UPSC AIR 1, IIT Madras: Sridhar Vembu recalls IAS officer classmate transferred 32 times for his ‘honesty’

“Raju Narayana Swamy was my classmate in IIT Madras. He also had a very high rank in IIT JEE 1985, my recollection was AIR 10, and he came from a small town in Kerala, and most top rankers were from the big cities, so he stood out,” Vembu wrote.

“Most of our classmates – including me – went abroad. He chose to stay in India.”

Read the post:

Raju Narayana Swamy was my classmate in IIT Madras. He also had a very high rank in IIT JEE 1985, my recollection was AIR 10 and he came from small town Kerala and most top rankers were from the big cities so he stood out.

Most of our classmates – including me – went abroad. He… https://t.co/Fg5JvN7Ufj

— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) April 22, 2026

The post he reshared mapped Swamy’s journey from a top-ranked student to a bureaucrat known for his integrity. Swamy secured All India Rank 1 in the 1991 UPSC exam and joined the IAS, reportedly declining an opportunity at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As per the account, he believed his education had been funded by public resources and felt a responsibility to give back.

During his tenure in Kerala, Swamy built a reputation for confronting sensitive issues. In one instance, he exposed alleged irregularities linked to the children of a sitting minister, which eventually led to the minister stepping down—followed by yet another transfer for Swamy.

Across a career spanning over three decades, he has been transferred 32 times. At one stage, he even wrote to the government, questioning why he was being paid without meaningful work.

In 2025, the Supreme Court of India rejected his plea challenging the denial of his promotion to the post of chief secretary. Beyond administration, Swamy has authored more than 30 books, earned a PhD in law, and received the Sahitya Akademi Award.

Vembu’s post sparked a wave of responses online.

One user wrote, “Thank you for sharing this. It reminds me of my uncle, an IITian from that same 70s generation who also chose to stay. He used to preach a simple discipline: keep doing the same thing until it becomes a default practice. He’d make me walk 200m extra just to use a pedestrian bridge instead of a dangerous unmanned crossing. Eventually, it became a habit. Years later, the govt built walls to force everyone onto that bridge, but for me, the ‘wall’ was already built by his discipline. Real character is built in those small, daily choices.”

Another commented, “Staying rooted and serving one’s own country is the definition of true success. Personalities like Raju Narayana Swamy ji and your heartfelt appreciation for him are both a great inspiration for today’s generation. An incredible blend of simplicity and brilliance.”

A third added, “A perfect example of sacrificing own life for the nation Had someone less intellectually competent been occupying his chair, hundreds of crores of public funds would have been looted India needs such civil servants not the arrogant power drunk ones.”

“The fact that we are discussing him and not dozens of his friends who went to US into oblivion in guise of a good life, itself is a win. In his tenure he must have inspired many with his conduct and professionalism, wrote books and made a significant contribution to society,” another person wrote.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes and highlights personal journeys and professional choices. The views expressed are those of the individuals mentioned and do not constitute professional or legal advice.