My early life: I was born on 18 January 1925 at Banswara, which was a small, land locked princely state of erstwhile Rajputana and grew up under the loving care of my parents. I had my early education at Bundi, which was another small princely state of Rajputana, unaware and unconcerned about the winds of change, that were blowing up in the country. I completed my High School from King George V Jubilee High School Bundi, which was the only high school in the state, at that time. Subsequently, I passed my intermediate from Herbert Intermediate College, Kota, which was the highest educational institution, not only in Kota, but in the whole of Hadoti region, which included Kota, Bundi and Jhalawar. Thereafter, I passed my BA with Mathematics and Economics from Meerut College Meerut, which was affiliated to Agra University. At that time, Agra University was the only affiliating university for the whole of United Provinces, Rajasthan, Central India and Berar. Finally, I entered the haloed portals of Thomason College of Civil Engineering Roorkee and graduated as a Civil Engineer from there in 1945. At that time, there were only eight engineering colleges in the whole country. Nothing was planned and there were no pre-determined tracks. The only thing, that I had, was the freedom to go ahead and keep moving.
Irrigation Department of United Provinces: I had my first posting as an engineering student in irrigation department of UP in July 1945. Thereafter, I worked as Sub-Divisional Officer and Assistant Engineer from July 1946 to July 1951 in Rohilkhand Canals Division at Bareilly, Mohammadpur and Pathri Power station Division at Roorkee, Ghaghra Canal Survey Division at Jaunpur, Ganga Flood Division at Banaras and Ballia and Fatehpur Division of Lower Ganga Canal at Kanpur. In those times, UP was considered as the best administered state of India. However, UP had only five secretaries of the Indian Civil Service ( ICS ) for assisting the governor. The Chief Engineer of the irrigation department, was also the secretary of the irrigation department and the office of the Chief Engineer of the irrigation department was known as canal secretariat. After the provincial elections in 1946, a popular government was formed in UP, with Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant as the Premier. During the British period from July 1945 to August 1947 and subsequently under the popular government from August 1947 to July 1951, I had all the freedom and all the powers, for all that I did and for all that I was expected to do and I thoroughly enjoyed my spell in the irrigation department of UP for six years.
Civil Engineering School Lucknow: I worked as a lecturer in civil engineering school Lucknow for a period of four years from July 1951 to October 1955. Those were formative years of my life. I enjoyed full freedom in improvising physical facilities in the institution and for preparing teaching and reading material for the students and in the process, I learnt to step down from the high pedestal of my previous office and to communicate with the students at all levels, under all limitations and under all constraints, in their language and at their level. When I left the institution in October1955, the institution, which was running in a rented building in the town with extremely limited physical facilities for more than twenty years, was comfortably buzzing with all types of activities, in its newly constructed building on its campus on Kanpur road with a string of playgrounds and other outdoor and indoor facilities.
Civil Engineering School Allahabad: I worked as Vice Principal and Head of the Institution of Civil Engineering School Allahabad from October 1955 to January 1958. When I joined the institution in October 1955, the institution had to start from scratch. It did not have any building. It had no equipment, There were no teachers and there were no students. There was no bank account and there were no finanacial resources. The process for running the institution and its formal recognition was shrouded in some distant future. All that I had, was the freedom to go ahead and keep improvising. When I left the institution in January 1958, the first batch of students of diploma course in civil engineering had passed out in June 1957 and the institution had facilities for all types of indoor and outdoor activities with 600 students on roll for diploma courses of civil, electrical and mechanical engineering. The institution was affiliated to the Adhoc Board of Technical Education Roorkee and was provisionally recognized by the state government and government of India for purposes of financial assistance and employment of students.
Ajmer Polytchnic Ajmer: I joined as Principal of Ajmer Polytechnic under the Directorate of Technical Education of the Government of Rajasthan on 5 January 1958. The principals of polytechnics of Rajasthan had been classified as heads of departments of the Government of Rajasthan and they enjoyed fullest academic and financial freedom for the conduct of the affairs of the polytechnics. Ajmer polytechnic was to start functioning at Ajmer from July 1958. Whenever a new institution, a new industry, a new project or for that matter, any new enterprise or task is taken in hand, all resources and attention are sucked in, for the fulfillment of its immediate needs. The future and ultimate tasks become secondary. The world is replete with the stories of institutions, which started from scratch and ultimately, turned into world renowned institutions. Ajmer Polytechnic was on its way for a modest beginning from scratch. The central location of Ajmer in Rajasthan, alongwith an excellent hub of educational institutions in the region and the quiet and peaceful environment of the town, provided wings to the dreams of everybody about the future of Ajmer Polytechnic. After functioning for a year in a rented building in the town, the polytechnic moved to its new building on its sprawling campus spread over 125 acres of land on Nasirabad road, with liberal facilities for all types of games, sports and other activities. The first batch of students for diploma course in civil engineering had passed out in June 1961. The polytechnic had been affiliated to the Board of Technical Education Rajasthan for diploma courses of civil, electrical and mechanical engineering and was recognised by Government of India for purposes of financial grants and employment of students. I finally moved from Ajmer in July 1962, at a time, when I was deeply involved in almost all the activities of the institution.
Jodhpur Polytechnic: Jodhpur Polytechnic had started functioning in 1958, in all types of temporary and improvised accommodation in the campus and outside the campus of MBM Engineering College Jodhpur. The permanent building of the institution was in an advanced stage of construction at that time, on its sprawling campus of about 140 acres on Pali Road. I worked as Principal of Jodhpur Polytechnic from November 1961 to April 1962 and thereafter from July 1962 to July 1975. The day after my joining at Jodhpur in November 1961, I moved all the classes and other activities of the institution to the partly finished building of Jodhpur Polytechnic. That was the beginning of the development and growth of the institution, by all types of improvising, in spite of all the limitations and constraints.. Those times were different. People were different. Thinking and values were different. The country was under the process of planned development. Polytechnic at Jodhpur had some sort of halo and was on the radar of almost everybody. The institution had an unlimited potential and there was an obsession for doing something and doing something better and something different. For almost fourteen years there was a flurry of activities, which placed Jodhpur Polytechnic on a pedestal. All credit goes to the dedicated group of teachers, who rubbed shoulders with the students in almost all the activities and to the young and talented bunch of students, who went through the grind cheerfully.
The Last Lap: I worked as Director of Technical Education of the state of Rajasthan from 5 July 1975 to 31 January 1980. Those were tumultuous times. The mobs were on the streets and almost everything, which stood in the name of law and order, was freely flouted by the people. Emergency was clamped in the country on 25 June 1975 and the people did not know, what was to follow. There was subdued silence, almost everywhere. After the general elections in March 1977, the emergency was lifted and Janata Government assumed power on 23 March 1977. The two regimes were totally different. Law and order was rigidly controlled during the emergency regime and the common man led a very subdued and quiet life, whereas, newly acquired freedom under Janata regime helped the exuberant masses to throw all norms of law and order to the winds. When, I was on the saddle in July 1975, the country was running through wide spread unemployment and all types of problems, almost everywhere and that helped me, for picking up the challenges. My only strength was, that, I had all the freedom and all the powers to do, all that I wanted to do and I kept on moving ahead with an even pace, under all limitations and constraints. During the run, I had my share of the rough patches and bumps. Fortunately, there were some good souls, who kept on smoothening the wrinkles.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my working life from July 1945 to January 1980, with all types of people and in all types of conditions and I am highly grateful to all the students, teachers, other members of the staff, colleagues and all those people, who were associated with me, for standing by me, at all times, through thick and thin.