District Training Ready Reckoner (Web)

Editorial
District training is one of the most exciting and challenging phases of probation, when the classroom inputs of
the Academy give way to the practical insights of the field. However, it also signifies a move away from the
camaraderie of the Foundation Course and Phase I to the isolation of the district, where you are entirely on your
own in a new place, amongst new people who have a different way of life. As a probationer in the district, there are
several questions which will bother you and often, it is difficult to find the right answers. Having faced such a
situation ourselves, we in the 2007 Batch deliberated over how we could pass on at least some of the answers to
subsequent batches, so that you would not have to reinvent the wheel. And the outcome is this repository of our
collective experiences during District Training, proudly presented to you by the Management Circle of the Golden
Jubilee Batch of 2007.
In these pages, we have attempted to address some of the concerns that you are likely to have as you prepare to
go to the field, such as the working environment in the cadre, the training structure, what to do and what not to
do, interaction with the DM/DC and other officers in the district, whom to approach for advice, creature comforts
and so on. There can be no definitive ways of looking at these issues and what we present here is strictly our own
perspective based on first-hand experience. Yet, we believe that what we can share here will help you cope better
with district training.
We also request all subsequent batches to keep adding their own experiences to this collection and update it
every year, so that it will be a continuing legacy that is passed on from batch to batch. Happy Reading and all the
best for a fulfilling career in the IAS!
Nila Mohanan
Dr. Nirupama Dange
Dr. Adarsh Singh
Ameya Abhyankar
Vyasan R.
Work environment is good and conducive
?
Puducherry
Nice place to be in
?
Training Structure and Focus Areas

Arunachal Pradesh
Unstructured training pattern; DC determines the components
?
of training
Pay attention to the judicial attachment, since you will have
?
JMFC powers
Andaman & Nicobar
AGMUT Attachments are flexible, so you can focus on areas that you like.
?
You can get good exposure on disaster management
?
Abhishek Dev (Chandigarh, abhishekdev@gmail.com)
Chandigarh
Ameya Abhyankar (Arunachal Pradesh, ameya16@gmail.com)
Jawahar P. (Puducherry, jawahar.ias@gmail.com) Juhi Adviser to the Administrator takes a keen interest in the
?
Mukherjee (Andaman & Nicobar, juhi.mukherjee@gmail.com) probationers training
Nila Mohanan (Arunachal Pradesh,
nilamohanan18@yahoo.com) Police attachment and Social Welfare Department attachment
?
Udit Prakash (Andaman & Nicobar, uditprakashrai@gmail.com) are two areas you should focus on
Puducherry
First Impressions and Working Environment
Training is highly structured; an elaborate training schedule is
?
Arunachal Pradesh prepared and adhered to
Rich Tribal diversity in a geographically remote state
? Interaction to the maximum extent possible with field
?
Low population density and low volume of work
? functionaries of various departments should be your priority
Relaxed and informal work environment
?
Less emphasis on rules and procedures, but need to balance
?
between customary law of tribals and common law Dos/Donts in the District/ State
Great respect for and expectation from the IAS
?
Arunachal Pradesh.
Limited political interference and dignified conduct of political
?
Maintain good relations with APCS officers. You can learn a lot
?
representatives
from them.
Sufficient autonomy to do meaningful work
?
Visit as many villages as possible
?
Andaman & Nicobar
Acquaint yourself with the customary laws and practices of the
?
It could come as a shock to some on account of its location
? dominant tribe.
Relaxed working environment
? Gain as much knowledge of court proceedings in Phase I as you
?
Chandigarh will be given charge as JMFC and expected to try cases .
Chandigarh is a very well developed city with all amenities
?
Dont expect creature comforts beyond a limit
? Dr. Vasant Kumar, IAS (Puducherry)
?
Dont expect people and officers to be servile. North East is an
? Shri D.C Sahoo, IAS (Puducherry)
?
egalitarian society Even the state service officers are quite accessible and helpful. It
?
Dont be disrespectful to tribal customs and traditions
? is best to consult immediate seniors when some advice is
Andaman & Nicobar needed.
Visit as many areas of your training district as possible
?
Get acquainted with the activities related to tsunami relief and
? Pecuniary Matters
rehabilitation Liaise with the accounts officer in the DC Office for matters
?
Visit as many of the scenic spots as possible
? related to your pay.
Pursue entitlements like laptop, data card, mobile phone etc.
? Claim your salary arrears as soon as you arrive.
?
with concerned officials If you are claiming TTA be sure to produce bills for transport of
?
Dont be overfriendly with your DM/DC and other officials and
? belongings from Mussoorie to the place of district training.
their relations HRA deductions will be made in-case you decide to go in for
?
Chandigarh government quarters
DC Office attachment
? TA/DA rates vary according to the territories. Acquaint yourself
?
Extra efforts to be expended for revenue training and village
? with Swamys Handbook and state specific rates.
attachments If service book is not started as a matter of practice be sure to
?
Pay attention to Urban Planning and Management Issues
? take the initiative and pursue the matter with the P&AR
Pay special attention to the problem of slums in Chandigarh
? Department and the Establishment Section of the DC Office.
Puducherry Obtain a pension account number under the NPS as soon as is
?
possible.
Call on all senior officers (IAS, IPS) without fail
?
Tax deductions are generally made at the time of the financial
?
Pay a courtesy visit to the offices of the PCS officers
?
year ending. Invest the income tax exemptible amount in a
Meet DM/DC periodically
? mutual fund, public provident fund, fixed deposit (5 years) to
save some tax.
Key officers in the cadre who are supportive

Shri A. B Shukla, IAS ( Arunachal Pradesh)
?
Shri P.S Lokhande, IAS (Arunachal Pradesh)
? Leave Rules and Conventions
Shri Ankur Garg, IAS (Arunachal Pradesh)
? Leave is generally not a problem.
?
Shri P.K Sain, IAS (Arunachal Pradesh)
? Keep your DC in the loop as far as leave related matters are
?
Shri Amjad Tak, IAS (Arunachal Pradesh)
? concerned.
Shri Ashish More, IAS (Andaman & Nicobar)
? Conversing with your DC about tricks of the trade could be
?
Smt. Niharika Rai, IAS (Chandigarh)
? enlightening.
Smt. Prerna Puri, IAS (Chandigarh)

?
Shri Franklin Lalthinkhuma, IAS (Puducherry)
?
Creature Comforts: internet, institutional memory of batches 2/3 years senior,
reports of various government bodies which you will find in
Circuit House accommodation is available which is reasonable
?
plenty. Use the services of a stenographer to save yourself from
good across territories.
the drudgery.
In case you are not provided with a TV in the room, you could
?
Take/collect lots of photos. They especially come in handy
?
request the DC for it.
during the DAP/ESP presentations.
Food in the circuit house could require getting adjusted to. You
?
Complete whatever law assignments that you are able to lay
?
should state your preferences and the cooks normally comply.
your hands on. Dont be overzealous. In case you are not able to
Timely monetary incentives can go a long way in ensuring good
muster up the required number, just relax. Its not that big a deal.
quality of food.
As far as language assignments are concerned the best
?
In Puducherry, Adyar Anand Bhavan and Hotel Sarguru can be
?
approach is to delegate. There will be more takers than you can
visited for North Indian cuisine. Otherwise seafood and south
imagine.
Indian items are available in plenty.
Dont send assignments before time. They get lost.
?
Try and move in to your own quarters as soon as possible, since
?
your privacy in the circuit house may get constrained. Liaise with Maintain a personal copy of all your assignments (borrowed &
?
PWD for furniture and other necessary items. Ensure that you original) and give it to your juniors without fail.
return all items outsourced from different government sources
when you are leaving the district.
After Office- hours
Interacting with the DC/DM Arunachal Pradesh
Gauge the personality of the DM. Sometimes a person may be an
? Play badminton
?
introvert (may take time to open up), may be an extrovert. Get to Sunday Picnics by the riverside
?
know your DC and interact with him/her accordingly. If you are a teetotaller and a vegetarian you may have a bad time.
?
Be very modest with the DC. Even if you have lots of talent, do
? Its not too late to change habits.
not flaunt it Travel as extensively as you can. The environs are incredibly
?
Give advice/suggestions only when they are solicited, especially
? beautiful
in official meetings Read and watch movies
?
Do keep your DC in good humour. Meet him daily until he says
? Have outings with the ITBP, SIB personnel. They can be great fun
?
no to it Andaman & Nicobar
Coping with Assignments Get married
?
Depends on whether you belong to the eager, lukewarm or

? Chandigarh
indifferent category Sports and hobbies
?
Village assignments should be completed during the BDO stint.
? Puducherry
Take tips from immediate seniors on the nuances of gathering Visit Promenade Auroville
?
data and preparing reports. Go biking along ECR
?
D.O letters could be submitted every month if possible. More
? Visit Mahabalipuram shore temple
?
than content timeliness matters.
IG Stadium
?
As far as analytical notes are concerned you may rely on the
?
Dos/Donts in the District/ State
Call on District Judge, ADJ, SP and other AIS officers in the district
?
Follow protocol strictly while sitting for meetings
?
Follow protocol in the seating plan within vehicles and
?
movement of convoy
Try and tour as much as possible
?
Respect RDOs, DRO, MROs and other officers. You can learn a lot
?
from them
Do not leave the district without informing the Collector
?

Smt G. Jayalakshmi, IAS, Horticulture Commissioner
?
ANDHRA PRADESH Shri K.Raju, IAS, Principal Secretary, Rural Development
?
Mutyalaraju Revu (Karimnagar, rmutyalaraju@gmail.com) Shri K.Sasidhar, IAS (2003 )

?
Pausumi Basu (West Godavari, pausumi@gmail.com) Smt Yogita IAS (2003 )
?
Shri Manick Raj IAS (2006 )
?
Shri Ronald Rose, IAS (2006 )
?
General working environment is good in Andhra and
? Pecuniary Matters
Rayalseema regions. All records are properly maintained in the
coastal districts Make sure that TA/DA account is sanctioned from CCLA. Apply
?
for TA/DA bills regularly.
It is not so good in Telengana region (Proper land records are not
?
recorded and jamabandis are not done in the last three years Initially, probationer can take advance money till he gets salary,
?
here) because it takes time for salary to start. But once it starts, it is
regular
People are generally aware of their rights and laws
?
Contact Pay and Accounts Office to get your Last Pay Certificate
?

