E-Paper
Alumni connect: This IAS officer is all about ‘highs from the lows’
If academics are combined with hard work, consistency, a clear goal and a road map, even an average student can uncover true capabilities, says Piyush Salunkhe IAS officer
Piyush Salunkhe has a BE in Electronics and Telecommunication and an LLB, whilst currently pursuing a postgrad. He says he still finds time to be a fitness enthusiast. However, for the ever-hopeful optimist it was breaking into the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), where he is currently serving, that truly opened the doors. Here he recounts how and why college and school made a difference.
What does the education resume read like?
I did my schooling and junior college from St. Vincent’s High School. After my graduation, I also pursued my Bachelor’s degree in Law from Navalmal Firodia Law College, Pune. I have a graduation in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering from AISSMS’s Institute of Information Technology, Pune, passing out in the batch of 2015. I am currently pursuing a post-graduate diploma in Cyber Law from Nalsar, Hyderabad.
Academically: brilliant, average or below average?
I have always been average in academics with an average level of intellect. I believe by combining it with hard work, consistency, a clear goal and a roadmap, even an average student can uncover true capabilities.
How did the IAS happen?
It was a culmination of factors that helped me shape my decision. Amongst them, an opportunity provided by my college with its active National Service Scheme(NSS) club and various round-the-year activities. A yearly camp in a remote rural village helped me gain insights into the challenges at the ground level and how by being in the administration you can contribute to the betterment of society. Roles and responsibilities in the academic and cultural functions of college also helped shape my leadership and management skills. The extra classes in the final year of college helped me in the CSAT exam. The constant support by the faculty of the college was also encouraging.
Highs and lows of your career so far?
The lows have been going directionless at the start, uncertainty of choosing an unguaranteed career path, failure in the first attempt of an exam and the mental toll that it takes. All this propelled me to my high, which was getting into the IAS and the exposure it brings.
What are your future plans?
In the near future I plan to make the most of my training, which offers unparalleled exposure, from the lowest grassroots to the highest echelons of the country. Thereafter, I plan to choose and develop my own niche areas of expertise in administration. I would like to use all my experience bridging the gap between administration and public.
