Association: Team of two

By training, the IAS has been taught to remain invisible. The motto was to finish one’s work and leave the rest to the government but times are changing. In the time of social media explosion, it’s difficult to remain detached. Young IAS officers are more vibrant, agile and writing about not only their achievements but using social media tools for good governance. The IAS Association not only facilitates its serving IAS members but also keeps in touch with retired officers through its various periodical activities. As officers are serving in far off areas, there is need for a common platform for intra-cadre dialogue, so it has a website, twitter and facebook page. Recently, Avinash K. Srivastava, an IAS officer of the 1982 batch, has been elected as the new president and Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma, an IAS officer of the 1994 batch, as Secretary of the association. Srivastava is working as Secretary in the Department of Consumer Affairs whereas Sharma is serving as Joint Secretary in the Department of Fertilisers. Coincidently, both are Mechanical Engineers and hail from the UP cadre. Srivastava started his career after qualifying in Special Class Railway Apprenticeship (SCRA) Examination; he joined Indian Railway Institute of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, Jamalpur, Bihar where he did B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering as well as B.Tech in Electrical Engineering. Later, he also did Post-Graduate Diploma in Management with specialization in Financial Management. He is a well experienced officer and has served both the UP and central governments. Apart from being an engineer, Sharma is also a well-established writer. He has written Lucknow Diaries: Of Love and Longing, Love: Side by Side, Ek Kadam Hazar Afsane, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke Musafir Hoon Yaro, Every Mile a Memory. Serving as an officer and heading an association of colleagues and seniors is a double-edged weapon. In a time where the sword of the four Cs viz CBI, CVC, Court, and CR is drawn and scandals are continuously being exposed, officers are feeling increasingly trapped, it is to be seen how Srivastava and Sharma lead the IAS Association on the right side.