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{{Infobox person
| name = Arun Bhatnagar<br>अरुण भटनागर
| image = Arun Bhatnagar.jpg
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1944|06|10|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[New Delhi]], [[India]]
| occupation = Civil Servant (Retd)
| alma_mater = [[St. Stephen's College, Delhi]]
| spouse = Kalpana Bhatnagar
}}
'''Arun Bhatnagar''' ({{lang-hi|अरुण भटनागर}}; born 10 June 1944) is a former [[Indian Administrative Service]] officer. He belongs to the 1966 batch of the [[Madhya Pradesh]] cadre and has served in various capacities in [[Madhya Pradesh]] and with the [[Government of India]]. Bhatnagar retired from the [[Indian Administrative Service]] in June, 2004 as Secretary, [[Department of Personnel and Training]] and worked, thereafter, as Secretary, [[National Advisory Council]] and [[Chairman]], [[Prasar Bharati]] (2008–09) at [[New Delhi]].<ref name="Ganguly">{{cite web|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-04-08/bhopal/38372073_1_aligarh-muslim-university-old-amuoba-minorities|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130819070116/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-04-08/bhopal/38372073_1_aligarh-muslim-university-old-amuoba-minorities|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 August 2013|title=Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys' Association felicitates Arun Bhatnagar|last=Ganguly|first=Rageshri|date=8 April 2013|work=[[The Times of India]]|accessdate=19 August 2013}}</ref>

Currently, he is [[Chairperson]] of the Hali Panipati Trust, which commemorates the life and work of Maulana [[Altaf Hussain Hali]] (1837- 1914), renowned poet and social reformer.

He lives in [[Nizamuddin East]], New Delhi, India.

==Personal life==
Bhatnagar was born in New Delhi. He attended [[St. Columba's School, Delhi|St. Columba's School]] till grade XII after which he joined [[St. Stephen's College, Delhi]] for an undergraduate degree ([[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]]) in Economics.

Bhatnagar claims descent from ancestor Munshi Har Gopal Tufta or "Mirza" Tufta, [[Mirza Ghalib]]’s contemporary and best known friend and a well known poet in his own right in [[Urdu]] and [[Persian language|Persian]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rajeshkochhar.com/data/publications/ssb_by_rkk.pdf|title=Review Essay: Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar: