In this post “List of 15 Important Civil Servants for Ethics UPSC” you will learn about prominent civil servants who shaped the ethical standards in Indian administration. This will not only give you good examples from the exam point of view but also inspire you to become a good civil servant in future. So, lets discover their inspiring stories and insights for your UPSC preparation.

List of Important Civil Servants for Ethics UPSC:
Source
The content in this section is adapted from the book Ethics for UPSC and UPPCS by Mohit Sharma. Mohit Sharma is the Founder and Director of Sankalp IAS Academy, Amroha, Uttar Pradesh. He has been guiding civil services aspirants for the last 12 years. He has the honour of guiding many selected candidates. Mohit Sharma is also the founder of Self Study Wala, eMock Test and eMT Education.
IAS Officer Shashanka Ala
- Deputy Commissioner of Lawngtlai, Mizoram
- ‘My School My Farm’ initiative, of IAS Officer Shashanka Ala has led to a Poshan Revolution in a Remote Mizoram District, Lawngtlai.
- In this initiative Nutrition Garden were setup in anganwadis to improve the nutritional status of the meals served in schools.
District Collector Avi Prasad:
- District Collector Avi Prasad started a special programme in Katni district, Madhya Pradesh, asking people to adopt malnourished kids and give them nutritional support — this helped reduce malnutrition by 30 percent.
IAS officer Raja Gopal Sunkara:
- IAS officer Raja Gopal Sunkara used Uses IoT innovatively like automation, monitoring etc., to solve water and power supply challenges in Tamil Nadu’s Erode district, which Raise Water Supply, Cut Power Bills by 40% in 16 Villages.
IAS officer Armstrong Pame:
- Young IAS officer from Manipur.
- His passion and dedication towards the betterment of the society was so strong that he built a 100 km long road in a remote hill of Manipur without the government’s help.
- People came forward and supported him in large numbers and gave shape to the “people’s road” which connects the hill to the rest of the state. He used his own savings and turned to social networking sites to raise funds for the project and is fondly called “miracle man” by the villagers.
IAS Officer Anshul Gupta:
- Ujjain IAS Officer Restores Historical Pond With 125 Volunteers & No Govt Funds.
- Anshul Gupta, the commissioner of the Ujjain Municipal Corporation, MP, restored a once-dilapidated pond, Yam Talaiya, with the help of volunteers only. The pond now has a raised water-holding capacity.
IAS officer U. Sagayam:
- This civil servant from Tamil Nadu has been transferred around 20 times in the 20 years of his service. He is famous for fighting against corruption wherever he goes.
- He was also the first IAS officer to make his assets public. (government should made it mandatory)
- He investigated and raised his voice against vote-buying.
IAS officer Sushant Gaurav:
- IAS officer Sushant Gaurav transformed the poverty-stricken district of Gumla in Jharkhand into a potential hub of economic activity centred around ragi (finger millet). Boosting Output by 300%, Turns Jharkhand District Into ‘Ragi Capital of India’
- He was won the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration for his outstanding work of transforming Jharkhand’s Gumla district through ragi (finger millet).
IAS officer Pradeep Kumar Jena:
- Also known as ‘Cyclone Saviour’ in Odisha.
- Known for better Disaster Management for 20 years.
- Odisha’s disaster management response has been hailed countrywide over the years, and among the key personnel behind this is IAS officer Pradeep Kumar Jena, who has seen the state through many interventions that have saved thousands of lives.
- Other cyclone-vulnerable states could adopt with Odisha’s learnings.
- “Every cyclone is different. One cannot have a textbook solution to managing any cyclone response. After every cyclone, we analyse what went wrong and what went right. We discuss those to further prepare ourselves for disasters,” he says.
IAS officer Himanshu Nagpal:
- In Varanasi, IAS officer Himanshu Nagpal’s Mission Muskaan reunites 700 Lost Children, living in Varanasi’s ghats, railway stations, and temples with their families across India.
- Make 12 teams comprising 60 officers from departments such as Child Development, Social Welfare, Anti-Human Trafficking, and the police, the officer started identifying and rescuing children from railway and bus stations, flyovers, ghats, circles, and temples.
- The children in the age group of 5 to 18 years are given shelter at child welfare homes till they are reunited with their families. “Some of these children are intellectually disabled hence seek help from psychologists, who assist them to track their locations,”.
- Once psychologists are able to get the required information, photos of children are circulated in the local police stations.
- After identifying the village, these children are reunited with their families.
- Until the children are reunited with their families, they are housed in 20 child welfare shelters that have been equipped with improved facilities including air conditioning and smart classes.
- He personally visit at least one home every week.
IAS officer Krishnanunni H
- IAS officer Krishnanunni H transformed the remote villages of Kathirimalai in Tamil Nadu with a simple idea of connecting with the outside world using technology.
- To get the programme rolling, the district administration established a tele-facilitation centre in a tribal school where residents are connected with medical officers and educational experts at the click of a button.
IAS officer Harshika Singh
- District Collector of Mandla district, Madhya Pradesh Harshika Singh Doubles District Functional Literacy ((able to write their name, count and read and write in Hindi)) to 100%, and Drastically Reduces Bank Frauds.
- Start hand-holding programme, which is a community-driven programme started by contacting the educated daughters and daughters-in-law from the panchayat to educate their uneducated family member.
- To further enhance this, she simultaneously launched an initiative called GyanDhan.
- This initiative focused on crowdsourcing resources like books, slates, writing instruments and all other tools that could be used to teach. This helped in setting up Mahila Gyanalays (Women Schools) across 490 Gram Panchayats in the district.
IAS officer Vikram Yadav
- IAS officer Vikram Yadav, posted in Ambala, Haryana, has helped cut stubble burning in the district by 80% in Just 1 Year, by helping farmers use alternate methods to remove, or reuse, wheat and paddy stubble
- It is a perfect example of the folk wisdom that claims – even a sparrow can try to douse a forest fire.
- Stubble burning is the preferred method due to the short gap between the two seasons.
- “Burning stubble or agriculture waste is one of the quickest methods as it clears ground overnight. The other methods require at least 20 to 30 days – which delays the sowing process for the Rabi season,”
- “Farmers need solutions to get rid of their stubble, but one size doesn’t fit all.
- Analysing the severity of the issues and demarcated areas into red and yellow zones.introduced smart seeder machines, shredders and other equipment with a government subsidy to mitigate farm waste.
- The farmers received the option to hire the equipment from Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) facilitated by the government or to purchase them outright.
- “The farmers were offered other commercial alternatives such as selling stubble to power plants.”
- “Some farmers connected with local packaging industries as well. The stubble can also be used in mushroom growing.
IAS officer Dr T Arun
- In the water-stressed district of Puducherry, IAS officer Dr T Arun developed Neer Padhivu, a mobile app through which he launched a water conservation project to revive lakes, ponds and canals which successfully save 198 Lakes & Ponds.
- The application, developed by the CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) – National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, has not only helped streamline the rejuvenation process, but is also ensuring that people don’t dirty or encroach the water bodies.
IFS Officer Prasada Rao:
- Tree Banks (Forest on wheels)- a technique of raising pole size trees in poly bags to create green belts over night, is developed IFS Officer Prasada Rao in Tripura and adopted to raise road side plantations with 100% success rate without plant guards.
- The forest department spends close to Rs 2,000 to install a plant guard around it to prevent any man-made or animal-made damages. Prasada Rao’s low-cost method to increase the green cover is also called Forest on wheels.
- Prasada Rao also famous for developing innovative and eco-friendly ways to generate livelihoods among tribal communities in Mizoram in 2020. He trained the locals to make value-added products of indigenous bamboo such as bottles and brooms, which also happened to be alternatives to plastic.
IAS officer Pratibha Pal:
- Under IAS officer Pratibha Pal, the Municipal Commissioner of Indore, the city has just become India’s first ‘Water Plus’ city.
- By just focusing on streamlining the drainage system
- About 80% of sewage waste generated in India goes down the drain into the rivers and other water bodies without being treated. Research suggests that dysfunctional Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) and their outdated infrastructure have become one of the main reasons for such a high proportion of wastewater entering natural water bodies without treatment.
