+DSS\1HZ<HDU

Issue 22 www.iasmah.org Connecting the IAS Community January 2004

Let us be together
Let us interact together
While the prosaic are apt to dismiss the And may our minds

)DUHWKHHZHOO0U5DMHQGUD
Year 2004 as yet another beginning of Comprehend together....Rigveda

6LQJKDQG0U0%5D\
the earth’s journey round the sun, die-
hard optimists will celebrate it as birth of
a bright, beautiful and bouncing baby
blessed with smiling and searching eyes The Association gave a warm farewell to
of a lonesome lover looking lovingly for Addl Chief Secretary Rajendra Singh
his lively little lovable lass! That’s New (1968) and Secretary & OSD Appeals
Year! Fresh and sprightly, blithe and (R&FD) MB Ray (1977) in Mantralaya
bonny, pretty and petite, with a cheerful on 31 December 2003 on their superan-
and cherubic countenance, all wreathed nuation. Wishing them a very happy and
in mischievous and captivating smiles, it healthy post-retirement life, senior
has arrived with a galaxy of gifts and a members Satish Tripathi, Suresh Joshi,
treasure trove of happiness, all for you! BN Makhija, Govind Swarup, SS Hus-
Pat yourself on the back for having sain, Subhash Lalla, JP Dange, and
made it to this occasion. Come on. President Ajit Nimbalkar referred to the
Switch on your million rupee smile and personal qualities of both Mr Rajendra
By VS GOPALAKRISHNAN
receive it with open arms. Laugh heartily Singh and Mr MB Ray. They narrated
“OK, my husband was totally inefficient and some memorable incidents concerning
and you will find each ripple of laughter he had to be prematurely retired. But he had a
generate waves of infectious enthusiasm, transferable job. Why don’t you give it to me?” these retiring officers and said that they
divine inspiration and total confidence were proud to have been associated with
throughout your body to equip you to [Mr VS Gopalakrishnan (1962) is Director Gen- them. Chief Secretary Nimbalkar felici-
face the future, boldly and beautifully. eral, World Trade Centre, Mumbai. He can be tated them and wished them well in life.
Never mind if it takes you down memory contacted on: 022-22182879; 24936429; In reply, Mr Singh and Mr Ray said that
they were very happy to have worked in

3*3URJUDPLQ3XEOLF3ROLF\
lane and makes you happy about your vsgopal2000@yahoo.com].
adventures and achievements or sad Maharashtra and enjoyed full job satis-

0JPWDW,,0%DQJDORUH
about your foibles and failures. Do not faction. They thanked their colleagues
repent or regret even for a moment, for for their unstinted support, love and af-
the past is past, and here is a Godsend Nominations are invited from officers of fection. Mr Singh and Mr Ray have de-
for you to turn over a new leaf. cided to settle in New Delhi and Kolkata,
Group ‘A’ service, in the seniority of 7-
Can you see those two little birds 20 years for the third postgraduate pro- respectively. The Association wishes

.XPXG%DQVDOLVDOVR
there, chirping to themselves with gay gramme in public policy & management them all happiness.

,&+5&KDLUSHUVRQ
abandon and musical mirth? They have during 2004-06 at the Centre for Public
already sensed arrival of better days. So, Policy, IIM Bangalore. Sponsored by the
why not wink at them? They will wink Department of Personnel & Training, Kumud Bansal (1969), Addl Secretary in
back and thereby make your day. And Government of India, and designed as a the Ministry of Human Resource Devel-
see those fine-looking fresh flowers high quality programme with a set of opment, New Delhi, has been given addi-
there. They are more fragrant than before core courses and a range of electives, it tional charge of chairperson of the Indian

6XGKD%KDYHWRFRQWLQXH
on this New Year’s Eve. So discard your includes an international module of Council for Historical Research.
cozy bed and go out into the open. The about seven weeks’ duration at Maxwell

ZLWK$WRPLF(QHUJ\
morning air is damp and chilly. It will School of Citizenship and Public Affairs,
embrace you as if only to wish you a University of Syracuse, USA. The pro-
Happy New Year. How can you remain gramme is for 30 participants, who will Ms Sudha Bhave (1975), Joint Secretary,
passive? See that person there. Never be provided residential family accom- has got extension in the Department of

:LQWHU:HGGLQJV
seen before? Don’t worry. Just flash modation at IIM Bangalore. Eligible of- Atomic Energy, Government of India.
your smile and say: Happy New Year. He ficers may apply in the prescribed form,
or she will wish you back with many available on www.publicpolicies.org,
sweet smiles. Ring up your neighbours through the GAD, Mantralaya. The last Devyani Khobragade, IFS Officer and
and friends to say New Year Greetings. date for the applications to reach IIM daughter of FDA Commissioner Uttam
Give yourself an extra dose of anything Bangalore is 16 January 2004. The pro- Khobragade (1986), married Dr Aakash
that cheers you most. Jump and rejoice gramme will commence from 1 June Singh Rathore, son of Ms Saroj Chand

