Lessons for Life: Reflections from Manipur and Karnataka

This book apart from my own experiences in Manipur and Karnataka also has a few references to history. History in reference to the places I have been or I was posted to work as a public servant. But the historical facts that I have mentioned are not thoroughly researched and I claim no cent percent authenticity of it. These facts are a combination of few readings about the issues that I was dealing plus the understanding that I got talking and interacting with the local people. I read a few historical commentaries to understand the historical events and then tried to analyse them as I understood them. Also the book is not like an autobiography wherein I have told everything that has happened with me in these years. The book is in the form of stories that I have encountered in my journey as a public servant. Those stories that have made me think. These stories that have made me come back to my house after office and led me to contemplate. Those stories that made me learn and get an understanding about life and about people. Those stories that made me think have some learnings that I can share it with others. And in these stories as I have already said are also historical references which made me understand how we are so much shaped by our history and by our geography. How we can learn form our historical stories and learn from the mistakes that previously we had committed.Rahul Ratnam Pandey is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 2018 batch currently serving in the state of Karnataka. He holds a B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) degree from Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University completed in 2013 and went on to earn a Master''s degree in Public Administration from Jawaharlal Nehru University in 2020. Before joining the IAS he served in the Indian Railways Accounts Service beginning his career in public service in 2016. Over the years Mr. Pandey has held key administrative roles across different states. He has served as Sub-Divisional Magistrate in Samulamlan (Churachandpur district Manipur) and in Kumta (Uttara Kannada district Karnataka). His responsibilities have spanned diverse areas of governance and development. He has also worked as General Manager with the Upper Krishna Project in Bagalkote and as the Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Panchayat in Koppal district. At present Mr. Pandey is serving as the Chief Executive Officer at the Centre for Smart Governance in Bengaluru where he is focused on driving digital transformation and governance innovation across Karnataka.