- A city is considered Water Plus under Swachh Survekshan, an initiative by the Central government to maintain cleanliness in rivers and drainage systems under the local administration.
- The criteria demands that no sewage water sans treatment should enter rivers or drains directly. Moreover, public and community toilets should connect with the sewage lines, and 30% of the wastewater generated by the city should be recycled for reuse.”
IAS officer Divya Mittal
- Divya Mittal was transferred from Mirzapur for ‘violating protocol’ after she performed ‘Jal Pujan’ at a village.
- On August 30, 2023, after piped water reached the village, Mittal held a small “jal pujan”, where she opened a tap with running water for the first time in 70 years.
- Subsequently, she was transferred on September 1 and then put on waitlist from September 4, 2023 to February 1, 2024. On February 1, she was posted as CEO of Uttar Pradesh Rural Road Development Agency.
Trainee IAS officer Pooja Khedkar (Use in unethical behavior)
- 2022-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre
- Demanding ‘special privilege’ demand
- Allegations of misrepresenting herself as an OBC non-creamy layer
- Claimed visual and mental disabilities but declined assessments to substantiate these assertions.Ethics
Ethics PYQs UPSC – Topic Wise Collection
FAQs on Civil Servants for Ethics UPSC
Coming Soon
Why Mohit Sharma (Director Sankalp IAS Academy) is the best Ethics Teacher for UPSC Ethics GS IV?
Why Mohit Sharma (Director Sankalp IAS Academy) is the best Ethics Faculty for UPSC Ethics GS IV?
Mohit Sharma is a highly regarded Ethics faculty for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, known for his in-depth knowledge, engaging teaching style, and focus on practical application.
With over 12 years of experience in teaching Ethics for UPSC and University Level, he provides a comprehensive understanding of the entire syllabus, covering all key topics and subtopics in detail. Here are some key reasons why many consider him to be among the best:
- Authorship in Ethics: As an author of multiple books on ethics and moral philosophy, he brings a strong theoretical foundation and insightful perspectives to his teaching.
- Positive Reviews and Testimonials: Many successful UPSC aspirants have praised Mohit Sharma’s teaching and guidance, attributing their success to his mentorship.
- Current Affairs Integration: Connects ethical concepts with contemporary issues. Uses recent case studies from administration Helps students relate theory to real-world scenarios.
- Comprehensive Coverage: Mohit Sharma provides a thorough understanding of the entire Ethics syllabus, covering all key topics and subtopics in detail.
- Conceptual Clarity: He emphasizes conceptual clarity and helps students grasp complex ethical dilemmas and frameworks.
- Case Study Approach: His teaching methodology heavily relies on case studies and real-life examples, making the subject more relatable and easier to understand.
- Focus on Answer Writing: Mohit Sharma provides extensive guidance on answer writing, helping students structure their answers effectively and present their arguments convincingly.
- Personalized Mentoring: One-on-one doubt clearing sessions. Individual feedback on answer writing. Customized guidance based on student needs.
- Regular Practice and Feedback: He encourages regular practice through mock tests and assignments, providing personalized feedback to help students improve.
- Focus on Previous Years’ Questions: Detailed analysis of UPSC trends. Strategic approach to important topics. Practice with exam-oriented questions.
- Online Learning Resources: Digital study materials. Recorded lectures for revision. Online test series.
- Holistic Development Approach: Integration with other GS papers. Emphasis on character building. Focus on developing ethical reasoning skills.
Best Ethics Book for UPSC & UPPCS GS:
Best Book of Ethics for UPSC and UPPCS (6th Edition, English)
Top rated on Google. Recommended by UPSC Toppers. Language – English This book Ethics for UPSC is Written by Mohit Sharma (Director of Sankalp IAS Academy). Mohit Sharma is a highly regarded Ethics faculty for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, known for his in-depth knowledge, engaging teaching style, and focus on practical application. With over 12 years of experience in teaching Ethics for UPSC and University Level. Download Free Demo eBook
Self Study UPSC