Mumbai on 3 December 2003. *HRUJH

the advent of the Leap Year. Sing, dance, 2004. Mr Sumit Mullick (1982) has al- and late Dr RN Singh, at a wedding in
gambol and enjoy! For, it is now a grand ready undergone the first programme
event, a golden chance to make others and Mr Shreekant Deshpande (1991) is son of Johny Joseph (1972), Principal Secre-
happier this year. So, let’s say once participating in the second programme at tary to the Chief Minister, wedded Smriti,
again: A Happy New Year! present. daughter of Shri Subraya Shenoy, New Jer-
Rameshchandra Kanade sey, USA on 28 December 2003.
A Monthly Newsletter of the IAS Officers’ Association, Maharashtra Branch For private circulation only
 /DNVKPL6HVKDGUL$ YDOXHGIULHQGDQGFROOHDJXH
2 REMEMBERING GOOD SOUL
Lakshmi Seshadri, wife of Mr KK Seshadri (1951), passed away on 18 May 2003 in the Vassar Brothers’ Hospital in the
US. She died of asthma and old age. She was born in Chennai on 1 November 1933. Her father was the late Shri TMS
Mani (ICS-Madras). Here is a tribute by Ms Rajni Kumar (rajni23@hotmail.com), Founder Principal Springdales
School and Chairperson Springdales Education Society. Mr Seshadri can be contacted on kvsls@hotmail.com.
Death is not extin-
guishing the light. It is
putting out the lamp
because the dawn has
come:
Rabindranath Tagore
Lakshmi Seshadri
LAKSHMI and I came from vastly
different backgrounds, race and culture;
she had deep religious beliefs, I had
none. But from the moment she joined
Springdales we seemed to click and be-
came not only colleagues and educators
sharing a common vision and educa-
tional philosophy, but a deep personal
commitment to each other, based on love
and mutual respect.
She was a born teacher, deeply
loved and revered by her pupils not only
for her wisdom and knowledge, but also
for her deep sense of humanity and her
integrity of character. She could be
strong as steel, unwavering in her moral
principles, and frank in expressing her
opinions. She was a strict disciplinarian
but also had a wonderful sense of hu-
mour and fun. Her rather stern appear-
ance, at times, belied a very warm and
tender heart which beat constantly for
the welfare of the underdog and the un-
der privileged.
She floated between teaching at
Bombay International and Springdales
Delhi; I don’t think there were any other
schools for her. She loved Springdales,
made a wonderful contribution to its life
and left behind an indelible imprint on
the minds of countless Springdalians, of
which her daughter Raj was also one.
The school will remember her for
many things, not the least being her work
as the First Staff Advisor to the Africa
Club in solidarity with the struggle of the
freedom fighters of South Africa at a
time when the struggle against apartheid
was at its peak. It was Lakshmi who in-
spired the children to send petitions de-
manding the release of Dr Nelson Man-
dela and other political prisoners and
those on death row. It was Lakshmi who
organized so many solidarity functions
and encouraged the students to write po-
ems on social justice and racial equality,
to make charts and posters and enact
plays on the crime against humanity and
By RAJNI KUMAR
apartheid. When we produced our
mammoth pageants on such themes as
‘man through the ages’ it was Lakshmi
with her knowledge of Sanskrit and In-
dian culture who was always given the
task of producing the material for scenes
depicting the Vedic age and life and cul-
ture of the Aryan people. I can never
forget when she went to the Bharatiya
Vidya Bhavan to ask some Sanskrit
scholar or priest the authentic way of
singing a particular Sanskrit Shloka and
being told that it could not be taught to a
woman. She was mortified to find that
such ideas still existed.
It was surprising that an excellent
teacher of Sanskrit could also be an
equally fine teacher of English Litera-
ture. During Lakshmi’s tenure, the
school won top Prize in the World
Commonwealth Essay Contest -- a tour
of England -- for three consecutive years
and thereafter twice more. The organiz-
ers from UK came to the school to find
out the secret of our success. It was
merely that Lakshmi was a perfectionist
and put her pupils through their paces,
finding the time to sit with them, dis-
cussing their topics, the points they
made, the language they used and advis-
ing them how they could improve upon
them. It was only when both she and the
other English teachers and pupils them-
selves were satisfied that it was the best
the student could offer, were their essays
sent to London.
Her other areas of interest were, of
course, the Literacy and Community
work of the school which was an integral
part of the curriculum as well as our pro-
grammes of International Understanding.
Lakshmi truly imbibed in her thought
process and work the true meaning of the
school motto vasudhaiva kutumbakam
(the world is a family).
Lakshmi was a very understanding
friend. Once in April 1974 I was faced
with a moral dilemma. My husband, a
cancer patient was very ill and I was
constantly by his side tending his needs
when I received news that my mother
who was almost 90 was suffering from
food poisoning and not likely to last very
long. I told my husband that I must go to
London for a short while. He was very
fond of her but surprisingly very reluc-
No legacy is so rich as honesty.
HARMONY, JANUARY 2004
tant that I should leave him. ‘Go if you
wish but you may not see me alive when
you return’ were some of the thoughts he
expressed. It was so unlike him to react
this way. I longed to see my mother for
the last time, and turned to Lakshmi for
advice. We both knew that he was being
a bit selfish and that his time had not yet
come, but should I leave him in that
frame of mind? ‘Stay with him’ she said
‘he needs you more and most probably
by the time you arrive your mother may
not even know that you are there’. And
so it was. She slipped into coma and died
a week later. Two years after my hus-
band’s death I went to London and
placed my flowers on her grave.
I have missed Lakshmi’s company
during these last years after she settled in
the US but she kept in touch on e-mail
constantly, sending me very interesting
articles or anecdotes. When she knew I
was keeping geese at the farm she sent
me a beautiful article on the lessons we
humans can learn from geese and how
they stick together in adversity. There
was another very amusing piece on a
conversation between Mr Knott and Mr
Hu!
Her interests were so diverse and
she kept up those interests and her teach-
ing work until her physical strength
could no longer permit it. And she never
forgot the School’s birthday on Septem-
ber 1st- and her greetings to the Spring-
dalians were always read out at the cele-
brations year after year. Such people are
very rare.
Lakshmi is no more with us in the
flesh but we should not mourn for one
who had led such a rich and meaningful
life, who fought her illnesses with such
fortitude and courage, who showed such
strength of character and love for hu-
manity and who was a wonderful
