Astrong believer in the words of CS Lewis “Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching’’ is senior IAS officer Gagandeep Singh Bedi who is known to be a very upright and honest officer in the cadre.

According to him, “Our freedom fighters have sacrificed so much for the country and some have even lost their lives, therefore it is our bare minimum responsibility to preserve its essence by practicing integrity and honesty.’’

Hailing from a middle-class family of academicians in Punjab, his father Dr. Tarlochan Singh Bedi was the Principal of a government college while his mother Darshan Kaur Bedi was a professor. A gold medallist in B.E. Electronics and Electrical Communication, he graduated from the Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology in Patiala, Punjab.

Always interested to serve the country, he took a shot at the civil services exam and cleared it in 1993 and since then his journey as an IAS officer in Tamil Nadu began. He secured an All India 20th rank and was adjudged the ‘Best Allrounder’ of his batch.

This fiercely loyal and dedicated officer held many important posts in his tenure viz District Collector of Kanyakumari, District Collector of Cuddalore, Commissioner of Madurai Corporation, Managing Director of Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board, Commissioner of Chennai Corporation, Secretary Health Department, Tamil Nadu government.

During his stint as District Collector of Kanyakumari and Cuddalore, Bedi won the hearts of people and awards too. When the tsunami struck Chennai in December 2004, both Bedi and his wife Dr. Jaideep, rose to the occasion and saved quite a few residents hit by the tsunami. In fact, Bedi was seen in the thick of action, wading through almost neck deep water, a perfect example of leading from the front.

His present role of Additional Chief Secretary Rural Development and Panchayat Raj entails implementing, developing and overseeing rural development projects and policies.

A workaholic, he completely immerses himself in his work and at times compromises on his health and on family time but makes it a point to spend quality time with family.

His charming better half Dr. Jaideep Mahendra is an accomplished academician and holds the distinction to become the first woman dentist in the country to obtain the highest degree “DSc: Doctorate of Science in dentistry’’. She heads the department of periodontology at Meenakshi Amman Dental College and Hospital in Maduravoyil. Like any dutiful wife, she has been a constant support for her husband and has encouraged him in all his endeavours. The home front is mostly taken care of by her and this enables him to focus fully on his professional commitments.

The couple have two lovely daughters Gurbani and Muskan who are studying in a city college.

After a long and hard day at work, Gagandeep Singh Bedi unwinds with yoga, a bit of jogging or even swimming at times. After all he was the national swimming champion during his younger days.

Being musically inclined, he plays the mouth organ and blessed with a melodious voice, he loves to sing at gatherings and has earned a lot of applause for his singing prowess.

Though born and brought up in the North, South Indian cuisine is his favourite and he absolutely relishes soft idlis, crisp dosas and piping hot sambar.

This calm and composed IAS officer also enjoys reading books on Punjabi literature and his favourite author is the Late Khushwant Singh. In line with his calm demeanour, the subtle colours of blue and grey are his choice when it comes to clothes.

Gagandeep Singh Bedi’s unwavering commitment to integrity, efficiency and social justice is a strong source of inspiration for a new generation of civil service aspirants to serve the nation. His journey is a powerful testament to the transformative potential of dedicated public service.

– Juliana Sridhar is a lawyer.