"Not Just A Civil Servant drafts the journey of Anil Swarup, a civil servant who survived despite being politically incorrect. He invites readers into his world chronicling the experiences that shaped him from growing years as a student to his years of rigorous training as a civil servant and finally managing crisis, both man-made and otherwise, that confronted the government. His career, spanning 38 years, revolved round tackling myriad of issues that ranged from dealing with corruption in the state of Uttar Pradesh to coal mafias, witnessing the aftermath of Babri Masjid demolition to handling education mafias.
The memoir records the travails and tribulations of Anil Swarup as a decision maker and as an internal observer of the system. He describes his triumphs and his disappointments, both public and private, narrating his story as he has lived, in his own words and on his own terms. It also lays bare the understanding of administration by a bureaucrat.
The book is a culmination of Swarup's initiatives and intense engagement with various contentious issues both at the state and at national level. This memoir is a deeply personal reckoning of a man who attempted to make-things-happen with the hope to inspire others to do the same.
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About the Author(s)

"The purpose of governance is not merely to come up with great ideas and plans but to make things happen on the ground as well.
During his career spanning 38 years, Anil Swarup attempted to 'make it happen'. Born in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, he earned his Master's Degree in Political Science from Allahabad University in 1978 where he was also awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal for being the Best All Round Student. Before joining the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1981, he served the Indian Police Service for a year. He won Director's Gold Medal for the best Officer Trainee at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration amongst the officers of his batch. As a civil servant, he held various assignments within both the State (Uttar Pradesh) and Central Government. During the final years of his career, he served as Secretary to Government of India in the Ministry of Coal where he handled the aftermath of the coal scam. Thereafter, he served as Secretary, School Education and Literacy where he attempted to foster public private partnership to improve quality of school education.
As a strategic thinker and an innovative leader, he won several other awards and nominations, the prominent ones being: Nominated as one of the Policy Change Agent by The Economics Times during the years 2010, 2012, 2015 & 2016. He was selected as one of the 35 Action Heroes in India Today's 35th Annual Edition.
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