teacher, wife and mother. Rather we
should celebrate her passing as a ‘Tri-
umph of the Spirit’ and a celebration of
life. The institution of the Annual Lak-
shmi Seshadri Memorial Prize which the
family will be instituting at Springdales
will be one way in which her memory
will remain evergreen in the Institution
which she loved dearly and which she
served with such dedication.
May her soul rest in eternal peace.
 2IILFHUV LQ WKH ,$6 PXVW PXVWHU XS FRXUDJH WR UHVLVW SUHVVXUHV -% %RZPDQ
HARMONY, JANUARY 2004
WKH %ULWLVK ,&6 2IILFHU ZKR VWD\HG EDFN LQ ,QGLD HYHQ DIWHU ,QGHSHQGHQFH
IF YOU read the
celebrated former
civil servant JB
D’Souza’s book:
No Trumpets Or
Bugles:
Recollections of
an Unrepentant
Babu, you will
find an interesting
reference to a genial Scotsman who hap-
pened to be his boss in the early days.
As Assistant Collector of Kalyan
Subdivision in Thana (as Thane was
known then) District, Mr D’Souza had
called on the ICS Collector and con-
fessed to him that he was unable to get
interested in village inspection. The Col-
lector tried to convince Mr D’Souza that
village inspection was fascinating. He
offered to visit a village with him, camp
together and show him how to do village
inspection.
That Collector was none other than
JOHN BLAKE BOWMAN, who, today
at the age of 86, is still straight, active
and does not look his age. He was the
second-last Brit to remain in the ICS and
stay on in India after Independence.
Born in Edinburgh (Scotland) on 26
May 1917 and educated at George Wat-
son’s and Edinburgh University and Bal-
liol College, Oxford, Mr Bowman was
recruited to the ICS in 1938. He arrived
in India in October 1939 and was posted
as Supernumerary Assistant Collector in
Dharwad. He came to Bombay as Under
Secretary in the Revenue Department.
He was Deputy Secretary when India be-
came independent.
When he resumed after some leave,
he was posted as Collector of Thane. He
served there from 25 November 1947 to
9 August 1949. He later became Super-
intendent of Census Operations in Bom-
bay in January 1950, and later became
Collector of Bombay and worked there
from 9 November 1953 to 17 December
1955.
In subsequent years he served in
various capacities: as Deputy Secretary
in the Urban Development & Public
Health Department, Motor Transport
Controller and Vice Chairman of the
Bombay State Road Transport Corpora-
tion, Chief Electoral Officer, Secretary
to the Government in the Urban Devel-
opment & Public Health Department,
and afterwards in the Buildings & Com-
munications Department.
There is a history in all men’s lives, Figuring the natures of the times deceas’d.
IN THE HALL OF HARMONY
He continued to be in the service up
to 1962 and then opted for voluntary re-
tirement after 21 years of active service.
But he did not retire from work. He
joined the Bombay Chamber of Com-
merce as its Stipendiary Vice President
and served there for almost 13 years.
Working even today, this jovial and
ever smiling man is Chairman of the
Hospital & Nursing Home Benefits As-
sociation at the Breach Candy Hospital,
Mumbai, a position that he has been oc-
cupying for some years past.
A delightful but totally unassuming
and self-effacing person, Mr Bowman
gives evidence of his sharp memory as
he talks about the past. He is nostalgic
about his colleagues. Here are excerpts
from the conversation he had with Editor
Rameshchandra Kanade:
Do you know that you have been men-
tioned by Mr JB D’Souza in his recently
published memoirs?
Yes, I do. Mr D’Souza has written
about some amusing incidents. When I
was Collector of Thane, I was required
to pass a test in Hindustani. I had already
passed Kannada up to the higher stan-
dard because my first posting was in
Dharwad. While in Thane, I had started
preparing for the colloquial test in
Hindustani. That time Mr D’Souza, who
was Assistant Collector at Kalyan,
helped me learn colloquial Hindi and I
was able to get through the test without
much difficulty. I enjoyed his company.
Perhaps Mr BB Paymaster and you are
the only two former ICS officers around.
Do you remember Mr Paymaster who
was your contemporary?
Barjor? Of course. I remember him as a
thorough gentleman and a very fair-
minded and conscientious person. I
would like to meet Mr Paymaster who is
92 today. Most of my colleagues have
left this world, and there are few oppor-
tunities to meet those who are alive.
Why did you choose to stay back in India
after Independence when you had the op-
tion of returning to Britain?
I was invited by Mr Morarji Desai, who
was the Revenue Minister, to stay on.
And I too was very happy to do so as
Bombay was a very fine city with less
population and much less traffic. The
ministers were, almost without excep-
tion, very able and had made financial
3
sacrifices. We had illustrious persons
like Jeevaraj Mehta, Vaikunthlal Mehta,
etc in the cabinet. Ours was particularly
a well administered state.
You took retirement in 1962 when you
were just 45 years of age but continued
to be active. Why did you not continue in
the ICS?
I was approached by the Bombay Cham-
ber of Commerce to join as the Stipendi-
ary Vice President. It was an excellent
organization and doing a useful job. So it
seemed to me wise to change job to a
different field at the right time.
What was the main difference you no-
ticed between the British ICS officers
and the Indian ICS officers?
There was really no difference. Some of-
ficers were probably more competent
than others. Irrespective of whether they
were British or Indian, it all depended on
the individual’s ability and competence.
You have seen the ICS and also have
been a long observer of the IAS. Do you
think that the IAS has ceased to be rele-
vant today?
Whether it was the ICS or whether it
is the IAS, no service can become irrele-
vant so long as government continues to
be important in people’s lives. But I
must say that during our time, there was
no reason to bow to pressure. We could
tell our Minister, “Sorry, Sir, I can’t do
this.” And yet there was no pressure on
us to change our views. I do believe that
officers in the IAS are competent and I
have no doubt in my mind that even they
could be as effective as the ICS officers.
I know they too have challenges and are
doing their best. There is no difference
between them and the ICS officers of my
time so long as competence is con-
cerned. The circumstances have changed
and things have become tougher. But I
believe that even then the IAS officers
must, both as individuals and as a group,
muster up courage to resist pressures and
not succumb to them. Then they would
be more effective than any ICS officer.
Have you written any memoirs?
No way. I’m not writing my mem-
oirs. I do think most memoirs are of no
interest to the succeeding generations.
[Mr JB Bowman (ICS-1938) resides in Mum-
bai for most of the year.]
 &RQILGHQWLDO5HPDUNVLQ7RWDO&RQILGHQFH
4 NOW IT CAN BE TOLD
RC IYER
THE ANNUAL
Confidential Report
is an important
document and, as the
standing orders indi-
cate, it is expected to
be written with great
