HYDERABAD: While it is a fact that public servants, such as IAS and IPS officers, have no free time and are largely devoted to their jobs, there are many serving officers whose dedication transcends mere duty. One such individual is the Additional Director General for Railway and Road Safety, Mahesh Bhagwat. Apart from being in the government for over 30 years, he has coached over 1,400 IPS, 300 IFS and 300 UPSC CAPF assistant commandant aspirants since 2015.
According to the IPS officer, this initiative is purely to give back to society. “I was coached at a training institute in Maharashtra. With five other fellow mentors from the institute, we have impacted the lives of thousands of aspirants by providing study material and question banks on WhatsApp while also conducting training sessions through Zoom calls. For me, the journey of mentoring is not just about preparing candidates for exams; it’s about nurturing leaders who will uphold justice and ensuring a safer and brighter future for all. So, three hours in my day are for the aspirants.”
While one might assume that it’s just talk, D Ananya Reddy, who ranked third in the 2023 UPSC exams, and Sai Kiran, AIR 27, were both trained under Mahesh’s guidance.
After the announcement, Ananya said the work done by Mahesh, apart from Smita Sabharwal, and had motivated her to pursue a career in public service.
However, a life of coaching was not the normal for the IPS officer. It was only after he helped one of his seniors crack the exams that he thought about coaching others. “This shaped the course of my life. Despite personal challenges, including my father’s retirement, my resilience led me back to my passion for civil service after a brief stint at Tata Motors. My dedication paid off when I joined the police force in 1995,” he added.
Starting his career in Maharashtra, Mahesh, an engineering graduate, spent a large part of his youth cracking competitive exams and volunteering with an NGO. “In Adilabad and Nirmal, initiatives under the banner of ‘Police Meekosam’ were taken up to bring essential services like roads, buses, electricity, and water, weakening Maoist influence. This earned recognition from Los Angeles. A community policing award in 2004 was also in the list with the late APJ Abdul Kalam lauding my efforts on a 15-minute call,” he said.
Mahesh’s approach to training focuses on the individual strengths of his aspirants. According to him, aspirants achieving top ranks is not just professional, but deeply personal triumphs, that celebrate the success of the community.
He emphasised the importance of being strategic with time management and said that aspirants need to stay informed and prepared for interviews. “This is where my specialised training comes in. My success lies in their success,” he added.
He acknowledged the challenge of balancing work, training, and personal life. “Thankfully, my wife, Sunitha Bhagwat, an IFS officer, assists with addressing intervention-related questions.”
Furthermore, he highlighted that serving society is best achieved through the All India Services.