Training is structured and participatory
?
Leave Rules and Conventions
The following attachments should not be missed: 1)PD DRDA 2)
? Leave can vary from one day to one month. It is better to take
?
PD DWMA, 3)DPO 4) CEO 5)ZP 6)Municipal Commissioner 7) permission of the Collector before proceeding on leave. Do not
VRO, RI and MRO 8) DM&HO 9) Agriculture JD take leave too often.
Rest of the attachments like DIC, Animal Husbandry, JD, DEO,
? Often, if the Collector permits, there is no need to apply on paper
?
DCO etc. can be done in one or two days for leave
Creature Comforts:
It is easy to get the following:
? I gained a lot of satisfaction by doing my bit to control suicides of
Accomodation in a Quarters or Guest House weavers as Special Officer in Sircilla and to distribute pattas to 22,000
One cook, one Camp Clerk, one driver people after regularising their unauthorised encroachments in
One attendant and one A.C vehicle with a driver Ramagundam - Mutyalaraju Revu
One laptop
One mobile phone
One office room in the Collectorate
Interacting with the DC/DM

Since the DM has his/her own problems, do not approach
?
him/her for small problems. You can instead approach the SDMs
or DRO.
Meet your DM at least once in two days
?
Study stock files and get your doubts cleared from the DM. This
?
sends a strong signal that you are interested in training
Coping with Assignments

First select a village and do your village assignment. Try and
?
complete this by September
Meet District Judge and get some IPC cases transferred to your
?
court. Try at least six cases before December
Do some revenue cases, CrPC cases and administrative enquiries
?
before December
After Office- hours

You can play badminton in the Revenue Club or other Officers
?
Club
Plan your marriage
?
Concentrate on IT projects and try to improvise
?
time is not a constraint, try and go through relevant files during
each attachment.
Normally, independent SDO(Civil) charge is not given; you can
?
expect charge as Circle Officer
Do not miss attachments with District Jail, SP and Police
?
Since bifurcation of Assam and Meghalaya officers is done only
?
at the end of district training, officers allotted to Meghalaya miss
out on detailed exposure to the state, beyond the common one
month Meghalaya attachment

Learn as much as you can and enjoy your probation to the fullest
?
Give due respect to all seniors, be they from an All India Service or
?
otherwise. Their response to your training needs hinges critically
ASSAM-MEGHALAYA on this
Abhishek Bhagotia (North Lakhimpur, Make good friends with all ACS officers of your district. They will
?
abhishekbhagotia@gmail.com) generally not leave you alone in problems.
N.Geoffrey (Nagaon, gningthoujam@gmail.com) Do not avoid taking up responsibilities during probation, as you
?
Vijay Kumar Mantri (Sibsagar, mantrivijaykumar@gmail.com) can exercise authority without being held totally accountable for
Virendra Mittal (Dibrugarh, virendra8@rediffmail.com)
your mistakes. Seniors will always be willing to overlook your
mistakes and correct them
First Impressions and Working Environment Do not be allergic towards addressing your seniors as Sir it pays
?
We went without any prejudices and enjoyed our training
? in the long run
Working environment is good, though it is quite casual and
?
people are generally friendly
Bureaucracy is cohesive and socio-economic conditions are
? Key officers in the cadre who are supportive
quite similar to those in states like UP and Bihar Shri K.K. Dwivedi, IAS (1996)
?
The pace of work is slow
? Shri G.D. Tripathi, IAS (1998)
?
Files are invariably put up by assistants in Assamese
? Shri. Ashutosh Agnihotri, IAS (1999)
?
Shri Sanjay Goel, IAS (2004)
?
Training Structure and Focus Areas Shri Anurag Agarwal, IPS
?
There is a well-structured training programme in the cadre,

? Shri Anurag Singh, IFoS
?
though it is ultimately the DC who decides the specific training Shri Sarangpani Sharma, ACS
?
inputs. Hence do whatever he/she wants you to do For service related issues, contact dependable seniors in the IAS.
?
The schedule for attachments, though very tight, can prove to be
? For other problems, you should approach Addl. D.C.s who are
a good guide about what to look out for in each attachment. If generally ACS officers.
Pecuniary Matters not flaunt it
Go to AG Office in Guwahati while you are in Guwahati for the ATI
? Give advice/suggestions only when they are solicited, especially
?
training and request them to expedite the preparation and in official meetings
despatch of your Pay Bill. Try and get the pay bill in your hand Do keep your DC in good humour. Meet him daily until he says
?
before leaving for the district no to it
As soon as you go to the district, meet the Finance and Accounts
?
Officer and settle all your TA/DA bills and salary arrears. Coping with Assignments
When applying for HRA, apply as Assistant Commissioner and
?
Do not go for daily diaries; instead go for analytical notes
?
not as IAS(P).
Be regular with your D.O letters. This is not so much for the marks
?
Your TA/DA are determined by Assam Govt. Rules
?
awarded by the Academy, but your Secretary (Personnel) is
Get yourself a copy of Swamys handbook, since the accounts
? constantly watching and assessing you. He stays in regular touch
staff are not very well-versed and you will have to tell them the with your DC to ascertain your training progress
relevant rules.
For the village study assignment, consult your immediate
?
Be in touch with your immediate seniors
? seniors.
Take up law cases as early as possible in your training, with your
?
DCs permission.
Leave Rules and Conventions As long as you are carrying all the required data, you can
?
complete the DAP/ESP once you reach the Academy
This varies from DC to DC. Generally they are receptive to your
?
requests for leave.
Talk to your DC about what he used to do during his probation
?
After Office- hours
days this could be a pointer for you
Build up a good social circle in the district amongst ACS/APS,
?
CRPF/Army/Assam Rifles officers.
Creature Comforts:
Accept party invitations; dont be a hopeless teetotaller!
?
Circuit House accommodation is provided, which is good in
?
Wimax is there in all districts. So get a connection to your Circuit
?
most districts
House Room for internet. Be good with NIC officers for all
In case you are not provided with a TV in the room, you could
?
computer related favours.
request the DC for it.
If you are single, try and fix up your marriage!
?
The cooks in the Circuit House can be asked to make food
?
according to your choice. Paying him periodic tips can ensure his
loyalty and sincerity.
Interacting with the DC/DM During my BDO charge, I slapped a school headmaster and had a
Try to be a good listener and observer to understand the DC

? tough time subsequently, negotiating with the Headmasters
Talk to him/her, ascertain his/her priority areas in the district and

?
Association. Elections taught me the tricks of fire-fighting with utmost
try and get involved in these with prior permission secrecy - Geoffrey
Be very modest with the DC. Even if you have lots of talent, do
?
Attend all the meetings conducted by the DM atleast once
?
Handle some of the files in the sections during attachments.
?
Read the Citizens charter of each section
Do your court work properly. Ensure that you handle atleast one
?
encroachment and one certificate case
Independent charge as BDO is the highlight. Make the most of it
?
Read the basic State Acts and guidelines
?
Go through the Dak in the office religiously
?
The treasury training however, is excessively long and the
?
duration can be easily reduced

BIHAR Call on ALL the seniors officers atleast once
?
Sit with the Bada Babu of each section
?
Deepak Anand (Bhagalpur, dipaksitamarhi@gmail.com)
Dr. Neeraj Kharwal (Jehanabad, neeraj.kharwal@gmail.com) Check the cash book and bank reconciliation statements before
?
Gopal Meena (Motihari, gopalmeena.ias@gmail.com) taking any independent charge
Jai Singh (Gaya, jaisinghsonu@gmail.com)
Call on the Accountant General
?
Manoj Kumar (Gopalganj, manojkr81@gmail.com)
Sanjay Kumar Singh (Muzzafarpur,sanjaysingh.ias@gmail.com)
Vinod Singh Gunjiyal (Patna, vsgun2000@gmail.com)
Mr. Vivek Kumar, IAS (1989)
?
First Impressions and Working Environment Dr. B. Rajendra, IAS (1995)
?
First impression is that its not a good cadre-there is excessive

? Mr. Ratn Sanjay, IPS (1998)
?
political interference. People were also apprehensive about our Mr. Bala Murgan, IAS (2005)
?
safety. After spending one year in the district, one realises that DG, BIPARD
?
the cadre is good and people have a lot of faith and respect for an
IAS officer
Pecuniary Matters
Working environment is good
?
Officers have a substantial degree of autonomy
? Go through the files of earlier probationers in the Sthapna
?
section
Systems are well entrenched
?
ADM(Establishment) is the key person
?
Unlike other capital cities, Patna qualifies as a good training
?
district (thanks to the efforts of Dr. B. Rajendra, IAS, 1995 batch) as Go through the booklet provided by BIPARD on powers of DDO
?
long as you are prepared to be proactive and office procedures
Keep in touch with some section officer in the AG office in order
?
to sort out any confusions After Office- hours
Maintain a file to record details of each months salary, TA/DA, etc.
? Play games with the DM, SP, IPS/BPS probationer
?
If in Patna, utilise the facilities of the Secretariat Sports Club and
?
Patna Club. Even the Circuit house has a gym and a Table tennis
Leave Rules and Conventions table
Leave depends on the District Magistrate, but is generally not a
? Listen to music, watch TV
?
problem Interact with your batch mates
?
If you want a long leave (earned leave) or during independent
?
charge, apply in a formal way
Creature Comforts: An enterprising lady Block Pramukh had made life hell for all previous
Accommodation is provided in the Circuit house. There is no
? BDOs in a particular block. On assuming BDOship of this particular
need to pay in the Circuit house, but you cant claim HRA block, she tried to extract favours out of me and get cuts in the block
Vehicle (Tata SUMO) is easily available
? developmental projects. When persuasion and coercion didnt work, she
Food in the Circuit House is tolerable
? resorted to threats and started maligning my character. Thanks to the
You are also provided a bodyguard and peon
? support of my DM, I succeeded in falsifying her allegations and putting
her behind bars.- Gopal Meena

Dont pester him too much. Be a silent observer
?
Be polite and courteous to him and try and read his mind
?
Accompany him on tours
?
Discuss personal issues with him as and when required
?

At the very beginning, read the district training manual carefully
?
so that you remain vigilant enough to grasp and document any
opportunity/situation that you observe during the training
period
Else, solicit the help of your seniors.
?
Getting trained in the capital (Raipur) is problematic as nobody
?
has time

Training is not well structured; the ATI doesnt have much of a
?
role
Do not miss out on revenue training, independent charges as
?
prescribed, meetings called by the Collector (especially Time
Limit meetings)
It would be advisable to complete all attachments to get a
?
holistic view of the administrative setup
Be prepared for independent charges during the second half of
?
your training

CHATTISGARH Complete all important attachments like police, finance,
?
Basavaraju S. (Rajnandgaon, bbenaka@gmail.com) judiciary, treasury, municipal corporation, tribal section, etc.
Him Shikar Gupta (Kawardha, himshikhargupta@gmail.com) before you take up independent charges
K.C. Devasenapathi (Bilaspur, kc_deva@rediffmail.com) Try to call on as many senior officers as possible
?
Mohammad Qaiser Abdulhaque (Kanker,
mqadbulhaque@yahoo.com) Learn as much as you can by observing and travelling
?
Shammi Abidi (Raipur, shammiabidi@gmail.com)
Yashwant Kumar (Sarguja, yashwant_ias@rediffmail.com)
First Impressions and Working Environment Mr. Vikas Sheel, IAS (1994 )
?
Mr. Subodh Kumar Singh, IAS (1997 )
?
There were loads of apprehensions to start with- Naxalism,
?
backwardness, poverty, etc. Most of them proved to be Mr. Amit Kataria, IAS (2004 )
?
unfounded at the end of the year. Naxalism is an issue, but one Mr. O.P. Choudhary, IAS (2005 )
?
gets used to it Mr. Rajat Kumar, IAS (2005 )
?
There is immense to scope to do welfare work for the tribals
? Mr. Arif Sheikh, IPS (2005 )
?
The hierarchy is strict and formal.
? Ms. Shruti Singh, IAS (2006 )
?
Since there is a paucity of officers, be prepared to hold
?
substantial independent charges (including that of SDM) during
probation itself
It is as good or as bad as any mainland north Indian cadre. The
?
legacy of Madhya Pradesh continues
Pecuniary Matters Coping with Assignments
Tax planning needs personal attention- consult a professional
? Punctuality is rewarded-matter (content) doesnt matter so
?
tax consultant much
There is no need to worry about salary and allowance related
? Get hold of your seniors assignments and use them as guides
?
issues- they get sorted out
Remember to claim the tribal allowance of Rs.300 in tribal areas
?
After Office- hours
Generally, most of the districts have an Officers Club-join it asap.
?
Leave Rules and Conventions Read books, listen to music, watch movies
?
Granting of leave depends on the DM