care. Its writing is an
important ‘event’ in the annual calendar
(and the career) of the officer concerned
as also of his superiors who write it (or,
fail to write). A colleague and friend of
mine once said rather philosophically,
‘The Confidential Report is more a
measure of the goodwill between the
boss and his subordinate than appraisal
of his actual performance.’ Of course,
views can differ.
‘Confidential Report’ is a vast sub-
ject and it is difficult to do full justice to
it here. I shall therefore confine myself
to a few interesting confidential remarks
without of course telling you the names.
The actual remarks, which I have come
to know purely by the word of mouth,
are mentioned as quotes, as accurately as
possible, with some comments.
1. During the war time, this young ICS
officer was out to earn a little “extra
money.” Whether he was motivated by
greed or need is not very clear but even
by the standards of those days the com-
pensation was quite liberal for the young
members of the ICS. During his first
posting, car tyres were in short supply
due to the war. The shortage was so
acute that in the “market”, car tyres (a
controlled commodity) could cost more
than the car itself! So this officer, on the
ground that he needed to tour exten-
sively, secured a new set of tyres for his
old jalopy from the “quota” (yes, then
there were quotas for tyres too!) and then
immediately encashed it by selling the
entire car (including the tyres) at a hefty
premium! The then Collector wrote in
his confidential report, after giving a full
narrative of the incident in the report it-
self: “It is too early to predict the course
of his future development.” When this
remark came up at the time of the offi-
cer’s review for retirement at the age of
50, he escaped being axed and continued
to serve till the age of 58. Incidentally
his future development was on the an-
ticipated lines, although the then Collec-
tor had not chosen to hazard a guess. The
officer did not change track later. His
was not a case of ‘past performance is no
guide for future results,’ as is the case
with mutual funds and shares!
The poorest man is not without a cent, but without a dream.
2. One former ICS Chief Secretary re-
marked on an IAS officer, who was a
Secretary to Government, “Promptness
in disposal of work: Yes, to the extent
that he promptly marks any file that
comes to him either upwards or down-
wards, of course, without making any
contribution.”
3. A Chief Secretary wrote about one of
his Secretaries: “When you are part of
the problem, you do not see the problem.
The difficulty with this officer is that he
is part of the problem. We will have to
continue to suffer him for a few more
years at least.”
4. Of a young officer his Divisional
Commissioner wrote, on his first posting
as Collector, “A stickler for rules and
regulations, I would hesitate to say that
he accepts responsibility. An uncut
jewel, he needs grinding.” It was ruled
that this was not an adverse entry and so
was never communicated to him. He
eventually rose to occupy the highest slot
in the civil service in the State Govern-
ment.
5. A lot of officers consciously work to-
wards securing an ‘outstanding entry’, a
series of which in a row opens the doors
to various ‘empanelments’ and ‘prestig-
ious postings’. Not that people of ability,
despite adverse entries, do not make the
grade. Here is a case of an officer of the
Railway Services who eventually retired
as Chairman of the Railway Board. He
was known to be an officer of high abil-
ity but did not hesitate to cross his supe-
riors, and therefore received many ad-
verse entries and was not recommended
for this top appointment by the various
levels of babudom and even by the Min-
isters. But all of them were ignored by a
one-line edict by the then ‘Empress of
India’: “I hereby appoint Shri X as
Chairman of the Railway Board.” That
he did an excellent work later as Chair-
man was never contested even by his
own colleagues. But let’s come back to
the ‘outstanding’ entries. A senior officer
who was working with me when I was in
one of the Government Departments,
walked into my room around the ‘CR
time’ and presented his self assessment
report ceremonially to me and then said,
“Sir, you know this is what we all are
working for throughout the year.” He
went on to add, “Your predecessor was
kind enough to grade me as ‘out-
standing’.” He left thinking I would take
the very broad hint. I called for his pre-
vious report and found that my predeces-
HARMONY, JANUARY 2004
sor had rated him an ‘excellent’ officer.
Now whether ‘excellent’ meant he was
‘positively very good’, ‘really very
good’ or ‘outstanding’ is a matter of de-
bate. But he had not actually written
‘outstanding’, though probably he had
told him that he had done so. In our sys-
tem of writing CRs, the attribute ‘out-
standing’ is non-negotiable. Other
phrases cannot be used to describe ‘out-
standing performance’, particularly when
it comes to empanelments and promo-
tions. ‘Excellent’ becomes a matter of
interpretation and is negotiable. I de-
cided therefore not to be guided by what
the officer said or what my predecessor
wrote of him and to act according to my
own best judgment under the All India
Service Rules and graded him as ‘very
good’. Needless to add, the officer con-
tinued to earn his normal promotions.
6. Adverse entries are also sometimes
made in a great hurry, without due delib-
eration, largely due to want of time.
There is the famous case of a Chief Sec-
retary who gave an adverse entry to an
officer who was in a field job and had
hardly interacted with the Chief Secre-
tary during the period under report, “His
performance was poor.” On receipt of
the remark the officer sought an inter-
view with and met the Chief Secretary.
Fortunately the incumbent had not
changed. He asked the Chief Secretary,
“Tell me, Sir, Have I ever met you dur-
ing the year under report? Do you ever
remember having given me any instruc-
tions on any matter relating to my
work?” The Chief Secretary did not react
but the remark was quietly expunged.
7. Here is another interesting story of an
adverse entry made on the performance
of a senior officer who was then working
as a Divisional Commissioner in one of
the Divisions. The then Revenue Minis-
ter commented on him somewhat on the
following lines, in Marathi: “Unneces-
sarily rude to the staff, members of the
public and even to elected representa-
tives of the people, whom he keeps wait-
ing without any justification even after
giving them fixed time appointments.”
The entry was upheld by all concerned
but came up for expunging on a repre-
sentation made by the officer. The offi-
cer was due for empanelment to a high
position in the Government of India. So,
when the Chief Secretary took the repre-
sentation to the Chief Minister for dis-
&RQWLQXHGRQ3DJH.
cussion, the Chief Minister, who knew ..
+HDOWK,QVXUDQFHSDFNDJH
HARMONY, JANUARY 2004 HEALTH IS WEALTH 5
means either of them and one can get 10. Though called a group medical pol-

