Nikhil Kumar never made a plan B for a career after his father, a section officer in the government, told him that no one is better placed than an IAS officer to bring in effective and sustainable change in the system and society.
For Kumar, Secretary, New Delhi Municipal Corporation, the humble upbringing gave him a better start in life. A postgraduate in bio-technology from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Kumar cracked the Union Public Service Commission exams in his second attempt, scoring 26th rank in 2002. “We never had surplus, but everything for our basic needs. I was not into taking or asking for pocket money or eating out. The first exposure of eating out was at old Nirula’s in Chanakyapuri when I was in college,” says Kumar, who idolises former bureaucrat T N Seshan.
While his family is from Uttar Pradesh, Kumar was born and raised in Delhi. His love for Delhi, especially Nehru Park, becomes evident after a brief chat with him.
Responsible for maintaining the area of Delhi better known as Lutyens’ Delhi, Kumar is working on several ambitious proposals at the moment. The NDMC, Kumar says, will be the first municipality in the country to have LED street lights.
“We want the entire NDMC area to be fully Wi-Fi-enabled in the next three years. We are putting Wi-Fi systems on street poles and the work has already been awarded. We are putting CCTV cameras at each traffic signal. This will definitely improve the quality of life,” Kumar adds.
The 37-year-old, who earlier served in Mizoram and Goa, admits that working in Delhi is much more hectic. He says Delhi is termed a “hard-area” by UT cadre officers because it is much more demanding. But, unlike other bureaucrats, Kumar feels political intervention or interference here is just a myth, and bureaucracy should be made accountable for its actions or inactions.
Given his convictions, it is not surprising to learn that the movie A Few Good Men is among his favourites. The Hollywood film is set around the dilemma two US marines face on duty. “Many a time we don’t know the ground reality or the public sentiment because we are not directly meeting them. Unless you get the views from politicians who frequently interact with the people, the decision could be biased,” Kumar says, adding he would like to bring more transparency to the Indian bureaucracy if given a chance.