?
It is better to ask for leave in the second half of training
?
The best way is to ask for leave for a few days and then extend it
?
afterwards!
French leave is possible in some cases
?
Observing two elections, back to back, in a Naxal infested district was
quite an experience. One of the polling booths was in an area which was
Creature Comforts: so completely dominated by Naxals that any outsider venturing into it
Accommodation is easily available. Cook, peon, etc can also be
? was greeted with a hail of bullets. In such a scenario, there was no way
managed the polling party could go there and bogus voting (with equal votes to
The type of facilities available differs from district to district
? each candidate) was resorted to. When the Election Commission found
One easily gets a vehicle (even an A/C one)-generally a Bolero. In
? out, it ordered re-polling. Three futile and unsuccessful repolls later, the
Bilaspur and Raipur, an Ambassador is given Commission finally decided to shift the location of the polling station to
For South Indians, food is a bit problematic, if not accustomed to
? a non-naxal area! - Mohammad Qaiser Abdulhaque
North Indian cuisine

Be a silent observer
?
It will pay to keep him/her in good humour, he/she will be more
?
than willing to share his experiences with you
You can request the DC to give independent charge when you
?
feel you are prepared
Officers are highly respected by and also in turn give respect to
?
MLAs, MPs and Ministers
District Administration is an event management set up in nature
?
which also administers.
Accommodation at ATI is reasonably good with all creature
?
comforts provided for by Government standards. However, the
food is oily and the staff is scarce leading to unreturned calls for
tea or other such essentials

Language grasp and understanding revenue and law and order
?
issues from SDM perspective is a must do.
GUJARAT Understanding village forms is essential

?
All independent charges must be exercised earnestly as they are
?
Ardra Agarwal (Bharuch, ardra22@gmail.com) great learning opportunities
Dilip Kumar Rana (Banaskantha, deelip_rana@yahoo.com)
Ravi Shankar (Mehsana, ravi.ias@nic.in) One should maintain a low profile and good relationships with
?
Remya Mohan (Valsad, remyalara@gmail.com) all officers in district of All India and State Services as far as
Sandip Sagale (Junagadh, sandipsagale@gmail.com) possible.
One should never throw weight around unless actually pushed
?
to the brink. In Gujarat, humility is highly respected and the
culture is that of getting respect only if one gives it to any other
First Impressions and Working Environment person irrespective of any other criteria.
Simplicity of the people is the first thing that strikes you-the

? All attachments are not useful unless the officer one is attached
?
people are welcoming and friendly with is interested in training. So, after a few days, if it is obvious
that the attachment is giving no results, one can try to involve
Systematic and well-set administrative structure
?
oneself in something more productive with the permission of
Officer-oriented functioning with a large multi-tasking burden
? the collector.
formally placed on all Class-I officers
The hierarchy is not very strict and rigid. From the seniormost to
?
the junior most levels, there is a lot of interaction and seniors are
very accessible and open to problems and concerns of the
juniors. It is in essence a very informal cadre Do spend maximum time under the guidance and leadership of
?
Corporate style of functioning with parts of the office starting by
? the collector and try to get independent assignments from
9 and going on till night time him/her.
A large number of development theme based functions and

? Never try to take decisions without consulting the collector or
?
festivals are run by government in the form of mahotsavs and do things which the collector has explicitly asked you to stay
yatras. away from.
Close links exist between administration and corporate world

? Do call on all senior officers
?
Key officers in the cadre who are supportive Creature Comforts:
Mr. I.P. Gautam, IAS (1984)
? Food in the Circuit house is rather unpalatable (but beyond a
?
Mr. B.B. Swain, IAS (1988)-Director General of the ATI (SPIPA). In
? point, one gets used to that as well) and eating out regularly is
case of any difficulties in Ahmedabad, you can approach him. also not a good option as generally, there is high oil content and
lots of sugar.
Mrs. Anita Karwal, IAS (1988)
?
While in office, generally food is provided by the officers with
?
Mr. Ashwini Kumar, IAS (1997)
?
whom we are attached or by the Collector.
Mr. Ajay Bhadoo, IAS (1999)
?
If one is inclined, it is best to try for a quarter through the
?
Mrs. Arti Kanwar, IAS (2001)
?
Collector or Resident Deputy Collector and start cooking as soon
In the case of Valsad, either the Collector, Mr.R.B. Dave or the
? as possible. An application has to be filed with the Roads and
Resident Deputy Collector and A.D.M, Mr.Gunwant Sinh Solanki Building Executive Engineer in order to get a quarter.
can be approached.
Provision of facilities such as a cook, vehicle etc solely depends
?
on the discretion of the collector or the Resident Deputy
Collector. However, the basic needs such as pick up and drop to
Pecuniary Matters and from office, vehicle for touring and other matters are always
taken care of.
Claim TA for travel from Mussoorie as soon as possible before it
?
lapses. A lot of these matters depend on the relationship maintained
?
between the probationer and the other officers.
Submit Bharat Darshan bills well in time.
?
But, during independent charge, one always gets the vehicle
?
Medical bills cannot be reimbursed. One gets a regular Rs.100
?
allotted to the officer whose charge you are temporarily holding.
per month.
Regularly get train tickets and accommodation bills for official
?
purposes reimbursed.
Be in touch with the Account Section head of the Collectorate
?
regarding entitlements, increments Interacting with the DC/DM
Maintain a regular file of copies of bills etc
? Keep an open mind regarding direct recruit and state service
?
officers, keep no preconceived notions about either
It is just about understanding the nature and priorities of the
?
person and fitting in to his/her scheme of things without being a
Leave Rules and Conventions hindrance
The probationer is a very good sounding board for the DC in
?
This largely depends on the Collector. However, when there are
? many cases. This is a very good learning opportunity for the
situations of exigency, Elections or other Government programs, probationer.
it is a regular practice in Gujarat for leave to be banned. In such
Travelling with the Collector can be a good learning opportunity
?
situations, leave is granted only in case of extremely urgent
situations. Be friendly and pleasant, without overdoing it.
?
It is best to be frank with the Collector and discuss ones

?
problems in order to take leave.
Village study assignment is the most painful and unproductive
? We were once travelling to Baroda during our state darshan in a Lal
of the lot. It really needs to be re-designed. Try and finish it off Batti Innova. Half an hour into the journey we were stopped by a
during the T.D.O independent spell. couple of bystanders who wanted a lift. On being told that we were IAS
The history of land reforms component in the land reforms study
? probationers on an official journey, they assured us that they would
(part of village study) is common for each year. It is still unclear pay for the trip and enquired Which company do you people work
why probationers year after year are asked to compile it afresh
for?!
when it is a static piece of data. Please procure it from senior
batches who have served in the same district.
Maintain at least two to three lines of a daily diary so that sending
?
it at the end of the month (or year) does not mean weekends and
holidays lost slogging over a laptop.
Space out the projects throughout the year so that they all dont
?
end up burdening you at the end of probation when you need
time to pack up and go home.
Choose District Assignments and Experience Sharing
?
Presentations with care and make sure you have interest in the
topic. Otherwise, it will be difficult to handle questions later
when presenting it in front of your batch in the academy.
After Office- hours

Develop a good social circle with suitable officers and their
?
families
Bring family over to stay with you, as in probation, it is easier to
?
manage time and spend time with them
Try not to get in a rut by pursuing whatever hobbies and
?
interests you had before joining service.
If you are an outsider, make it a point to spend some time at least
?
on weekends with a vernacular newspaper
In Bharuch, one can play/work out in the Sports Complex
?
situated in GNFC township
The cadre also encourages officers to go on training
?
programmes

Training at HIPA is not very productive.
?
Inputs on local laws and the Haryana Darshan are very good;
?
inputs on Haryana are inadequate
Several independent charges are given. Do ask for a month of
?
SDO (Civil) charge
Focus on your revenue training
?
Get week long attachments with other departments reduced to
?
a day or two
Try and work on some independent project
?
HARYANA
Atul Kumar Dwivedi (Faridabad, atulkrdwivedi@gmail.com) Dos/Donts in the District/ State
Dusmanta Kumar Behera (Rohtak, b_dusmanta@yahoo.co.in)
Makarand Khetmalis (Hissar, just.makarand@gmail.com) Attend all informal gatherings; these can teach a lot about the
?
Mona P. Sreenivas, 2006 Batch (Hissar, Mahendragarh, society and culture of the state
monapruthi@gmail.com)
Call on all senior officers in the Secretariat
?
Maintain good relations with the HCS officers. Some of them are
?
very knowledgeable
Be careful of what you speak. It is a very small cadre, so spoken
?
First impressions were good and only kept improving during
? words and reputation travels far and fast.
training Learn to respect the local traditions and culture
?
Positive work environment
?
Officers from other states are respected and seen as more
?
impartial Key officers in the cadre who are supportive
Camp office culture is prevalent
? Shri R.S Doon, IAS (DPS to CM)
?
The cadre is really appreciative of good work.
? Shri P.C Meena, IAS ( DC, Rohtak)
?
Being a small cadre, there is a close-knit relationship between
? Divisional Commissioner
?
seniors and juniors in the service. Special Secretary (Personnel)
?
The working of the bureaucracy has a tendency to revolve
? Officers of 2001 batch onwards are generally receptive and
?
around the Chief Minister friendly
Since routine work is not very pressing, newer initiatives that are
?
off the beaten track can be taken up
Take the help of the Nazir and the Dealing Assistant in the
? Start off an assignment early on
?
Establishment section. Solicit the help of an English-knowing Panchayat Secretary for
?
Join in the district as fast as possible. This will ensure that you get
? the Village Study
your salary and other dues in time. Try and send off all assignments from the district so that you have
?
Getting any bill cleared in Ambala is generally a big problem.
? no burden of work during Phase II. But do keep a copy for yourself
Circumvent it because they tend to get misplaced in the Academy
Dig out old reports, especially by NGOs in your district for help in
?
writing assignments

Leave depends entirely on the DC. Normally you can expect ten
?
days of leave. After Office- hours
Tactic of asking for leave is dependent on the nature of your DC.
?
Call on officers in other districts
?
You can always try out repeated polite requests and excuses that
Read up on state laws
?
cannot be denied
Use sports facilities
?
Do not disappear from the district without informing the DC
?
Get married
?
Never miss any party
?
Creature Comforts:
Accommodation is provided in the PWD Guest House (try and
?
capture an AC room) or a house ( in case you have your family
with you). Accommodation can be a problem in places like
Gurgaon
You can expect a Bolero at the least to be at your disposal
?
Food is never a problem
?
For other creature comforts, you can always tap the resources of
?
the ADC

See the DC at least once every day
?
Ask him/her to entrust a project like SSA with you
?
Do take a look at his/her file notings closely
?
You can learn something even from a bad boss
?
Request him/her to mark files/enquiries to you
?
Find the right time and place to discuss your problems with the
?
DC
Most of the officers are approachable. My DC, Mr. Kamlesh Pant,
?
was very supportive.
Ms. Mamta, IAS (2004)
?
Ms. Meera Mohanti (2005)
?
Pecuniary Matters
All money matters are routed through the ATI and therefore you
?
HIMACHAL PRADESH will not have much of a problem
Shainamol A. (Kangra, shainaias@gmail.com)

First Impressions and Working Environment During probation, it is easy to get leave. If you complete your
?
assignments well in time, there will not be any problem in taking
I was told by seniors that HP is a very peaceful state, an informal
? leave.
cadre with a good working environment and very little political
interference. Everything except the last was proved to be correct.
There is a lot of political interference, however criminalisation of
politics has yet not happened. Creature Comforts:
There are lots of areas in which you can work without any
? In Kangra, there is a single room that has traditionally been
?
interference from outside agencies. However, if you disturb earmarked for the probationers with a small kitchen attached
anyones vested interest, you will start getting calls from above to it.
With regard to other amenities, it will be advisable not to go
?
with any great expectations
The training programme is very well-structured in Kangra, since
?
it is a traditional training district
Be polite to your DC and try to develop a good personal
?
Dos/Donts in the District/ State equation with him/her from day one.
During the first two weeks of training, you will be attached to
? You should periodically brief your DC about your training
?
HIPA and the main task during this period is to call on Secretaries.
Make full use of it , since everyone will be very affectionate and
considerate to you as the juniormost officer of the cadre. This is
the best time to establish good relations with your senior
colleagues in the cadre.
In the initial months of training, you will have plenty of time at
?
your disposal. The only time when you will be busy is when you
start handling independent charges. So, prepare a schedule and
fix a time line for the completion of the assignments
After Office- hours