IRU,$6RIILFHUV
covered for the total amount. icy for IAS officers, the policy will be

By SUBHASH LALLA
A comparative study shows that a special
package of health insurance policy of-
fered by the National Insurance Com-
pany is the best bet for the serving offi-
cers as well as retired officers up to the
age of 80 years and their families. The
salient features of the offer are as under:
1. The rate of premium per year is
+RZPXFKLVWKHSUHPLXP"
For the age group between 36 and 45
years, for insurance cover of Rs 2.5
lakh each, the premium per year will be
Rs 1,566 + Rs 1,566 + Rs 251 (8% ser-
vice tax), i.e. Rs 3,383. It will cover
husband and wife for Rs 5 lakh insur-
ance. For the age group between 46
and 55 years, the premium per year will
for individual members and their fami-
lies independently. No minimum size of
the group is insisted.
11. The members will get income tax
benefit since the amount of premium will
be deducted from the total income.
It is strongly recommended that all
members and their families should im-
mediately subscribe to this medi-claim
policy.

:KRPWRFRQWDFW"
the lowest (even lower than the City be Rs 2,765 + Rs 2,765 + Rs 442 (8%
Bank Credit Card holder’s medical service tax), i.e. Rs 5,972 to cover both
policy which is available up to age of husband and wife. For details, you may contact Mr Sub-
80 years). 7. Additional family members (children, hash Lalla (1977), Secretary to Gov-
2. It covers pre-existing diseases. parents) can be covered by paying 20% ernment in the Urban Development
3. There is no waiting period of 30 days. extra premium per person. Department, Mantralaya, Mumbai on
4. It covers expenses on pre- 8. Third party administration is provided. 022-22021444; 22018441; 9820601768, or
hospitalization, hospitalization and post- The paneled hospital will directly get Mr KS Sankar, Manager of the Na-
hospitalization. payment of bills from the insurance tional Insurance Company Ltd, or Mr
5. There is no pre-acceptance medical company. Dalal on 022-22820717, or Mr Rakesh
check-up. 9. All good hospitals like the Bombay Singh, Vice President of the Pioneer In-
6. Member and spouse are charged pre- Hospital, the Breach Candy Hospital, the surance Services Pvt Ltd, 9820374337 or
mium separately as per the rates. But Jaslok Hospital, etc in Mumbai and other Mr Dinesh Bhuta on 9820557856.
there can be a combined floater, which parts of the country are on panel.

&RQILGHQWLDO5HPDUNV
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Resourceful officers have often man- language. You will note that in the case
&RQWLQXHGIURP3DJH
aged to get away scot-free, despite ad- of the Collectors, referred to above, this
verse entries. There was a Collector who appears to have been the main intention.
almost all the officers in the State per-
was politically well connected, a favour- A remark relating to the integrity of a
sonally, remarked, “But this is true!” The
ite of the Chief Minister of the day, and senior officer (then working in the
Chief Secretary in reply said, “Sir, even
therefore ‘held’ the most important (?) Government of India), which was made
if it is true, his other entries are out-
district in the State. But since he never by a very well known civil servant and
standing and if we let this entry stand,
played court to his Divisional Commis- which was countersigned (in a hurry
the State will be saddled with this officer
sioner, the latter remarked, “Always perhaps!) by his Oxford educated supe-
for the rest of his career!” Both of them
available to his political superiors and rior, read as follows: “Integrity: Unim-
smiled knowingly and agreed that the
other higher ups, but his whereabouts are peccable”. (Was this a case of malaprop-
best method for the State Government to
never known to nor is he ever available ism or, a case of ‘the cold-blooded mur-
‘get rid’ of this officer was to expunge
to his own Commissioner, for the dis- der of the English tongue?)
the adverse entry. Action was taken ac-
charge of legitimate official duties.” [Mr RC Iyer (1964) is the Upa Lok Ayukta,
cordingly. The officer did indeed move
(This leaves us with an important lesson Maharashtra State. Endowed with the gift of
to the Government of India and thereaf-
that every officer has his own goals, and the gab and an amazing facility for the writ-
ter did not come back to the State for the
sometimes he is not worried about what ten word, he has a remarkable knack for
rest of his career (perhaps, thus repaying
his superiors write, particularly when he looking at the seamy side of things and draw-
the State Government in their own coin,
is sure that this will not affect his ca- ing useful lessons. He resides at Yashodhan,
and heartily reciprocating their senti- Mumbai 400020 and can be contacted on
reer!)
ment!)
9. Sometimes remarks are made to 022-22024503; 22024807].
exhibit the command over the English

