“The Pessimist Sees Difficulty In Every Opportunity. The Optimist Sees Opportunity In Every Difficulty.”

The Madras IIT alumnus has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Masters in Business Administration but his journey to Civil Services explains the ethos that he so pre-eminently embosses in his personal and professional life. Before finding his steps into the quicksand of public service, he started his professional career in Mumbai – Mecca for those aiming for a lucrative career. He soon realized his heart was not into the job – it was repetitive and unstimulating to his senses. Stifled, he decided to move on preceding it with a short stint in Infosys.

An IAS was not on the radar until then but the Civil Services were in sync with his thought process. The seeds had been sown during the job with Infosys when he was posted in Chandigarh. Thus began a rigorous preparation for the UPSC exams and it was while solving the IAS prelims he realized that the pattern was what he had experienced while pursuing MBA. It also struck him that he could jot down points and notes that could help aspiring IAS candidates. His studious practice of reading and writing came in handy in this exercise. The bottom line of his thought was there is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.

But for all those who believe that academic merit is indicative of the one’s performance in the exam, Mr Sangwan has a message: “Getting good marks is no doubt essential but if your score is less, it is not the end of the world. In my 12th exams, I got 24 marks in Chemistry – just 1 mark above passing marks. But that didn’t decide what I wanted from my life It makes little sense to bog down kids with scoring more marks. Life goes far beyond results Let results be an opportunity for introspection and not for criticism.”

Having already authored a book, another is on the anvil – hopefully expected to see the light of 2021.His love for writing also propelled him towards being a blogger but now given his fervid schedules, he regrets he cannot spare time. As the Deputy Municipal Commissioner his sights are firmly focused on Urbanization and e-governance where he has done yeoman’s work. Being familiar with the socio-economic conditions was an advantage. It also opened his vistas to Minimalism and Utilitarianism.

The phenomenon of Urbanization intrigued him and during his first posting as the SDM in Gujarat’s Veraval, he found that resources being in short supply, he could use technological tools for the benefit of the people. So he created a blog like website where he would post cases and judgments thereby eliminating the need for hard copies. Now, as the DyMC, he has taken a number of initiatives to automate many processes that enables citizens to get documents at the click of a mouse. From birth & death certificates and issuing NOCs to booking a ticket to get into a park, all services are available online pitch-forking the commercial city of Ahmedabad into a hi-tech city. It spares people of the trouble to trek all the way to office and get the documents they want.

Urbanization is an issue close to his heart. The officer explains that it is a growing phenomenon. By 2050, there will be more urban areas than rural areas and that will bring with it accruing problems like Pollution. That also underlines the importance of sustainable development and the need for sensible Recycling.”People need to be sensitized on minimalism. It can educate people about living with only those things that they need most. Excessive urbanization per se is harming the environment. The whole scenario is scary. Since charity begins at home, I must start with myself. So what matters most? Is it money, public support or the progress of institutions? My personal experience is more than money it is drawing people’s cooperation in such endeavours. Look at Bhutan where sustainable development is institutionalized by people themselves. I started a campaign of sorts by getting school and college students to underscore the importance of sustainable development.”

For the officer, actions speak louder than words. So every week he would take a team of kids paint walls with eloquent messages. Once it gets into the people to understand these things, you have won half the battle – small issues like parking, tree plantation and what have you. He is quite upbeat that the efforts are bearing fruit.

Reticent to a fault, Mr Sangwan is not just about only work. A man of varied interests once in a while he takes to the brush and gives shape to the vividness of his mind. A cartoonist by instinct, he explains how he would pounce on the copy of a newspaper to see R K Laxman’s cartoons and even started caricaturing but laments lack of time is an irritant. His passion in kitchen gardening is perfectly consistent with his ideas of sustainable living.”I dedicate my leisure time to it. In fact, I hardly needed to go out to buy vegetables since I grew them in my own backyard.” An occasional strumming of the guitar gives break from the routine.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the idea of doing more of the things that matter most to you, your calendar is overscheduled, or your physical space is filled with items that don’t serve you and your family, minimalism will help you make more space in your life. The frugal and simple thinking of Mr Sangwan should be an abject lesson.