Namrata Gandhi

Though they were originally the key administrators of the kingdom of Palanpur, very few members of the community entered government service after Independence, preferring the rapidly expanding diamond business instead.

Breaking from this trend, Namrata Gandhi, daughter of Mita and Hemendra Shantilal Gandhi, became the first member of the Palanpuri Jain community to be selected for the IAS, securing Rank 42 at the CSE-UPSC-2012. In 2011, at her first attempt she secured Rank 600 out of 4,62,000 candidates. The 2012 result was the crowning achievement in a brilliant academic career that saw her securing 92% in her Board exams and standing 2nd in Mumbai University during her TYBA in 2010.

Now in Mumbai on a short break prior to beginning her IAS Probationer’s course this September, Namrata shared some of the secrets behind her success in an interview Palanpur Online editor, Stephen Rego.

Tell us something about your connection with your hometown, Palanpur and memories of any visits there?

I am very proud of my heritage as a Palanpuri and I recognize it as my ancestral city. I have some relations who still stay there, though I have been born and brought up in Mumbai. Hence my direct relationship with Palanpur has been limited to a few visits to meet relatives when I was much younger. But I can never forget those trips, especially because on one occasion, I broke my leg there.

However, I have heard lots of stories about Palanpur and Palanpuris, and our family has a very deep rooted relationship with the city. In fact my great grandfather, Bechra Bha Gandhi is very well known for his close association with the Pallaviya Parshwanath temple in Palanpur.

Namrata (seated 2nd fm l) with Milind Deora MP and LS Speaker Meira Kumar
on a visit to the Lok Sabha as part of a select delegation of Mumbai students in 2010

When did you decide that you would like to be a member of the Civil Services? Why?

I was in the 9th standard when the Kargil war took place and it was a time when great patriotic fervor spread throughout the country. It was then that I decided to dedicate my life to doing something for our country. Clearly joining the Army was out of the question; I did not meet some of the physical requirements,.

So I set my mind on a career in the Civil Services. In addition to being able to do something good for the country, the job also offered a lot of perks, status and power. From then on I focused all my attention on achieving this goal. I selected the Arts stream because that would provide the best foundation for the Civil Services examination; I took part in debates which would sharpen my skills in communications and public speaking; I chose my extra-curricular activities keeping my ultimate goal in mind.

What sort of preparation and effort was required to make this dream come true?

As I have already mentioned, while pursuing my Arts degree from St Xavier’s College, Mumbai, I participated in a number of extra-curricular activities. Besides debating, I took part in and also organized Quiz competitions, Model UN sessions, seminars and group discussions. I was also active in the college’s Political Science Association, and during my final year I was the Chairperson of the body. Since I was doing the Honours programme, the academic work was fairly rigorous, but I managed to strike a balance between the two.. 

At the same time I also enrolled for classes in preparation for the Civil Services entrance exam. These used to take place in Dadar in the evenings, so often I left home early in the morning for college, spent the whole day there after lectures got over, either studying or involved in some activity, and then went straight for my classes.

It was hectic, but really worth it; and when I look back after the exams and interviews were all completed, I realised that while there were many things I learned in the classrooms, I also benefited from what I had learnt years earlier in school, or while participating in extra-curricular activities, as well as things that you just learn while walking on the road, that were also very useful!

After my graduation, I shifted to Delhi where I enrolled in advanced coaching classes and other training programmes. The IAS entrance is very competitive, with more than 5 lakh aspirants, of whom about 0.01 per cent are successful. I put in 14 hours a day, often seven days a week, and made just two three visits to Mumbai during my years in Delhi. I cleared the UPSC in my first attempt in 2011, with Rank 600, but as it was not high enough to assure me a seat in the IAS, I decided to reappear the following year. It was tough, but finally I reaped the benefits. For when the results came out in 2012 I had secured Rank 42, which enabled me to enter the prestigious IAS.

Interaction with Sheila Dixit, CM of Delhi

What was the role played by your parents in helping you to achieve this?

What I have achieved would have been impossible without the support of my parents. Even after I completed my Masters, they supported me financially throughout my years of preparation for the exam. But over and above that it was their moral and emotional support that made a huge difference.

When I first told them about my desire to join the Civil Services, they had no idea what it meant and what it would entail. For most others of my age, you either joined your parents in the diamond business, or took up an established and known profession – engineering, medicine, accountancy and so on.

But once they realized that I was intent on joining the Civil Services they extended their unconditional support.

Their attitude was always clear – it is up to you to put in the effort and hard work that is required, and while doing that you can count on our support and backing, no matter what. 

Earlier the Palanpuri Jains were known as great administrators. Yet in recent decades there have been very few who have joined government service. Why do you think this is so?

I had always heard about this aspect of the Palanpuri community, but only while reading up on history during the preparation for my exams, did I realize just how good the administrators from the community were. Unfortunately, over the last six or seven decades not many Palanpuris have followed in this tradition.

What happened, I feel, is that after Independence there was a shift in attitudes, and there was a greater focus on entering business and making money. The services, particularly the administrative services were no longer a priority. This changed the mentality of the youth to an extent; they got used to heading their businesses, being independent and being the boss and so any career options where they had to work in a hierarchy slowly lost their appeal.

I also think that there is a lack of awareness about other choices before the younger generation; most would be happy to follow their fathers and take over the family businesses.

Moreover, the community needs to realize that having its members spread across different professions is beneficial. Take the example of the diamond business – if you have people in government who understand the industry and its needs it would be really beneficial. And who can do this better than a person who has close links with the trade.

Government officials face various pulls and pressures, including threats to their job and life. What role do you see for yourself in such a situation?

Pulls and pressures exist in most jobs, and these have always been a part of the government service too. People respond differently to such things. On the one hand there are those who get corrupted by the power that they have, on the other there are those who succumb to pressures from out. Yet even during these times one can see many committed officers - T.N. Seshan, Arvind Kejriwal and now even Durga Nagpal are just a few examples that come to mind.

As the face of the government, there is a lot of responsibility on a civil servant. She / he wield enormous power, and this gives you an opportunity to do something for the country. Even today there are so many people who have given up successful careers in other fields to join government service. It is a great responsibility, because even in your very first posting you have a responsibility for nearly 10,000 people. It is a great responsibility and a great opportunity.

Many people feel that a career woman faces may have to make quite a few personal sacrifices and face challenges on the family front. What is your view on this and what guidance would you give to others who face this issue?

We need to rethink our approach to this question and change attitudes across society. While many parents are today willing to educate their daughters, not many are willing to encourage them to focus fully on their careers.
Today most families require a second income, but even then women are encouraged to enter select professions. They can teach or work in jobs that do not have high pressure nor require a strong commitment. For example, teaching is considered ideal, so that you can be home early to look after the kids.

This has to change – sons need to be made to understand that their sister’s education is as important as theirs; and when we encourage girls to study, we also need to encourage the boys to learn how to cook. Only when we realize than a home is a shared responsibility, will it be possible for every individual to tackle challenges like these.

Please share with us a message for the youth of the community

There are two clear messages that I would like to share with the youth. The first is to understand yourself, have a strong faith in yourself and your abilities, and then stand by your convictions to achieve the goals you have set for yourself. If you have a clear aim, you should even be ready to swim against the tide to make it a reality.

The other is to learn to work hard to achieve your goals. You must have a vision, but you must also have a strategy to help you realize it. And a key aspect of that strategy has to be hard work and diligent effort.

In September, I will be joining as a trainee officer in the IAS, and it will be a really satisfying moment when I realize that I have reached where I set out to over a decade ago, as a result of all the hard work I have put in during this period.