In Kangra, there is a police ground near the place where you stay.
?
The Dhauladhar Range looks amazing from there. There are
badminton and volleyball courts as well. You can make use of
them.
Do all attachments and independent charges for sure. Do a lot of
?
touring. Be extremely cautious in law and order issues.
Always try to be in touch with young recruits of your cadre and
?
keep taking their advice on different matters. It is actually very
helpful.
Dont risk your life and never leave the police cordon. You are not
?
armed and not experienced. I nearly lost my life once. In the end
it boils down to each one for his/her own.
Dont enter into unnecessary arguments with your DC. This
?
JAMMU & KASHMIR would create an uncomfortable situation between you and
him/her and this would not augur well for your training as well as
Yasha Mudgal (Reasi, ryasha.k@gmail.com) your stay in the district.
Dont mix up too much with your staff. Be polite, humble and
?
pleasant but always maintain a safe distance. In J&K people do
First Impressions and Working Environment not know where to draw the line. They try to get extremely
Since J&K is perceived as a negative cadre I was a little
? informal. Dont encourage them.
apprehensive about it initially but at the same time, I was quite Never be disrespectful to any of the state service officers. They
?
excited to go and see for myself as to what are the conditions know a lot. It is your only chance. Respect them and show a lot of
prevalent in the cadre. It is a good cadre perceived negatively, courtesy to them. Learn from them. If you treat them as your
and the perceived threat to life and security is exaggerated. teachers they would be more than forthcoming in sharing their
Conditions are quite normal now in most of the areas. Like every
? knowledge and experience with you and would also give you a
other cadre it has its own positive and negative aspects. Well, lot of respect and would keep reminding you that tomorrow you
does that sound rhetorical? Ok. Let me put it this way : on a are going to be their BOSS!
scale of 0 to 10 where 0 is the worst cadre and 10 being the best I
would not rate J&K as 0 or 10 but somewhere close to 6.5 to 7.
?The district was also good but being a new district I got less
exposure of certain things. Key officers in the cadre who are supportive
All officers starting from 2003 batch onwards in J&K can be
?
approached without any apprehension. They all are cool,
dynamic and helpful and extremely prompt in advising you on
the right course of action.
Do all attachments. I learnt a lot on almost every attachment.
?
The SICOP and SIDCO attachments are very long. Complete
?
them quickly and take a trip home. It will be refreshing.
While in your district, try to visit the office of the PWD and PHE Ex.
?
En. Learn about their work. This will help when you take up your
SDM charge.
Pecuniary Matters Interacting with the DC/DM
As soon as you join the district start pressing them for your
? Do the work he/she gives you very seriously and regularly.
?
arrears as, they generally take a lot of time in calculating and Keep him/her updated about your attachments. Seek his/her
?
crediting it to you. advice on issues of your training attachments.
Take your DCs help if he/she is a direct recruit.
? Try to know his/her temperament and work accordingly.
?
Claim all your medical bills.
? Attend every meeting that the DC is holding or attending. Try to
?
?Claim you TA/DA for State Darshan in time, it is a good amount. attend high profile meetings as well. Try to assist him in event
These have to be claimed from IMPA. Keep all your lodging bills management activities.
of State Darshan intact as you would need these to attach them Press for independent charges. Please dont shy away from them
?
with your TA/DA claims. as one learns tremendously during them.
Ask the district people to prepare your tax statement. Try to save
? Tour a lot both with him/her as well as independently. You would
?
full one lakh that you are permitted to. This is the beginning of learn a lot about field realities which is important as our initial 10
your life. You would be able to save a lot at this time. years are directly linked to the field.
Leave Rules and Conventions Coping with Assignments

Write about what you have really done and something that has
?
Two trips 10 days each is good enough. This is excluding the trip
?
touched you in some way.
you will make home, at the end of your probation just before
For the rest taking INSPIRATION from your seniors is not at all a
?
joining LBSNAA. Whether you will get leave or not depends on
bad idea!
your DC. The best way to go about the leave is to say that you
have become very Home Sick with a sad face. They really buy
that in J&K. It worked for me. Worth giving a shot.!!
After Office- hours
Cultivate a hobby.
?
Creature Comforts:
Call on senior officers.
?
As far as accommodation and vehicle are concerned it again
?
Attend formal and official parties.
?
depends on the DC. In the valley one might face a problem of
vehicle but in the Jammu region these things are generally Read the State acts and laws.
?
provided to the probationers. But the experiences widely Chat with your friends and batch mates on the phone.
?
differ across batches in this regard. My experience was very ?Be in regular touch with recent batch officers of your cadre. At
good. times I really benefited from their advice.
As far as food is concerned they put a lot of oil and spices in it.
?
If you are a non vegetarian J&K is heaven for you. Vegetarians
generally experience a problem in the Valley. But whenever
you go there try to get a stay in the Tourist Reception Center
there. They make delicious vegetarian food.
Go with passion to work for the development of the newly
?
created state
Interact with your clerical staff
?
Observe and learn without commenting
?
When you are with seniors, always be polite and discreet
?
JHARKHAND Avinash Kumar, IAS (1993)

?
Sunil Burnval, IAS (1998)
?
Shuchi Tyagi (Ranchi, sty008@gmail.com) PA to DC Ranchi
?
Pecuniary Matters
Establishment section of the Collectorate takes care of these
?
Naxal infested state but with immense potential
? issues
Good working conditions
?
Staff are generally obedient and co-operative
?
Leave is generally not a problem, but it depends on the DM
?
There is a systematic training structure followed in the state that
?
covers all the important aspects Creature Comforts:
The ATI training is divided into two phases; the first phase is for
? Circuit House accommodation is provided to the probationer
?
seven weeks and the second phase is for four weeks which is
Other creature comforts like vehicle, food etc. are not a problem
?
held later on during district training
Nazarat Deputy Collector is responsible for arranging all this for
?
The revenue training component is very important; so pay more
?
the probationer
attention to it
Jharkand Darshan is an enjoyable experience; make the most of
?
it
Try to spend as much time as possible with your DC
?
Observe him/her carefully and ask your doubts if he/she is in the
?
mood

Complete and submit them before coming to the Academy
?
After Office- hours

Pursue your hobbies
?
Interact with your batch mates and seniors
?
Read
?
Listen to music
?
Shop-not necessarily till you drop, but off and on!
?
Closely observe the working of the DC office
?

Equip yourself with complete information about service related
?
matters
Be polite with subordinates and build up a good rapport with all
?
officers in the district
Keep in close touch with your batchmates in other districts
?
Read the District Gazette
?
Try clearing all papers regularly
?
KARNATAKA Key officers in the cadre who are supportive

Anurag Tewari (Shimoga, anurag_tewari@rediffmail.com) Shri M.Y. Reju, Deputy Secretary, DPAR, Bangalore
?
K.P. Mohanraj (Belgaum, kpmohanrajias@gmail.com)
Dr. Thrilok Chandra K.V. (Mangalore, drthrilokias@gmail.com) Smt. Amita Prasad, D.G, ATI
?

It was a mix of eager anticipation and apprehensions. However,
? Pecuniary Matters
the experience was very positive Try to get all pending salary (pending from joining the Academy
?
The working environment and the cadre management systems
? up to joining the ATI) during your stay at the ATI, before going to
are fairly good the district.This was done for our batch by our Course Co-
The minutes system prevails in the district, which is given by
? ordinator at the ATI
peoples representatives recommending actions to a particular Be well-versed with all finance related GOs and rules
?
official within their area of jurisdiction. MLAs are very powerful File your IT returns on time
?
There are different types of land records maintenance in
?
Bombay, Karnataka, Hyderabad and Old Mysore areas
Corruption and nepotism are rampant at the lower rungs
?
Training Structure and Focus Areas You will get leave as per rules
?
Time your leaves properly, as per urgency of need, suitability and
?
ATI training is well structured
?
feelings of the DC.
Good exposure to all departments
?
Give proper justification when asking for leave
?
Take the Tehsildar charge seriously and learn how Taluk offices
?
function.
Creature Comforts:
A good rapport with the DC will help in getting accommodation
? I learnt a lot about policing by synchronizing my police attachment
and vehicle soon. Sometimes, accommodation is provided in with the Ganapathy ablution in Belgaum. Also, the conduct of the
the DC Bungalow; for instance in Belgaum, one room is set aside Winter Session of Karnataka Legislative Assembly in Belgaum was a
in the DC Bungalow for the probationer. You may also be given a great experience. - K.P. Mohanraj
separate quarters.
You will be provided with a car or jeep depending on the
?
availability. But do not expect to get it solely by virtue of your
being an IAS probationer
Food will be a problem for North Indians
?

Do not avoid spending time with the DC
?
Be polite in your speech and do not pester him/her with silly
?
demands
Be eager to learn new things
?

Consult with your seniors
?
Try and finish most of it in the early part of training when you do
?
not have much to do
After Office- hours

Try to spend each weekend in a different place; you will learn a
?
lot about the district and the state
Devote time to learning Kannada and speaking it with locals
?
In Belgaum, you can join the Belgaum club and learn golf at the
?
Desur Club or at the Military Golf Club
Training structure is highly flexible, which at times is a dampener
?
Training is structured around a series of Government Orders
?
(GOs)
Be fully involved in the Collectorate attachment
?
Attend the meetings of other departments called by the
?
Collector
The revenue part is a must do, the panchayat part is a let-go.
?

Do not pick fights with the Deputy Collectors
?
Keep calling on senior officers of all services
?
KERALA Media is very active. Hence be careful and friendly while dealing
?
with them
Ajit Patil (Ernakulam, ajit.b.patil@gmail.com) Be courteous to politicians of all levels
?
Prasanth N. (Kozhikode, prasanthllb@gmail.com)
Reserve the epithet Sir for ministers & senior officers only. MLAs
?
& MPs may be addressed as MLA or MP.
First Impressions and Working Environment Be friendly and courteous to subordinate staff and your driver
?
Apprehensions about the cadre are misplaced

?
Cadre-seniors are helpful and friendly
IAS officers command a lot of respect
?
Dr. Venu IAS (1990 )
?
Kerala Society places a high premium on education and
?
Dr. A Jayathilak IAS (1991)
?
knowledge and working with an educated, aware public is a
good experience Dr. B Ashok IAS (1998 )
?
An egalitarian society that is as removed from a feudalistic and

? Dr. Beena IAS (1999)
?
mai-baap administrative culture as possible; quite similar to a Shri. Dinesh Arora IAS (2002 )
?
western setting. Shri. Rathan Kelkar IAS (2003 )
?
Near informal behaviour of Chief Minister, Ministers and all senior
? Shri. Pranab Jyothinath IAS (2005)
?
officers
Call on the Accountant General (AG) while in
? Ask intelligent questions
?
Thiruvananthapuram for the ATI attachment Be a keen listener
?
Get the pay slip issued from the AGs Office in the first month
? Show your competence
?
itself
Have the wisdom to keep ones mouth shut at the right place
?
February Salary bill should show Income-tax deduction ( Form
?
16 to be obtained from the District Treasury)
Call on the Treasury Officer in your district
?
Ensure that your Confidential Assistant (CA) consults other
? Coping with Assignments
experienced CAs as well as the CA of your District Collector
Gather an idea of your TA entitlements from your District
? A lot of material on the topics given for DAP/ESP etc are available
?
Financial Officer on the Internet
Claim all your TAs by month end
? You can use them to supplement what you have observed first
?
hand
Leave Rules and Conventions Try to submit them on time, since this is what ultimately matters
?
Intimate the DC of your leave plans in advance
?
in the Academy
The best way is to ask for leave giving the true reasons. Most
?
Collectors are considerate about leave.
Very often formal leave may not be necessary if the Collector has
?
been taken into confidence. After Office- hours
Be mentally prepared to work throughout the week when work
? Most districts have a stadium/badminton court/gymnasium etc
?
load is high Partying is also an available option as seniors are generous hosts
?
Explore the tourist spots in and around your district
?
Creature Comforts: Expand your acquaintances beyond the bureaucratic circle.
?
Quarters/ Rental accommodation may be arranged. HRA can be

?
You could consider the option of falling in love. It does not
?
availed, so you can claim it and rent a house eliminate boredom or depression, but certainly delays it
Intimate the DC of your need for an accommodation in advance.