+ $33<%,57+'$<72<28$//
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

01 Jan: L Hminliana (0389-2341862), Satish
Tripathi (022-22810384), Gorekh Megh
(022-22880307), Amitabh Rajan (011-
26124299).
02 Jan: Bhagwan Sahai (022-22844581),
NY Jantre (02442-222202).
04 Jan: RK Zutshi (022-23686315),
Raveendra Surve (020-5674488), AV
Deshpande (020-5532449), Anand Kulkarni
(011-23386635).
05 Jan: Ramanath Jha (011-26262597),
MB Phadtare (020-6871553).
All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.
06 Jan: N Jayaraman (022-22815077),
Joyce Sankaran (022-22853838), SDJahagir-
dar (0172-2248973).
07 Jan: SS Burra (022-23865028).
08 Jan: KS Sidhu (022-22021137).
09 Jan: Vinay Bansal (011-25865616), AS
Shaikh (?).
10 Jan: BB Paymaster (022-23511820),
Subodh Kumar (022-23634164).
11 Jan: PG Gavai (022-22044678)
12 Jan: BL Awadhal (020-5657361).
13 Jan: Malati Tambay-Vaidya (022-
22880939).
14 Jan: SA Engineer (?)
15 Jan: KS Baroi (022-22873446), Suresh
Kumar (022-22022504), AN Chandratreya
(0253-2578008).
18 Jan: RC Iyer (022-22024807).
20 Jan: GautamChatterjee (011-23387285).
21 Jan: S Habeebullah (022-26715583),
A Ramkrishnan (022-22844903).
25 Jan: Vikas Rastogi (9422176366).
26 Jan: UK Mukhopadhyaya (022-
22818408), SA Gaikwad (?), RD Jahagirdar
(0240-2340980).
27 Jan: Mahesh Shukla (0721-2662037),
Ashish Singh (022-22852204).
31 Jan: Leena Mehendale (011-24678802).
 +RZ3DUHQWV&DQ+HOSLQ%XLOGLQJ6HOI(VWHHPDQG&RQILGHQFH
6 SELF-HELP
PREETI JAIN
SELF-ESTEEM IS a
major key to success
in life. Development
of a positive self-
concept or healthy
self-confidence greatly
contributes to the hap-
piness and success of
children and teenagers.
Self-esteem is how we feel about
ourselves. Our behavior clearly reflects
those feelings. For example, a child or
teenager with high self-esteem is able to
act independently, assume responsibility,
take pride in his accomplishments, toler-
ate frustrations, handle positive and
negative emotions, attempt new tasks,
accept challenges, and offer assistance to
others. On the other hand, a child with
low self-esteem avoids trying new
things, feels unloved and unwanted, feels
or pretends to feel emotionally indiffer-
ent, puts down his own talent and abili-
ties, blames others for his own shortcom-
ings, is easily influenced, and is unable
to tolerate a normal level of frustration.
Parents, more than anyone else, can
promote their child’s self-esteem and
confidence. It isn’t a particularly difficult
thing to do. In fact, most parents do it
without even realizing that their words
and actions have great impact on how
their child or teenager feels about him-
self. Here are some suggestions to keep
in mind.
When you feel good about your
child, mention it to him. Parents are of-
ten quick to express negative feelings to
children but somehow don’t get around
to describing positive feelings. A child
does not know when you are feeling
good about him and he needs to hear you
tell him that you like having him in the
family. Children remember positive
statements we say to them. Practise giv-
ing your child words of encouragement
throughout each day. When your child
completes a task or chore you could say,
“I really like the way you straightened
your room. You found a place for every-
thing and put each thing in its place.”
When you observe them showing a tal-
ent, you might say, “That last piece you
played was great. You really have a lot
of musical talent.”
Don’t be afraid to give praise often
even in front of family or friends. Also,
use praise to point out positive character
traits. For instance, “You are a very kind
person” or, “I like the way you stick with
things you do even when it seems hard to
do.” You can even praise a child for
It is a wise father that knows his own child.
something he did not do such as “I really
liked how you accepted my answer of
‘no’ and did not lose your temper.”
Teach your child to practise making
positive self-statements.
Self-talk is very important in every-
thing we do. Psychologists have found
that negative self-talk is behind depres-
sion and anxiety. What we think deter-
mines how we feel and how we feel de-
termines how we behave. Therefore, it is
important to teach children to be positive
about how they talk to themselves. Some
examples of useful self-talk are: I can get
this problem, if I just keep trying. It’s
OK if our team lost today. We all tried
our best and you can’t win them all. It
makes me feel good to help others even
if the person doesn’t notice or thank me.
Avoid criticism that takes the form
of ridicule or shame.
Sometimes it is necessary to criti-
cize a child’s actions, and it is proper for
parents do so. When, however the criti-
cism is directed to the child as a person it
can easily deteriorate into ridicule or
shame. It is important to learn to use “I”
statements rather than “You” statements
when giving criticism. For instance say,
“I would like you to keep your toys in
the proper place in your closet not lying
all over your room” rather than saying,
“Why are you such a lazy slob? Can’t
you take care of anything?”
If both parents are working, you
have to be more careful. You should not
forget that you are a parent also and that
is more important. You must give your
time to your child.
According to job, you should man-
age your time for child. Teach your child
about decision-making and to recognize
when he has made a good decision.
Children make decisions all the time but
are often not aware that they are doing
so. There are a number of ways in which
parents can help children improve their
ability to consciously make wise deci-
sions. Help the child clarify the problem
that is creating the need for a decision.
Ask him questions that pinpoint how he
sees, hears, and feels about a situation
and what may need to be changed.
Brainstorm the possible solutions. Usu-
ally there are more than one solution or
choice to a given dilemma, and the par-
ent can make an important contribution
by pointing out this fact and by suggest-
ing alternatives if the child has none. Al-
low the child to choose one of the solu-
tions only after fully considering the
consequences. The best solution will be
HARMONY, JANUARY 2004
one that solves the problem and simulta-
neously makes the child feel good about
himself. Later join the child in evaluat-
ing the results of that particular solution.
Did it work out well? Or did it fail? If so,
why? Reviewing the tactics will equip
the child to make a better decision the
next time around.
Develop a positive approach to pro-
viding structure for your child. All kids
and teens need to accept responsibility
for their behavior. They should learn
self-discipline.
To help children learn self-
discipline, the parent needs to adopt the
role of coach/teacher rather than that of
disciplinarian and punisher. Discipline
should be fair, firm and friendly.
For better or worse, our children
learn from our example. Spending time
with each child achieves full communi-
cation. Your child can share his thoughts
and feelings openly. You can provide
acceptance and, once in a while, guid-
ance. Be heavy on the listening and pro-
vide lots of praise and encouragement.
Depending on your own religious
beliefs, you will find that helping your
children develop a strong spiritual faith
of their own will allow them to grow and
develop into the children they were born
to become.
[Preeti Jain, wife of Collector Yawatmal
Parag Jain (1996), is a gold medalist in MA
and is currently doing PhD in History. She is
also a poet, does painting, and was selected in
semi-final for the International Poetry Com-
petition, California. She has started an NGO
in Yawatmal through which she does social
work. She can be contacted on: 07232-
(N6KDKDU7KD
242301; jainpreeti_p@rediffmail.com].
Renowned writer, poet and
Pri. Secy (Home) Neela
Satyanarayan (1972) has
released her third book of poems in
Hindi: Ek Shahar Tha in which she has
written nostalgically about the city that
was once hers but now has been lost for
ever. Aseem (1985) and Amrit Barsa
(1988) were her previous books of po-
ems in Hindi. She has to her credit
three books of poems in Marathi. Ver-
satile, she had composed music for two
Marathi films and won four awards for
lyrics in one Marathi film, Jodidaar.
Her rich contribution to literature has
been acknowledged by the American
Biographical Institute and the Interna-
tional Biography Publication. She can
be contacted on 022-22028648;
24953209; 9819392925.

