Arun Bhatnagar

Arun Bhatnagar (Hindi: अरुण भटनागर; born 10 June 1944) is a former Indian Administrative Service officer. He belongs to the 1966 batch of the Madhya Pradesh cadre and has served in various capacities in Madhya Pradesh and with the Government of India. Bhatnagar retired from the Indian Administrative Service in June, 2004 as Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training and worked, thereafter, as Secretary, National Advisory Council and Chairman, Prasar Bharati (2008–09) at New Delhi.[1]

Arun Bhatnagar
अरुण भटनागर
Born (1944-06-10) 10 June 1944
New Delhi, India
Alma materSt. Stephen's College, Delhi
OccupationCivil Servant (Retd)
Spouse(s)Kalpana Bhatnagar

Currently, he is Chairperson of the Hali Panipati Trust, which commemorates the life and work of Maulana Altaf Hussain Hali (1837- 1914), renowned poet and social reformer.

He lives in Nizamuddin East, New Delhi, India.

Personal life

Bhatnagar was born in New Delhi. He attended St. Columba's School till grade XII after which he joined St. Stephen's College, Delhi for an undergraduate degree (B.A.) in Economics.

Bhatnagar claims descent from ancestor Munshi Har Gopal Tufta or "Mirza" Tufta, Mirza Ghalib’s contemporary and best known friend and a well known poet in his own right in Urdu and Persian.[2][3]

He is the grandson [4] of the eminent scientist, Sir Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, OBE, FRS, architect of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and of the chain of National Laboratories in the country, Secretary, Ministry of Natural Resources & Scientific Research, Ministry of Education and first Chairman of the University Grants Commission (1953–55).

Of his two brothers-in-law, one retired as Secretary, Government of India and the other is a serving Major General in the Indian Army.

Career

Bhatnagar entered the Indian Administrative Service in 1966 at the age of 22 years; his assignments with the Government of India and the Government of Madhya Pradesh include:

Assignments between 1967 – 84: Allotted to Madhya Pradesh cadre and worked in Field and Secretariat positions in the State, including as District collector and District Magistrate, Sehore (1973 – 75). As Collector, Sehore, he is still remembered for the exemplary relief and rehabilitation work carried out by him and his team and colleagues (comprising officials, non- officials and voluntary agencies) in the Budhni and Narsrullahganj areas in the particularly intense monsoon rains of 1973. On deputation to the Government of India as Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Power (1975 – 79). Later, he served in the State Government at Bhopal as Special Secretary (Finance & Planning) and as Secretary between 1979 – 84.

Assignments between 1984 – 1992: Joint Secretary, Ministry of Power between 1984 – 89 and Chairman & Managing Director, Rural Electrification Corporation Limited (1985 – 86). Secretary to the Chief Minister Sunder Lal Patwa and, concurrently, Secretary in various Departments (1989–92).

Assignments between 1992 – 2004 in the Government of India: Joint Secretary to Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma, President of India (1992 – 94), Minister (Economic), High Commission of India, London (1994–96), Additional Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, Government of India (1996–98), Principal Adviser, Planning Commission in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India (1998 – 99), Secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports: 1999 – 2000, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development: 2000 – 02, Secretary, Food & Public Distribution: 2002 – 03, Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training: 2003 – 04.[5]

As Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Bhatnagar played an important role in the conceptualization and implementation of the PMGSY, which was launched in 2000 - 01.[6][7]

Bhatnagar retired from the Indian Administrative Service in June, 2004 and worked, thereafter, as Secretary, National Advisory Council (2004 – 08) and Chairman, Prasar Bharati (2008 – 09) at New Delhi.[8][9]

Articles written by him have been published in the Times of India, The Illustrated Weekly of India, The Pioneer [10] and, more recently, Dawn[11][12][13]

Bhatnagar is the author of a book titled "India: Shedding the Past, Embracing the Future (1906-2017)". The book has been published by Konark Publishers Pvt Ltd ISBN 978-93-22008-90-1.[14][15]

References
  1. Ganguly, Rageshri (8 April 2013). "Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys' Association felicitates Arun Bhatnagar". Times of India. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  2. Kochhar, Rajesh. "Review Essay: Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar: Life and times" (PDF). Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  3. Pritchett. "Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib:Letter to Tufta (1862)" (PDF). Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  4. "Dr SS Bhatnagar Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology". Punjab University. 24 February 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  5. "Arun Bhatnagar appointed Secretary, Personnel". The Hindu Business Line. 1 November 2003. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  6. "Submission of the Report of the National Rural Road Development Committee". National Rural Road Development Committee. 2 May 2000. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  7. "Memorandum of Association: national Rural Roads Development Agency". National Rural Road Development Agency. 10 January 2002. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  8. "Arun Bhatnagar appointed Secretary, National Advisory Council". Press Information Bureau, Government of India. 22 June 2004. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  9. "Arun Bhatnagar takes over as new Prasar Bharati Chairman". Outlookindia. 2 May 2008. Archived from the original on 19 August 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  10. Bhatnagar, Arun (15 December 2012). "Bhopal retains its old charm". The Pioneer. Archived from the original on 19 August 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  11. Bhatnagar, Arun (4 September 2011). "Hall of fame: The ICS served Pakistan well". Dawn. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  12. Bhatnagar, Arun (19 November 2011). "A leaf from history: Pioneers in science". Dawn. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  13. Bhatnagar, Arun (15 January 2012). "Remembering a Mughal city". Dawn. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  14. http://www.konarkpublishers.com/books/925. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VLQ4C5o3hU. Missing or empty |title= (help)
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