?
Instruct the Assistant Executive Engineer in detail about the
?
repairs that have to be undertaken while you are in ATI,
Thiruvananthapuram
Vehicle with attendant administrative paraphernalia to be
?
arranged in consultation with the DC. This largely depends on
the D.C and the district.
Better get used to South Indian food; genuine North Indian food
?
is rare to come by
Take your ATI training seriously. It will help you during your stint
?
in the district
Accept independent charge of SDM etc. only after completing
?
your assignments
Draw up a schedule for attachments to various departments in
?
the district in consultation with the Collector
Keep 2-3 days aside for revenue courts every week
?
At all times be reverent towards your Collector

?
Develop good informal relations with your SDM/Tahsildar
?
MADHYA PRADESH Take interest in all aspects of administration

?
Try to go on raids with the Police/Forest officials
?
Madan Nagargoje (Ujjain, madankumar.ias@gmail.com)
Sanket Bhondve (Jhabua, sanket.ias@gmail.com) Do not try to advise your DC
?
Shriman Shukla (Jabalpur, shrimanshukla@gmail.com) Do not undervalue the importance of clarifying legal issues
?
Swatantra Kumar Singh (Sagar, swatantra81@gmail.com) informally by interacting with the important district
Swati Meena (Gwalior, swatijhirwal@gmail.com)
functionaries like the District Judge, Chief Judicial Magistrate
and others
Interaction with villagers is exciting. Hence make the most of it.
?

A Hindi belt state with an eclectic cultural mix
?
Neither too formal nor too informal
Even insiders may have to do some coping up.
?
Shri Sheo Shekhar Shukla, IAS (1994 )
?
Outsiders and insiders given an equal opportunity to prove their
?
Shri Ajatshatru Shrivastava, IAS (1996)
?
mettle
Shri Pawan Sharma, IAS (1999 )
?
Probationer is treated like the Collectors child. Hence behave
?
like one. Collector is the first point of contact in all matters.
?
Knowledgeable Additional Collectors may also be contacted
for professional matters
On money matters the first point of contact should be the
?
Village Assignments to be taken up when you have independent
?
Offcer-in-charge, Finance (Deputy Collector/ Joint Collector). Do
charge of CEO, Janpad Panchayat
not talk directly to the dealing clerk
Ensure you finish your assignments in your district so that you
?
Discuss with batch mates to keep a tab on your pecuniary
?
can enjoy your Phase II with your batchmates
entitlements
Keep sending your assignments regularly. It is important to have
?
submitted an assignment. The quality aspect is a later concern
Intimate the DC about your leave plans in advance
?
Requests for leave should be well-spaced
? After Office- hours
You are entitled to approximately the following days: Casual
?
Keep playing one sport of your choice
?
Leave-10, Earned Leave-25, Medical Leave-10
MP is a good place to put your photographic skills to good use
?
Regularly meet up with other officers in the district
?
Creature Comforts:
Circuit House/Guest House accommodation will be given
?
Request Divisional Commissioner for room allotment ( not at the
?
first meeting)
Vehicle is provided but do not demand a particular make or any
?
specific vehicle
The Collector is the key person, hence the provision of a lot of
?
amenities and facilities may depend on him

Be nice and loyal to the DC
?
Do not pass on any privileged information of the Collector that
?
you have on to others
Do not try to manipulate your DC
?
The five weeks of ATI training at Yashada are very systematic and
?
structured
There is a lot of focus on procedural aspects of legal matters and
?
land records
Keep in close touch with the Collector

?
During attachments, build good relations with heads of
?
departments as they can come in handy later on
Call on Police, Forest, Judicial, Revenue, Customs and other
?
Departmental Heads
Undertake maximum touring of the district to gain first hand
?
MAHARASHTRA knowledge
If you smoke or drink, do not do so openly
?
Dr. Amit Saini (Ratnagiri, dr_amitsaini@yahoo.com)
Ashwin Mudgal (Nashik, ashwin.mudgal@gmail.com)
Dr. Madhavi Khode (Nagpur, drsurmadhu@gmail.com)
Dr. Nirupama Dange (Aurangabad, docniru@gmail.com)
Sachindra Pratap Singh (Kolhapur, sachindraps@gmail.com) Key officers in the cadre who are supportive
Shri.Shekar Gaikwad (Asst. Professor, Yashada)
?
First Impressions and Working Environment Shri Praveen Darade IAS (1998) (Collector, Nagpur)
?
The positive first impressions have only been enhanced during

?
the course of training
One of the most professional cadres with a development
?
oriented bureaucracy
Formal working style
? Pecuniary Matters
Political interface is positive and cordial
? Get your salary slip early on
?
Good practices like maintaining monthly diaries and structured
? Accounts Officer of Collectorate
?
tour programmes exist HRA is deducted if house is availed and in case of
?
People are helpful and listen to you patiently
? accommodation in govt. guest houses, you have to pay your
Knowledge of laws is a pre-requisite in this cadre
? own bills
There are regional variations: Marathwada presents certain

? Academy dues, TA and Salary Advances must be given first
?
challenges of an underdeveloped state; in Western Maharashtra priority in money matters
work is well structured and there is an emphasis on timeliness; Get in touch with seniors/GAD for your service matters
?
Vidarbha has a system of thorough file notings.
Leave Rules and Conventions Coping with Assignments
Unlimited, but with the consent of the Collector
? Village Assignment should be completed during your BDO stint
?
The schedule of training is very tight, however you can take leave
? For the Law Assignments, do pass some orders and get them
?
during attachments translated in English
Do not take leave during the last six months of independent
? Submit the language assignments timely. You could take the
?
charge help of your PAs
For DAP/ESP, get photographs of work done
?
Make one person in the office responsible for sending off the
?
Creature Comforts: assignments on time
Accommodation: Govt. Bungalow, Flat or Govt. Guest House. It is

? Keep a personal copy of all assignments. They tend to get
?
better to take an independent house since many a times, one has misplaced in the Academy
to move out of the Circuit House temporarily on account of
Cabinet meetings or other important programmes in the district
Vehicle: It is provided attachment wise. There is no problem
?
After Office- hours
during last six months of independent charge. Normally it is an Join gyms or Officers Cricket competitions
?
Ambassador or Tata Sumo Visit tourist places, especially the numerous temples
?
Food: North Indian food is generally not available. However,
?
Outsiders can read good Marathi books and watch Marathi
?
Maharashtrian food is delicious. movies to develop their language skills
Office Room is not provided but can be requested for from the
?
Collector

When I was in Malegaon and went on a sand raid, my Collector called up
The DC being a very busy person will not be able to exclusively
?
at 3 in the morning to know how things were going on. Basically, dont
devote time for you on all occasions.
take your Collector for a ride, because he/she knows what you are doing
Tour with him/her whenever and wherever possible.
?
Observe him/her and never interfere in his/her work
? I received a Morcha of around 3000 persons headed by the local MLA on
Attend all important meetings with DC
? the very first day of assuming independent charge as Tehsildar,
Give your advice only when solicited

? Malegaon - Ashwin Mudgal
Law and rule books are less useful in comparison to common
?
sense. However, openness, honesty, high moral integrity and the
approach of cultural relativism can be valuable assets for the IAS
officers

Chandel, the district where we were undergoing training is very
?
small and infrastructure is very limited. There is no existing
structure for probationers and thats why we faced lots of
problems. Situation is different in other districts like Ukhrul and
Senapati where probationers go traditionally.
There is no structured training. You will learn as much as your DC
?
takes interest.
Attachments with other departments are hardly of any use.
?
MANIPUR For outsiders, adapting to the existing local constraints is the

?
biggest thing.
Chipang Arthur W. (Chandel, c_arthur_w@yahoo.com)
Dr. Shailesh Chourasia (Chandel, shailesh.chourasia@gmail.com)

We were value neutral towards the cadre before we reached
? Talk to your DC well in advance and try to get basic
?
Imphal and then to the district Chandel. The initial three week arrangements done in advance. Imphal is a different place and
training in the ATI (Imphal) was frustrating. We started becoming right from the airport you need some one to accompany you.
critical especially when, in spite of constant pursuance, we did Be honest, sincere and open to your DC. Probably, he will be the
?
not get basic facilities like accommodation. Once we reached to key person in helping you out. Do not be hesitant in discussing
the district and met our DC and the SDO we started accepting about the problems you face there.
that things were not in order and survival was the biggest Call upon the senior officers especially IAS officers in the
?
instinct. Secretariat on priority basis although there may not be a
After sometime, the level of expectations went down and we
? structured programme for that.
started enjoying small things like bonfire by the river side, fishing Do not keep any bias against the people or culture even if they
?
and visit to the villages. Actually, things started improving over are strange for you. Try to understand and analyze things in the
time. right perspective.
By the end of District Training, after we were given independent
? People are, in general, very hospitable but being an officer you
?
charge, we started liking the place and the work in spite of cannot be very open to everyone. Open slowly through your
knowing that the exposure we were getting was negligible. own observations and peoples responses.
The working in the cadre is based completely on jugad
? Never ever venture outside without informing the concerned
?
technology and there are no set patterns. DC.
Dont get worked up. Here, everyday will be an interesting
? Interacting with the DC/DM
experience. It is up to you what you make out of it.
Behave normal with the DC and try to get some independent
?
work to keep yourself busy.

Senior officers, in general, are very cooperative especially during
?
the training period. Do not hesitate to approach anyone in case Most of the assignments do not have relevance in the hill
?
of any problem. However, it is always advisable to keep your DC districts of Manipur. Academy also does not expect too much
and the Secretary Personnel informed. from cadres like Manipur. Try and get maximum things done in
the district itself irrespective of the quality of the assignment.
Actually, we have too many limitations and assignments like
?
Pecuniary Matters village study and law are difficult to do. DO letter and Analytical
There is a culture of file pushing. It is better to consult the
? notes can be and should be sent in time.
concerned DC and take his/her advice. Most of the time, he/she Do not forget to bring some cases related to law with you, even if
?
will be the key person. orders are passed by others, because presentation is a must.
Village study is also a must but if you are in a hill district, land
related reports need not be submitted.

Leave is not a problem provided your DC is convinced.
? After Office- hours
However, it is always good to get proper leave when you go
You should be good at counting stars in the sky and if possible
?
for long holidays.
name them!
Creature Comforts:
Accommodation and vehicle are major problems. Everything
?
will depend upon the availability. Unlike other parts of the
country, in most of the hill districts hotels, guest houses and
taxis are not available.
Manipur is a heaven for non-vegetarians. However, vegetarians
?
will not have any problem. The average quality of vegetables
available is much better than the vegetables available in the
mainland cities.
Nepali cooks are available who can prepare a variety of dishes
?
ranging from North Indian to South Indian. Initially, you may
have to train them to cook in accordance with your tastes
Develop a close rapport with the DC

?
Do not be in a hurry to go on leave
?
Call on the Chief Secretary, Secretary (P&AR) in a group
?
Complete the joining formalities in Kohima and then proceed to
?
your districts

Shri. HK Khulu (Commissioner)
?
Shri. Temjen Toy (Secretary, P&AR)
?
Shri. Abhijit Sinha (Secretary, Governor of Nagaland)
?
NAGALAND The Commissioner, Nagaland is the key person to whom all the
?
DCs report
Govind Jaiswal (Phek, govindjaiswal8august@gmail.com)
Kesonyu Yhome (Tuensang, kesonyu@gmail.com)
Vyasan R. (Mon, vyasanr@gmail.com)
Pecuniary Matters
Sort out your Pay Slip, TA dues etc when in Kohima, with the
?
Accountant Generals Office.
Initial reservations will be short-lived
? Have a good rapport with the Dealing Assistant ( Accounts) &
?
Nagaland has an egalitarian society, hence respect all your
? Cashier in the Collectorate
subordinates Call on the District Treasury Officer
?
The working style in the state is casual.
?

