Wednesday, December 23, 2015

D.J. Pandian :Unedited material collected for Effective people by Prof TV Rao

Case Study: D.J. Pandian

Mr. Dharmakkan Jagatheesa Pandian is a Senior IAS Officer belonging to the Indian Administrative Service, having more than 30 years of experience in Public Policy & Administration. He is currently the Principal Secretary to Government of Gujarat in Energy & Petrochemicals Department. Prior to the current assignment, Mr. Pandian served as the Chief Executive Officer of Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) and its group companies for 8 years. During his tenure, he converted the minuscule GSPC into a giant oil and gas company with presence in the entire Value Chain of Hydro Carbon Sector.He developed extensive gas grid networks for transmission and distribution of natural gas throughout Gujarat. Through his visionary policies and program implementation skills, he also developed city gas distribution systems in most of the districts of Gujarat with active public and private participation.He was also instrumental in setting up a modern university, Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, to provide highly skilled technical manpower to the industries in the petroleum sector.

In his current assignment he is instrumental in setting up the biggest Solar Park in Asia. Mr. Pandian has also worked as Deputy Secretary in C M D of Ministry of Finance, Government of India, New Delhi. He was instrumental in liberalizing government policies for foreign capital inflow. His successful stint in the Ministry of Finance, Government of India enabled him for a special assignment with World Bank in Washington DC during 1998-2001. Thus, Mr Pandian has brought path breaking developments throughout his career path in the various organizations he worked with.
Dharmakkan Jegadeesa Pandian ( D. J. Pandian ) hails from the village “Kannirajapuram” located in the coastal area of Ramanathapuram district, Tamilnadu. His father, Shri. Dharmakkan ( 1908 - 2005 ) was a freedom fighter ( Thiagi ) and was a close associate of Shri. K. Kamaraj, former Chief Minister of Tamilnadu. DJP’s parents, born and brought up in the same village, served as teachers in the Government Elementary School, Kannirajapuram. The village was inhabited by palmyrah climbers and many of them were toddy tappers. The village economy depended primarily on palm labour and rearing of cattle and poultry. Fishing existed in a very small scale. Most of the villagers were illiterates and very poor.
Thiagi. Dharmakkan, right from his school days was involved in the freedom movement. He was punished by his head master for meeting Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in the year 1930; was forced to resign his teaching job by an education officer of British origin; participated in the Satyagraha Movement of Gandhiji and was remanded and imprisoned for 18 months; was imprisoned for 6 months for printing and distributing anti – government literature (1942); and was arrested and beaten up by police for anti – government activities (1945). Also, he served as the organiser of Ramnad District Palm Labourers’ Association (1987).
His services to the village include 1. fighting for abolition of the then prevailing licencing system for palmyrah climbing, 2. formation of a women’s co- operative society for the manufacturing and marketing of palm products, 3. liasoning with the government for the upgradation of the government middle school, Kannirajapuram to a high school, that being the first high school (1956) in the taluk, 4. liasoned with the government for, laying metal road to connect his village with nearby towns, supply of electricity and supply of protected drinking water to the village, and 5. arranging bank loans for buying milch cows.
Thiagi. Dharmakkan devoted his life for the upliftment of the poor and the downtrodden of the village and its surrounding hamlets. His services were focused at the needs of the deprived and the unfortunate at the gross root level. Unmindful of his polio – affected legs and the risk of acquiring illness, he took even cholera affected sick persons to hospitals. The villagers consider him as a Good Samaritan. He was the role model for all his children and was well – liked by his grandchildren too.
DJP was the fifth issue to his parents and has three brothers and three sisters. His mother, Shrimathi. Amirtham Ammal, had to struggle hard to bring up the children. The villagers say that all the children of Thiagi’s family are well placed, by God’s grace because, Thiagi helped people to grow without caring his own family. Of the seven children, one is in NGO, one served in a nationalized bank, two are in government, and the three girl children are / were teachers in schools. 
DJP was good at his studies in the Government High School, Kannirajapuram and he stood first right from his first standard to his eleventh standard. He participated in oratorical competitions and won many prizes. He was frugal in eating and looked puny. He enjoyed good care of his parents along with other children. The family lived in a thatched roof until 1984 when it was replaced by a concrete roofed house. DJP has been very affectionate with his parents, brothers and sisters. He, unlike other children in the village, moved very freely with children of the deprived communities and fishing folks and brought them home and shared food with them.
Buying groceries, vegetables and other household requirements in the nearby town was entrusted to DJP as he was considered very prudent in spending. He took much time on bargaining and always went for the “best buy“ with the money spared for the purpose. The family had a hand - to - mouth living since his father rarely had any home taking pay due to his regular leave on loss of pay for attending social work.
DJP readily entered into arguments with his fellow playmates and elders even, when he felt any one trying to drift away from norms and justice. Being a bright student, he never hesitated to share what he learnt in the class with his fellow students. DJP worked in a private firm for one year after his bachelor’s degree and joined MBA in PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, a college affiliated to Madras University. As a student of MBA, he was known as one of the best students in academics. His participation in seminars and workshops drew the attention of audience and his well - thought - out views on various issues discussed reflected his strong sense of social justice and equity. His outlook was encompassing matters of national concern. He was prompt, punctual and well - accepted by all his class mates. After his MBA with distinction in several subjects, he served as a teacher in an arts and science college for two years and joined Indian Administrative Service in (1981 batch) in Gujarat Cadre. He got married in 1984 and has a son.
DJP acquired a high need for affiliation from his mother and great patriotism from his father. His love for his family and for social justice has been very strong and consistent. He is sincere, honest, a man of clean habits, god fearing, cheerful, energetic, bold, emotionally sensitive, positive, hardworking, enterprising, and humble. A simple attempt to map his personality applying David Mc. Clleland’s theory would result in the following score; Need for Achievement – 90, Need for Power - 25, Need for Affiliation - 80 and Need for Extension – 90.
DJP’s thirst for social service did not stop with discharging his duties as an IAS officer. He inspired his eldest brother Shri. D. Jagaveerapandian, to establish a charitable society “Navajeevan Educational and Welfare Society” in the year 1989 and “ Navajeevan Educational and Awareness Trust“ in the year 2000; both in Thiruthangal, Virudhunagar district. The objects of the society and the trust include 1. service to the poor 2. education 3. medical relief 4. public utilities and 5. creating scientific awareness.
The objectives of the institutions are realized through various routine activities and special projects. The society has established and running a child development centre in Madurai (1998); a high school in Madurai (1998); and,  a teacher training institute (2007), a college for education (2009), and an arts and sciences college (2012); all in Kannirajapuram village. All are service oriented, poor – friendly not - for - profit organisations in the real sense.










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