HARMONY, JANUARY 2004
DEENAZ P. COACHBUILDER
Ms Deenaz
Coachbuilder, Ph.D, is
daughter of Mr BB Pay-
master (ICS-1934). She
has written this piece on
the eve of Mr Paymas-
ter’s 92nd birthday which
falls on 10th January.
Residing normally in the US, she regularly
visits her father at Kamal Mahal on Carmi-
chael Road, Mumbai. She can be contacted
0\0HQWRU
on 022-23511820.
IN RETROSPECT, I realize that my per-
sonality has been influenced in many
ways by the models and examples pro-
vided to me by my father, Barjor
Behramji Paymaster. Sometimes it was
just his glance that filled me with re-
morse for some silly misdeed. Often
through long discussions at the dining
table, “Let’s examine the pros and cons,”
or during walks through the wooded
paths of Matheran, “What is poetry?” my
horizons were continuously stretched.
But mostly, I came to recognize Dad’s
strength and integrity, his true humanity
and gentle humility, his great intelli-
gence and analytical ability, by seeing
him in action through the years.
When we lived on the fourth floor of
an apartment house on Altamont Road, a
vegetable fruit vendor would sell us his
produce every other day. Over the years,
he and my parents had built up some re-
lationship. One day, when the vendor
was in need, Dad lent him a sum of
money. Later on that day, I asked Dad if
he expected the money to be returned. I
still hear his words echoing, that he gives
because he wants to, and does not expect
anything in return.
My father was trained as an econo-
mist at the London School of Economics
and developed his legal aptitude by join-
ing the Middle Temple and completing
the Bar Examinations. But beyond these
areas of expertise, he is a lover of arts
with a self-selected collection of Indian,
Chinese and Japanese sculptures and
handicrafts in metal, paint and ceramics.
Even at the age of 92, he knows
where each piece is located, and recalls
its age and antecedents and takes pleas-
ure in spending some time, daily, in their
presence. Through the years, I would see
Dad write down memorable sayings and
poems in what he called his Common-
place Book. Selections of these have
been published in a two-volume edition
called The Human Predicament, in the
90s. He is also the author of several
books of his own poems, a personal ex-
Favours are frightening when they come from evildoers. (Aesop)
THANKSGIVING
pression of deeply felt experiences and
reflections. So naturally, he encouraged
my brother, Shahrukh, and me to partici-
pate in sports, learn some instrument,
and develop our artistic talents. I ex-
press myself in poetry and oil-painting,
and delight in singing both Western and
Indian songs.
Dad was externally dedicated to his
professional responsibilities. He would
leave home by 9 a.m., work through
lunch and all day, while his colleagues
took two-hour lunch breaks, and return
home late in the evening, accompanied
by work related files. He never raised his
voice at his subordinates. He would
point out mistakes professionally, and
provide suggestions for improvement.
He always encouraged honest and all-out
efforts. In return, he received respect and
commitment towards excellence.
My father has never told a lie. Even
when he was going against the wishes of
his superiors, he would make his opinion
known, though always, tactfully and pro-
fessionally. Many a time, I would usher
into our house, a government official
who seemed to be deeply troubled. I
would hear later that this man, because
of his honesty, had been transferred out
of Bombay, or, had received a negative
evaluation, undeservedly. Father made
every attempt to right a wrong.
Upon his retirement after holding
the highest post in the service, viz., Chief
Secretary to the Government of Ma-
harashtra, his colleagues gave him an af-
fectionate farewell, in which even the
peons and liftmen joined. In response to
a question, he stated, “I had always spo-
ken out my mind and never compro-
mised with my conscience. I often found
myself being overruled, but in my hier-
archy, orders from above had to be
obeyed, otherwise anarchy would result.
Though I might not have been able to in-
fluence many important matters of pol-
icy, I could truthfully tell my colleagues
that I had been able to prevent many
grave injustices being perpetrated, and
that, too, was some achievement.”
These are just a few examples of
how my father, Barjor, surrounded my
brother and myself with the everlasting
virtues of endurance, generosity, abiding daughters. A renowned social worker,
love, and personal integrity.
A few years ago, he wrote to me:
I dedicate these last lines to you who are
alive
After I have crossed the great divide:
Do not mourn for me as one who has
gone
For I shall always be by your side.
0U3D\PDVWHU·VSRHPV
7
, 2QFH'UHDPW
I once dreamt that I walked with my love
in a garden at morn;
My heart rose up to the skies, my soul
was reborn;
From the cares and the snares of this
faithless world was I free –
Such sweet words of devotion and love
did she whisper to me.
And her lips touched my lips, and her
hair fell on my face,
And I was lifted to heaven by the gift of
her grace.
And she said, “Beloved, why do you al-
ways grieve?
For our love shall last till the stars turn
dust. Do you not believe?”
And I said to her, “Yes, my darling, I be-
&ROORTX\
lieve, I do believe.”
Between ‘He’ and ‘She’
Beloved, dost thou not remember yet
The star-lit hour when first our love was
born?
Now wander we like two wraiths forlorn
And the stars have set.
Beloved, dost thou so soon forget
Youth’s dear days when thy blood was
afire?
Our youth is long past, and dead is desire,
And perished all regret.
Beloved, dost there not stir in thee
One throb of the old passion when my
lips kiss thine?
When night is over, the dregs of the wine
Awaken no ecstasy.
Beloved, dost thou mind thee never
Of the sweet years that we passed in the
world of men?
Our bones are rotten and our names for-
gotten
3'.DUDQGLNDUEHUHDYHG
For ever and ever.
Smt Padmatai Dattatray Karandikar,
mother of Pune Divisional Commis-
sioner PD Karandikar (1973), passed
away at Baramati on 25 December
2003. She was 88. She is survived by
one son, viz., Mr Karandikar, and three
she was the first woman graduate from
Baramati. She was member of the
Baramati Municipal Council for some
time. Associated with many charitable
institutions, she took lot of interest in
women’s education and empowerment.
The IAS Officers’ Association shares
the grief of Mr Karandikar. May God
rest her soul in peace.