?
There is no organised training structure in the cadre.
?
Do not ask for leave on Aug 15, Jan 26, during VIP visits etc
?
Ensure that you get a week long Secretariat Attachment (in
?
Kohima)
Take personal interest in organising a Revenue Training in
?
Dimapur
Creature Comforts: After Office- hours
Circuit House/Guest House accommodation will be given
? Most districts have a stadium
?
Request the Commissioner, Kohima for vehicle when you call on
? SIB (State Intelligence Branch) has an officer posted. You can
?
him befriend him
Adjusting to the food habits may require some time. You can ask
? Be on the lookout to make friends with officers of the Assam
?
the seniors in the district to suggest a good cook if problems Rifles who are posted in the district
persist
Go out for picnics, fishing and swimming along with other
?
officers in the district

Do not try to be smarter than the DC
?
It was an exciting experience to visit villages and spent time there. We
Most DCs are State Service (NCS) Officers so be careful not to
?
step on their toes learnt a lot about the local customs and culture by interacting with the
NCS officers are helpful, so be open and free while interacting
? villagers during our village visits.
with them
Village Assignments to be given priority

?
Keenly observe the mores in a village. It will come in handy
?
during the DAP & ESP
Judicial attachment is a difficulty. Attend some case hearings
?
with the ADC (J). You will not be given independent charge to try
cases. So get copies of judgements/orders passed by other
officers; you will be permitted to present these at the Academy.
Training is very well structured. DG,GAA(Gopabandhu Academy
?
of Administration)has the authority to allot the districts.
Training at GAA is not very productive. You need to assert your
?
needs at the academy else you wont be looked after properly.
Independent BDO charge is a great opportunity.
?
Focus on your revenue training.
?
Judiciary charge as Spl Judicial Magistrate is a great opportunity
?
to see the judiciary from within. Interact a lot with the local
advocates.
Try and work on some independent project.
?
Closely watch and get involved in VIP visits.
?
ORISSA
Arvind Agrawal (Sundergarh, caarvindagrawal@gmail.com)
Balwant Singh (Mayurbhanj, balwantskalewa@gmail.com)
Ravindra Pratap Singh (Gangam, rpsinghias@yahoo.co.in)
Sachin Jadhav (Angul, sachin.jadav@gmail.com) Attend all informal gatherings; these can teach a lot about the
?
society and culture of the state
Call on all senior officers in the Secretariat
?
Maintain good relations with the OAS officers. Some of them are
?
First Impressions and Working Environment very knowledgeable
Initial impression was that of a poor tribal state with low
? Learn to respect the local traditions and culture
?
infrastructure, but it changed over the training period. Spend lot of time with the collector
?
Industrialisation is taking place at a good pace.
Maintain good relations with the SP, SDJM, advocate community
?
Great regional variations. A curious mixture of abject poor and
?
Talk to people in Oriya as far as possible.
?
super rich.
You will never feel like an outsider if you accept the cadre
?
People are simple natured and religious.
?
wholeheartedly
At the field level, the Collector has a lot of importance; he looks
?
after development too as the ZP culture is not dominant.
Work culture wise, subordinates are not very keen on taking
?
initiative. You need to continuously monitor any project/
assignment to ensure success. However the people are
obedient.
Least interference from the current political dispensation.
?
IAS commands a lot of respect in the State.
?
Key officers in the cadre who are supportive For other creature comforts, you can always tap the resources of
?
Shri S N Tripathi, IAS (1985)
? the Collector.
Shri U P Singh, IAS (1985)

?
Shri Vishal Dev, IAS (1996)
?
Shri Arvind Padhi, IAS (1996)
?
See the DM at least once every day
?
Smt Usha Padhee, IAS (1996)
?
Treat him/her with great respect and never ignore his/her
?
Shri Suresh Vasishth, IAS (1998)
?
advice, suggestions or directions
Shri Santhanagopalan R.., IAS (2001)
?
Ask him/her to entrust a project like SSA with you
?
All direct recruit officers are very supportive
?
Take initiative in understanding the district and do something on
?
your own that would lighten his/her burden
Pecuniary Matters Request him/her to allow you to accompany for important
?
meetings, events etc.
All matters are dealt with by the GAA (Gopabandhu Academy of
?
Find the right time and place to discuss your problems with the
?
Administration).
DM
Mr Maharana at the GAA is very cooperative and of great help.
?
If he/she is fond of playing sports, do play with him/her.
?

Although the leave sanctioning authority is DG, GAA, leave
?
depends also on the DM. Normally you can expect ten days of Solicit the help of local staff for the Village Study
?
leave. Try and send off all assignments from the district so that you have
?
Tactic of asking for leave is dependent on the nature of your DM.
? no burden of work during Phase II. Keep a copy with yourself
Do not disappear from the district without informing the DM.
? Dig out old reports in your district for help in writing
?
assignments.
If you are unable to do any or all of the above, then RELAX! Dont
?
worry.
Creature Comforts:
Be assertive in the GAA regarding facilities, otherwise you will
?
not be looked after properly.
After Office- hours
Accommodation in the district is provided in the Circuit House. It
?
is good. Depending on the district you could also get quarters. Interact with officials from the Police, Forest, Railways, Central
?
Revenue Departments and so on
You can expect a good vehicle to be at your disposal (either full
?
time or as per need depending on the collector.) Read up on state laws
?
Food could be a problem if you are too choosy. But Oriya food
? Use sports facilities
?
(esp. fish, prawns, sweetmeats) is varied and good.
Training is unstructured. The DC decides what the probationer is
?
to do. Probationers of the same batch do different things and
have different attachments at a single point in time.
You can work out a training schedule for yourself in consultation
?
with the DC and the Establishment Branch
An important attachment that you should not miss is with the
?
DFSC, as the procurement process is very important in Punjab
Since the training is DC-centric, maintain a very good rapport

?
PUNJAB with your DC

You can learn the most by observing the working style of your
?
Aninditia Mitra (Kapurthala, mitra.kapurthala@gmail.com) DC and seniors and from hands-on work during your
Mohammad Tayyab (Gurdaspur, Muktsar, independent charge
mtayyab.ias@gmail.com)
Parveen Thind (Bhatinda, your_parveen@rediffmail.com) Tour the rural countryside and the municipal limits extensively.
?
Spend time studying the existing systems and the lacunae in
?
them and discussing about these with other officers
Sit regularly in the SDM and Tehsildar courts
?
Though first impressions were good, there was a feeling that
? Request SSP, ADC(D), SDM and Municipal Commissioner to
?
very little development work at the grass root level can be done involve you in important activities
in the state. Later, we realised that though the infrastructure is in
Do not miss the revenue, tehsil and patwari training.
?
place, there is a long way to go in the social sector.
Do not accept any gifts or other benefits in kind offered by state
?
Punjab has plateaued in its course of development; therefore
?
service officers and staff on several occasions. Say a clear no to
there is a lot of scope for innovative thinking
them.
General working environment is laid back possibly because the
?
public pressure to perform is quite low.
Since it is a small cadre, almost all officers know each other and
?
this makes it very hospitable. Both officers and people are
generally warm and welcoming Key officers in the cadre who are supportive
There is a shortage of staff in almost all the districts. In newly
? You can approach any senior IAS, PCS officer with whom you
?
created districts, the staff is inexperienced and untrained. share a comfort level for advice or help. This person can be your
Lots of conventional practices prevail in the cadre, sometimes
? mentor throughout the training
overriding rules and regulations The DC, SSP, ADC(D), Municipal Commissioner, Joint
?
Commissioner and SDMs are the key contact persons.
The Section Officer of the Accounts Section, ASR Branch, Civil
? The probationer should not appear to be smarter than the DC.
?
Main Secretariat is very helpful. You can contact the following Things start souring when senior officers/ministers start short-
persons: Harpreet Singh: 9815748786, Mr. Kapoor (for salary circuiting the DC and handing certain responsibilities to the
matters): 9815905226 probationer.
You can contact the Establishment Branch or the IAS branch in
? Do not try to by-pass the DC in any case; always keep him/her in
?
Punjab Civil Secretariat for any clarifications the loop
State Civil Service Rules and State Financial Rules must be gone
? Ask questions when your DC is free, but never load him/her with
?
through to gain first hand knowledge about your entitlements. too many questions
You must see to it that your salary gets regularised
? You can request him/her to take you along for meetings,
?
functions and other social engagements. This will give you a
good opportunity to learn how to interact with the public

This varies from DC to DC and from situation to situation.
?
It is better to avail of formal leave rather than unofficial leave; you
? Try and complete your assignments during your attachments, in
?
could get into trouble if some unfortunate incident or problem case your training is organised according to a schedule.
occurs in the district/ sub-division during your absence Take the help of your seniors and the staff for information and
?
You should always try and ask for leave only when the DC is in a
? ideas
good mood! Try and finish them in the district to save the torture of
?
completing them in the Academy
Creature Comforts:
After Office- hours
This again varies from place to place; however, you will get a
?
Most districts have a good gym and sports complexes. Make use
?
room in the Circuit House or a house on demand.
of them. For instance, Bhatinda has two very good clubs where
If you are staying in the Circuit house, you must pay the food and
?
you can play badminton, squash and table tennis. It also has a
stay bills
good swimming pool for officers
Getting a vehicle should not be a problem at all
?
Bhatinda has two good parks: Rose Garden and Chetak Park
?
Punjabi food will keep you well nourished!
?
You could devote some time to reading and understanding state
?
specific laws and rules
Once, when a person was brought to my court under Section 107 CrPC,
I received a call from the Minister personally, asking me to free him -
Anindita Mitra
Go by what your Collector thinks is important for you to do.

