Poor but spirited in Karimnagar: Field Notes of a Civil Servant, by Sumita Dawra

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The dichotomy that India faces today, having one of the most extensive network of social schemes in all sectors- healthcare, agriculture, nutrition, education , and yet continually being confronted with the worst and lowest human development indices, formed a nagging worrying thought which perhaps motivated the author, Sumita Dawra to write "Poor but spirited in Karimnagar". Karimnagar is a district in Telangana Region in Andhra Pradesh and is also ranked 250 in the list of "most backward districts in India".

What causes the poor to remain poor, how there are gaps in the developmental schemes of the government and the ways to improve it forms the central essence of the book. Why is the theme important to us as administrators? Given that massive budgetary allocations yearly are set aside for social sector schemes as also the fact that India is one of the fastest growing economies of the world, there is barely any translation of such prosperity and government efforts into visible development. Through the book, the author searches for alternative paradigms of governance for better outcomes, in the form of effective decentralization, empowerment of communities and self help groups, as well as competitive development.

Analysis of the book-

The book is aptly titled, as it subtly and beautifully brings out that though India ranks abysmally in social indicators, there is still hope for a better tomorrow, which is in our hands. The book is encouraging and attempts to infuse passion and a positive attitude in our minds with the undercurrent resonating with passion, fearlessness and determination to work within the system, innovate and build social capital. She encourages the extrapolation of Karimnagar experience in other...

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...in the various sectors. She has also mentioned touching personal experiences such as an essay written by her child about the difference she felt when studying in an Indian school and a UK school and her reflections of the time when a major epidemic struck her district victimizing many poor ignorant villagers just as she was hospitalized with access to the best doctors.

The book is an honest introspection and is a candid admission of the helplessness of IAS officers in certain cases, where all one can do is shoot arrows in the dark, learn, try and re-learn. What makes the book an invaluable and inspiring read is the undercurrent: of undying hope, courage and faith, straight from the heart.

About the Author-

Sumita Dawra is a 1991 batch IAS officer, belonging to Andhra Pradesh cadre. She currently heads the economic wing in Embassy of India in Beijing, China.

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