8 MUJHE BHI KUCCH KEHNA HAI!
RANJANA SINHA
CONTRARY TO what
many people think, there
is as much wild life in
the concrete jungle as
there is night life. And I
don’t mean the panthers,
in the Borivili Park who
occasionally gobble up the unwary and
hapless either. I also don’t mean the
avian variety that frequents the smelly
creek optimistically and euphemistically
named the Mahim Bird Sanctuary.
Oh, no; I refer to the wild life that
one comes across right here in South
Mumbai in the crème-de-la-crème areas
of Marine Drive, Cuffe Parade and
Nariman Point. Take a bracing early
morning walk on Marine Drive and what
does one see? Literally, thousands of fat
and lazy pigeons being fed chana and
other grain by persons anxious to reserve
their heavenly berths, while still sojourn-
ing on Mother Earth. These birds are so
lazy that they cannot fly even a few hun-
dred yards. And why should they?
Daana-paani for free is available every
day, and natural predators are non-
existent. Luckily, the Mumbai climate
does not encourage the presence of
6WXGHQW/LIHLQWKH86
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SURENDRA KUMAR BAGDE
I HAD come to US before and therefore
this time there was less of awe and aura.
However, during my first visit I got to
see the real US and quality of infrastruc-
ture, roads, shopping malls, bookstores,
etc. I am really impressed with these as-
pects of American life.
I did not have much of the troubles
in finding apartment and settling here in
the beginning. My friend helped me a lot
in making life somewhat comfortable in
the Pittsburgh. My apartment is quite
close to the university. I generally walk
down to the university.
Life in the first week was quite dif-
ficult. It was really painful to adjust to
this student life after so many years of
break. As I am alone here, the settling
was even more difficult. Many times, es-
pecially during the first month, I felt like
leaving the course and returning to
Mumbai.
The university is really good and we
have freedom to take courses in any of
the departments of the university. If you
select the courses properly, there can be
great learning. The quality of faculty is
Published in Mumbai for the IAS Officers’ Association, Maharashtra Branch by the Editor: Rameshchandra Kanade
Email id: harmony@iasmah.org r_kanade@hotmail.com Phones: 022- 22703785; 22834329; 9820025277.
We are thankful to the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd for supporting ‘Harmony’.
:LOG/LIHLQ6RXWK0XPEDL
hawks, so the road to Heaven for pious
Hindus and Jains is less thorny than it
could have been.
When a new arrival in the city is fi-
nally allotted a flat, the chances are that
the pigeons have moved in first. In fact,
the next few months are invariably spent
in waging war with the pigeons, with the
latter usually winning.
Crows, parrots and sparrows may be
spotted by the eagle-eyed as well, but are
totally outnumbered by the pigeons.
There are dozens of bright green parrots
in the trees near Suruchi and Suniti
buildings, but I am prepared to bet that
the residents barely spare them a glance,
while carefully ensuring that the ubiqui-
tous pigeons haven’t stealthily moved
into the rear balcony.
Mosquitoes and flies are also found
a plenty, bit are trounced by the cock-
roaches, when it comes to the sheer abil-
ity to survive in a hostile environment.
After all, the cockroaches were around,
when the dinosaurs ruled, and if they
could out last Tyrannosaurus Rex, what
are mere homo sapiens? Yet, we keep
pestering the BMC and our local pest
control experts to fumigate our homes on
really good. The institution is very
strong in quantitative subjects.
I had decided to take courses espe-
cially in the field of economics and pub-
lic finance. I studied microeconomics,
statistics and public finance in the fall
semester. The American domestic policy
class was very interesting and it helped
me understand various aspects of domes-
tic policy, e.g., the federal set up, consti-
tution, racial relations and civil rights
movement, etc.
The two courses, one on microeco-
nomics and statistics, were really chal-
lenging. These are PhD level courses and
of sufficient depth and difficulty. How-
ever, my understanding of mathematics
was very useful to the understanding of
these subjects.
The facilities in the university are
superb. I would especially mention the
quality of libraries and computing facili-
ties. The staff in library makes every ef-
fort to get to you the book or article you
require. The system of inter-library ex-
change/loan is excellent. The whole sys-
tem is geared to promoting learning.
These days the weather is really
very bad. This kind of cold and chilly
HARMONY, JANUARY 2004
a regular basis ---- clearly another losing
battle! But then, as Wodehouse’s Bertie
Wooster would say, hope springs eternal
in the human breast.
If one lives on the ground floor in
other cities, one gets a garden, but if one
does that in Mumbai, one gets rodents
(big, aggressive, red-eyed and fearless
bandicoots and rats). Strong men dislike
them, women scream at the sight of them
and pets fear them, but they are inde-
structible and clearly here to stay, a part
of our urban wild life. So, do we need a
Pied Piper?
I am deliberately excluding stray
dogs and cats; they are generally timid
and eager to please and so do not qualify
for wild life.
Anyway, the next time we feel
overwhelmed by problems or by life it-
self, how about singing Hum honge
Kamyaab and thinking about cock-
roaches?
[Ms Ranjana Sinha (1975), Secretary to the
State Human Rights Commission, has a natu-
ral flair for writing. She resides at Suniti,
Mumbai 400021 and can be contacted on
022-22846204; 22885004; 32609760].
weather I am experiencing first time.
One has to take great care and use lot of
warm clothing. It now snows almost
daily. However, one feels less exasper-
ated and one can maintain high energy
level.
Well, that’s life here in the US, of-
ten punctuated with mid-semester and
final exams, trying but interesting. And
you would be happy to know that I'm do-
ing well academically.
[Mr SK Bagde (1993), as you will recall, is in
the Carnegie Mellon University, Pttsburg, do-
ing his two-year MS in Public Policy & Man-
agement. He can be contacted on
skbagde@yahoo.com].
&KDQJHRI$GGUHVV
PR Dasgupta (1963): C/o Mr R Sen,
Villa No. 222, Palm Meadows, Phase I,
Ramagondanahalli, Whitefield, Banga-
lore 560066; Ph: 080-30616596;
pr_dasgupta60@hotmail.com.
CD Singh (1966), 2, Gulmohur Resi-
dency, 20, Gulmohur Park, Aundh,
Pune 411007; Ph: 020-25881568;
chanderchanderdev@rediffmail.com.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
A Newsletter of the IAS Officers’ Association, Maharashtra Branch For private circulation only