?
Try and establish your credentials as a hard-working officer early
?
on
While you are in Jaipur, call on as many senior officers as possible
?
Spend time with the grass root level functionaries like Patwari,
?
Tehsildar etc
Interact as much as possible with the public
?
Try doing raids and gasht with the police. You will enjoy the
?
experience
Do not be too demanding; try and be happy with what you are
?
given
RAJASTHAN Do not get too close to unknown persons who are trying to
?
become your friends too quickly
Anandhi (Ajmer, aanandhi.p@gmail.com)
Bishnu Charan Mallick (Jhalawar, bishnumallick@gmail.com)
Tina Soni (Jodhpur, tinaias@gmail.com)
First Impressions and Working Environment Director, OTS(State Academy) and Faculty in OTS
?
Shri P.C. Kishen IAS (2005)
?
Rajasthan is a well-governed state and a good cadre. Systems are
?
in place Ms. Arti Dogra IAS (2006)
?
The administration-people interface is cordial and free

?
Ms. Shilpa IAS (2006)
?
Informal relationship between juniors and seniors

?
Shri KK Sharma RAS
?
Political pressures depend on the officers response

?
Shri Rajendra S. Rathore, RAS
?
Though there is a general perception that Rajasthan is a

?
Shri Chunnilal Saini RAS
?
peaceful state, this is true only in comparison to states like UP. It
certainly has its own share of law and order problems
Training Structure and Focus Areas Pecuniary Matters

Generally, the training schedule sent by the Academy is followed
? Unlike in the Academy, you must pursue all money matters
?
to a large extent. personally in the district
Do not miss out on independent charge as SDO and court work

? Payments are governed by State rules. Hence, be well-
?
acquainted with State rules and your entitlements because the
Make the most of the State Darshan
?
accountants in RIPA do not know them and constantly
Complete your attachments on time
? undervalue IAS entitlements.
Leave Rules and Conventions After Office- hours
During the OTS training, leave is generally not given unless there
? Keep your hobbies alive
?
is an urgency Interact with the other officers in the district
?
In the district, granting of leave is completely dependent on the
? In the case of Ajmer, make use of the Indoor stadium and request
?
DC. the DM to speak to Mayo College to make their swimming and
If you take leave too frequently, your training schedule can suffer
? golf facilities available to you
Try and visit the many beautiful places that Rajasthan has to offer
?
over the weekends (eg. Chittorgarh Fort, Mt. Abu, Pushkar,
Besalpur Dam in Kekri)
Creature Comforts:
All the basic minimum facilities will be provided for
?
Accommodation will be available either in the Circuit House or a
?
quarters (if your family is with you) Working under three different Collectors, I learnt how to deal with
Getting a vehicle and a driver is not a problem
? officers having different temperaments and working styles - Tina Soni
A laptop/ desktop will be provided
? I enjoyed my election experience immensely - Bishnu Charan Mallick
Circuit House is okay; you can always explore other options (like
?
The Pushkar Mela is a unique experience available to probationers in
the food stands at Kutchery Road in the case of Ajmer and
frequent meals at the DCs residence in the case of Jhalawar) Ajmer. It was a great learning experience for me - Anandhi

Be proactive and show interest in taking up tasks. Do such tasks
?
diligently.
Try to prove that you are an asset to your DC as an additional help
?
in the district and not a liability for him/her
Be obedient and co-operative
?
Do not disappear without seeking his/her permission
?
Take the help of your immediate predecessor in the district.

?
Concentrate more on submitting assignments on time rather
?
than on the quality
Try and finish them before you reach the Academy
?
Training is not structured properly because the ATI is non
?
functional
No orientation is given and hence one learns on the job
?
Visit as many villages as you can
?
Try and get a grip on how things are done in Sikkim, which is very
?
different from what one gathers through the inputs given in the
Academy
Independent charge is given to probationers
?
Talk to people cordially and do not throw your weight around

?
SIKKIM Do not be office/cabin-centric. Go for regular field visits

?
Accept responsibilities, do not shirk away from them
?
JItendra Singh Raje (East Sikkim, jitendraraje@gmail.com)
Prabhakar (West Sikkim, prabhakar.ias@gmail.com)

First Impressions and Working Environment Shri. Vishal Chauhan, IAS (1998)
?
Lack of inputs in the Academy on Sikkim specific issues may
? Shri. Aunjaneya Kumar Singh, IAS (2005)
?
present problems
The work culture is non formal
?
State Civil Service Officers dominate the administrative setup
?
No special privileges accrue because of being in the IAS
? Pecuniary Matters
One needs to be people-oriented
? Keep a tab on your TA bills by being in touch with the Director, ATI
?
Call a local CA for tax planning
?
Salary, LTC bills should be cleared by meeting with the Director,
?
ATI, Special Secretary, DoP & Director, Pay & Accounts.
Intimate the DC about your leave plans in advance
? Take long walks as the environs are scenic
?
Be truthful
? Do shopping in the local market
?
Leaves generally are not refused
? Join the Sports Complex at Paljoi stadium, if you are in Gangtok
?
Creature Comforts:
Guest House accommodation is provided
?
You have to take a personal interest by following up facilities-
?
related issues with Special Secretary, Home Protocol & Special
Secretary, DOPART & the concerned DC
Food in Gangtok is not a worrisome issue
?
Vehicle can be arranged through the good offices of the DC
?
A laptop/ desktop will be provided
?
Circuit House is okay; you can always explore other options (like
?
the food stands at Kutchery Road in the case of Ajmer and
frequent meals at the DCs residence in the case of Jhalawar)

Be prepared to accept any responsibility that the DC gives you
?
Be social and do not hesitate to attend parties
?
If you are diligent from the beginning then completing the

?
assignments will not be a problem
Inform the department heads through your DC before you go for

?
attachments to the district
Call on all your seniors in the district and seniors who visit your
?
district during your stay
Do not expect a PSO/Gunman; it is neither required nor provided
?

Shri T Udayachandran IAS (1995)
?
Shri Pankaj Kumar Bansal IAS (1997)
?
Shri S Nagarajan IAS ( 2005)
?
TAMIL NADU Pecuniary Matters

In some districts like Coimbatore you may face a delay in getting
?
Nanthakumar K. (Coimbatore, klnandhu@gmail.com) your first salary.
K. Veera Raghava Rao (Madurai, veeraraghavaraoias@gmail.com)
Your personal clerk will take care of pecuniary matters.
?
You may consider opening a PPF account and start saving
?
First Impressions and Working Environment money in it
Tamil Nadu is a good and welcoming cadre
?
Working environment is cordial
?
Probationers are appointed in conventional training districts
?
?
The administration is rule bound and less flexible
?
Earned leaves will require you to extend the duration of your
?
training
Training Structure and Focus Areas A good rapport with the DC will ensure that leaves can be availed
?
Well structured; however there is no ATI training
? of
Do not miss out any component of training. You can adjust
?
timings if need be
No independent charges given to probationers
?
Lots can be learned by involving fully in district administration
?
and moving around with the DC
The span of the urban sector attachment is only for 2-3 days,
?
which is insufficient
Creature Comforts:
Circuit House/ Rented house in District Housing Board colony is
?
provided
Official vehicles are provided to a probationer (normally, a
?
Bolero)
You are given a laptop with data card
?
Tamil Nadu takes good care of its officers
?

Keep meeting DC atleast once in two days
?
AC (Trainee) is a privilege to DC and DC is an opportunity to AC
?
(Trainee)
Make yourself available whenever DC has some task in mind for
?
you
Try to finish your Daily Diary at least once every weekend

?
If you can finish all assignments before coming to Academy, you
?
can enjoy your time in Mussoorie
After Office- hours

Officers Club and its facilities can be used for games etc
?
Get-together of all officers in the district is also a good way of
?
spending time
Outsiders can watch Tamil movies and improve their language
?
skills and understand Tamil culture
Structure exists on paper but not in practice
?
Almost all attachments lacked content. The only exception was
?
the SDM and BDO attachment
Independent charge as a BDO is the most important part of the
?
district training. Ensure that you convince your DM to give it to
you early and for a substantial period, say 3 months
Try as many CrPC and other cases as an Executive Magistrate as
?
possible, ask your SDM to transfer cases to you in the very
beginning
Call on ALL the seniors periodically

?
Dont indulge in back stabbing. Tripura being a small cadre,
?
news travels very fast
TRIPURA Try and meet the head of SIPARD and convince him to
?
Dr. Adarsh Singh (West Tripura, singhadarsh@gmail.com) organise a North-East darshan or atleast a Tripura darshan
Parshant Goyal (North Tripura, write2parshant@yahoo.com) Be sensitive towards the tribals
?
Shashank Mishra (South Tripura, shashank.misra@hotmail.com)

First Impressions and Working Environment Smt Saumya Gupta Rai, IAS(2004)
?
Shri Kiran Gitter, IAS(2005)
?
We were told that Tripura is a well-administered state; we
?
realised that it is over-administered Smt. Tanusree Debbarma, IAS(2006)
?
Airport is bang on the Bangladesh border-portent of things to

? Shri Joydeep Naik, IPS(1991)
?
come! Shri Deepak Kumar, IPS(2004)
?
Lack of respect amongst the masses-especially the Bengalis.
? Shri N.C. Sinha, IAS(promoted from SCS)
?
Tribals still hold an IAS officer in high esteem Shri Santanu Das, IAS(promoted from SCS)
?
IAS tag doesnt generally work
? Shri R.P. Dutta, TCS
?
SCS officers are favoured
?
Hyper politicized state which makes life tough for an IAS officer
? Pecuniary Matters
Pester your accountant for the transfer allowance, Bharat
?
Darshan allowance, etc.
Do remember to claim your Special Duty Allowance (SDA),
?
Special Compensatory Remote Locality Allowance (SCRLA), HRA,
the recently notified North-Eastern Allowance and the Rs. 100 a Coping with Assignments
month Outfit Allowance
Refer to the personal file of your seniors (who were probationers
? Be regular with the DO letters/Analytical Notes
?
in your district) Refer to the District Gazetteer, Economic Survey, Human
?
Purchase Swamys handbooks and show the relevant provisions
? Development Report
to your accountant in case of any difficulty Do the village study in winters. Choose a tribal village as it will
?
have no land records so you can conveniently leave out that
portion from your survey
Ask for EM powers early-cases take a lot of time
?
40 days E.L., 12 days C.L., medical leave
? Get BDOship early as well-you will get ample material for your
?
No concept of French leave
? ESPs/DAP
C.L.s are routed through the DM, E.L.s must have the sanction of
? Get in touch with your seniors for help
?
the Chief Secretary
Generally, getting a leave is not a problem as long as you can
?
invent some genuine and pressing family problem After Office- hours
Watch television and films on your laptop-there is nothing much
?
to do (there are no cinema halls/malls in Tripura)
Creature Comforts: Interact with your batch mates and seniors
?
Expect a rickety four wheeler (Maruti Omni Van) or in some cases
? Read
?
nothing at all Listen to music
?
Accommodation- Circuit house or a Type IV
? Have coffee at CCD, Agartala-the only decent place in Tripura
?
Food is abominable in the circuit house. Restaurants are bad as
? Go and pray at Matabari, Udaipur-legend has it that if you pay
?
well homage there enough number of times, you will be able to get
Bottomline is, expect nothing-you will have to scavenge for and
? out of Tripura!
arrange each and everything yourself Interact with officers from the Assam Rifles, BRTF, etc
?

Two of us (Shashank and I) decided to have lunch at a restaurant
Remember the old adage: Never outshine your master
?
(Aparupa). On reaching there, we changed our minds and wanted to
Interactions will be easier if he/she is a direct recruit
?
have only coffee. The waiter told us it was illegal to have just coffee-you
If your DM is a promotee, inform him of your training needs. Ask
?
had to have lunch with it. On our persistence, the restaurant owner
him to give independent charges of the sections in the
magnanimously decided to waive off this rule-on the condition that we
Collectorate
pay an amount of Rs. 50 instead of the actual cost of Rs. 30/-! - Dr. Adarsh
In any case, there are not many favours that your DM can bestow
?
on you Singh
The training at the State ATI in Nainital takes up close to three
?
months, and is too long.
The revenue and treasury training is for 14 days each; this again
?
could be shortened.
You must try and arrange an attachment with the Forest
?
Department since interface with forest-related issues is very
common in the State. You must also gain insights into the forest
laws, which is a neglected area.
Try and get some exposure to tourism (esp. spiritual tourism) and
?
adventure sports, which are the unique opportunities in the
State.
Another focus area can be disaster management
?

UTTARAKHAND Regularly call on the senior officers
?
Deepak Rawat (Pithoragarh, deepakrawatias@gmail.com) Try and get the SDM charge as soon as possible, preferably as
?
R. Rajesh Kumar (Tehri Garhwal, rajeshkumar.ias@gmail.com)
Dr. V. Shanmugam (Pauri Garhwal, dr.vshanmugam@gmail.com) SDM Sadar. During such a charge, become conversant with the
working of the line departments like RTO, Excise and Commercial
tax to exercise effective control over them.
Try and visit as many remote areas as possible along with officials
?
First Impressions and Working Environment with the line departments; you will probably be the first officer to
visit the people there and they would appreciate your initiative
The working environment is very similar to what is there in Uttar
?
Pradesh; the legacy continues in many ways.
Hindi language rules the files
?
Procrastination is often a virtue in the circumstances that exist
The working environment is relaxed
? Smt. Radha Raturi, IAS (1988)
?
Support staff are experienced and reliable as they have exposure
? Shri Amit Negi, IAS (1999 )
?
to the way things worked in the UP setup Shri BBR Purushottam, IAS (2004 )
?
Chidiya culture prevails ie. file pushing
?
Pecuniary Matters After Office- hours
Make sure you claim the Composite Transfer Grant which
? Play badminton
?
amounts to half of the basic pay
Snatch Dinner invitations from all officersmercy and etiquette
?
in this matter could prove to be injurious!

There is no set limit on the number of days of leave
?
Take the DM into confidence and always submit an application
?
which can be disposed off once you report back to the district In the monsoons, I observed that half the population of Dharchula and
Munshiari are in the forests to collect an aphrodisiac called Yarsa
Gamboo! - Deepak Rawat
Creature Comforts:
You will not have to bother about creature comforts; they will be
?
provided automatically.

Attend all the meetings called by the DM
?
Also, do not skip any of the social events like parties/
?
celebrations that he/ she invites you to.
Accompany the DM on all his/her field visits.
?
Use the district resources and tap indigenous talent. Thats how
?
you learn man-management!
You can take the help of the Sadr Patwari for the village study
?
assignment.
No structured training in the field, depends on the DM
?
The highlight of the course remains the UP darshan
?
The 3 month training in the Lucknow ATI is grossly underutilised,
?
the duration could be lessened
One must attend all attachments in the Collectorate and with
?
the line departments religiously and coax the officers into
sharing their experiences
A week long training in the State Police Academy can be
?
incorporated
UTTAR PRADESH Dos/Donts in the District/ State

Abhay (umeetabhay@yahoo.com)
Alok Tiwari (Varanasi, thealok.tiwari@gmail.com) Hold independent charges of Tehsildar, BDO and SDM, in that
?
V.Chaitra (Allahabad, chaitrav_rao@yahoo.co.in) order
Dr. Muthukumarasamy B. (Jhansi, drmksamyias@gmail.com)
Observe and grasp the nuances of administration
?
Naveen Kumar G.S (Kanpur, gsnkumar@gmail.com)
Prabhu Narain Singh (Meerut, pnbhabua@gmail.com) Attend as many meetings as you can, especially the ones chaired
?
Sheetal Verma (Saharanpur, shverma1@gmail.com) by your DM
Suhas L.Y (Agra, suhas_ly@yahoo.com)
All official work in U.P. is done in Hindi, so its important that you
?
gain fluency in it
Travel widely across the district and nurture relationships (with
?
First Impressions and Working Environment your superiors as well as subordinates) as it will stand one in
The sheer size and diversity of the state is mind boggling.
?
good stead in future
Especially for an outsider, it seems like Yeh kahan aa gaye hum! Dont rebuke your subordinates in public
?
Its a state with huge challenges and even greater opportunities
? Dont get stuck in the culture of contentment and dont fall prey
?
An IAS officer is treated like a king/queen
?
to the I am a King syndrome
The administration is DM centric in what is still a feudal state. DM

?
Avoid confrontations with the judiciary and the press
?
is the de facto king/queen of the district
Probationer is considered to be the DMs prodigy
?
There is a sharp contrast in the working environment of Western
?
and Eastern UP. The West fares better because of higher income
levels and better social parameters
A civil services week is held annually which brings together the
?
entire galaxy of IAS officers in the state-from the Chief Secretary
to the probationer-for formal and informal interactions
Seniors are extremely supportive
?
Key officers in the cadre who are supportive Interacting with the DC/DM
Shri Sanjay Bhoosreddy, IAS (1989)
? Dont pressurize the DM for anything as each district is different
?
Shri Alok Kumar, IAS (1992)
? and all attachments may not be possible or even useful. Instead,
let him/her direct the flow of your training
Shri Amod Kumar, IAS (1995)
?
Do spend time with the DM in his/her camp office as it has an air
?
Shri Rajiv Agarwal, IAS (1995)
?
of informality and the DM has relatively more time
Shri M. Devraj, IAS (1996)
?
Be a silent observer during meetings and public interactions
?
Shri Alok Kumar, IAS (1998)
?
Shri Antony Devkumar, IPS
?
Dr. A.K Chowrasia, PCS
? Coping with Assignments
Shri Subash Chandra Uttam, PCS
? Timely submission is paramount
?
Remember to pen down your thoughts and experiences every
?
Pecuniary Matters now and then-they are going to be of immense help
Unless there has been a probationer in the district before, these
? Use the field visits as the basis for the ESP and DAP
?
matters can pose quite a headache-the district staff is clueless
Get your pay fixed from the Irla cheque department in Lucknow
?
as soon you land in the district After Office- hours
Get your DDO code
? Explore the district
?
Maintain a file for all salary related matters
? Develop and pursue a hobby
?
Ensure that you have enrolled in the New Pension Scheme
? Call on your seniors
?
Attend social events/parties
?
Meet your batch mates
?
Leave Rules and Conventions Complete Academy assignments!
?
Leave is completely dependent on the Collector, its not a matter

?
Generally, office squeezes out every ounce of energy in a typical
?
of right district of U.P.
French leave is generally the norm as long as leave is claimed for

?
genuine reasons
As an SDM, I stumbled onto a land mafia racket in the sub-division. I

realised that the racket ran deep and involved the high and mighty as
Creature Comforts: well. Unconcerned, I proceeded to unravel it even in the face of
These things present absolutely no problem-everything is taken
? tremendous political and administrative opposition. However, my DM
care of by the Nazarat section or the tehsildars was soon forced to transfer me from the sub-division and post me as a
Unless you are married, it is advisable to stay in a Circuit house
? BDO in some block in another sub-division! Quite a dampener, it has to
Dont invest much in furniture, etc if you have taken a quarter as
? be said. - Suhas
these things become redundant once you become a DM
Apart from BDOship, no other independent charge is given
?
Industrial and agricultural attachments during ATI training are
?
not of much use
State darshan should be incorporated in the training. Hopefully
?
you will have this component
Maintain a good rapport with state services officers-they know

?
the nuances of administration best
Be in regular touch with the babu who is dealing with your file in
?
the district
Be careful when talking in front of state service officers, drivers
?
and your gunman
WEST BENGAL Do the BDOship sincerely
?
Anurag Srivastava (Bankura, anurag.ansh@gmail.com)
C.Murugan (Pashchim Medinapore, chinamuru@rediffmail.com)
Niranjan Kumar (Jalpaiguri, niranjan.ias@gmail.com)
Rajat Kumar Saini (Murshidabad, saini.rajat@gmail.com) Key officers in the cadre who are supportive
Moumita Basu (Burdhwan, moumitabasu@lbsnaa.ernet.in)
Undersecretary, Home
?
Shri Narayan Swaroop Nigam, IAS (1998 )
?
First impression on being allotted West Bengal is that one is
?
doomed. Take a deep breath, listen to the obituaries recited by Pecuniary Matters
your batch mates and get depressed Catch hold of your Establishment clerk
?
Now for the good news. West Bengal is much better than all this.
? Know your entitlements-refer to Swamys handbooks
?
It may not be the best but is certainly a better than average cadre Request the ATI Director or PAR Secretary to intimate the districts
?
An IPS officer is better off than his IAS counterpart
? about ones entitlements.
People work when they have to but generally the work culture is
?
poor
Offices start at 11:30 am and people start disappearing by 4:30
?
pm. Only the head of office remains (your personal orderly/peon
will be the first to leave)
Leaves come as a complimentary gift when one gets WB cadre-
? Organise night raids with the local police
?
any number of leaves can be taken! Befriend local college students
?
Take your DM into confidence, however, before going on leave
? Become a member of the District Sports Association and try
?
playing games in the evenings
Get married! Rural India still remains as it was portrayed in
?
Creature Comforts: English August
One can get an OK room in the circuit house

?
Vehicle (ambassador) is normally not a problem though one may
?
not get a dedicated vehicle
Food is rice and fish based so not a problem for the South
? I refused to sanction the NREGA bills of a particular lady contractor as I
Indians. Northies however, may take time to adjust sensed irregularities. She turned out to be the wife of an influential
member of the Zila Parishad who also happened to be an important
Congress leader. The issue kept on escalating and finally I was assaulted,
Interacting with the DC/DM my house was pelted with stones and I was labelled as a CPM
sympathiser. Police intervention at the right time ensured that no great
Appreciating your DM reaps rich dividends
?
harm was caused, but this experience is indicative of the difficulties of
Attend all his/her meetings and observe him/her in action
?
working in West Bengal. The only silver lining was the complete and
When holding independent charge, consult your DM before
?
taking important decisions unconditional support rendered by my DM and the administration. -
Rajat Kumar Saini

Relax till you start getting reminders from your cadre counsellor!
?
One is not given EM/JM powers in West Bengal so your job is
?
merely to get hold of cases and submit them to the Academy
For village assignment, your experience with the Rural
?
Development Department will come in handy
Enlist the help of the BDO office staff during independent charge
?
as BDO for doing the Household Survey
Make use of the District Gazetteer, Human Development
?
Report, etc. for district assignments.
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Editorial

Dr. Nirupama Dange

Dr. Adarsh Singh

Training Structure and Focus Areas

Key officers in the cadre who are supportive

Smt. Prerna Puri, IAS (Chandigarh)

Depends on whether you belong to the eager, lukewarm or

Key officers in the cadre who are supportive

Mutyalaraju Revu (Karimnagar, rmutyalaraju@gmail.com) Shri K.Sasidhar, IAS (2003 )

Training Structure and Focus Areas

Interacting with the DC/DM

Coping with Assignments

After Office- hours

Dos/Donts in the District/ State

There is a well-structured training programme in the cadre,

Try to be a good listener and observer to understand the DC

Talk to him/her, ascertain his/her priority areas in the district and

Dos/Donts in the District/ State

First impression is that its not a good cadre-there is excessive

Interacting with the DC/DM

Coping with Assignments

Training Structure and Focus Areas

Dos/Donts in the District/ State

Granting of leave depends on the DM

Interacting with the DC/DM

Training Structure and Focus Areas

GUJARAT Understanding village forms is essential

Simplicity of the people is the first thing that strikes you-the

A large number of development theme based functions and

Close links exist between administration and corporate world

It is best to be frank with the Collector and discuss ones

After Office- hours

Training Structure and Focus Areas

Leave Rules and Conventions

Interacting with the DC/DM

HIMACHAL PRADESH will not have much of a problem

Shainamol A. (Kangra, shainaias@gmail.com)

Leave Rules and Conventions

After Office- hours

Leave Rules and Conventions Coping with Assignments

Key officers in the cadre who are supportive

JHARKHAND Avinash Kumar, IAS (1993)

Coping with Assignments

After Office- hours

Dos/Donts in the District/ State

KARNATAKA Key officers in the cadre who are supportive

First Impressions and Working Environment

Interacting with the DC/DM

Coping with Assignments

After Office- hours

Dos/Donts in the District/ State

Apprehensions about the cadre are misplaced

An egalitarian society that is as removed from a feudalistic and

Quarters/ Rental accommodation may be arranged. HRA can be

Intimate the DC of your need for an accommodation in advance.

Dos/Donts in the District/ State

At all times be reverent towards your Collector

MADHYA PRADESH Take interest in all aspects of administration

First Impressions and Working Environment

Interacting with the DC/DM

Dos/Donts in the District/ State

Keep in close touch with the Collector

The positive first impressions have only been enhanced during

There are regional variations: Marathwada presents certain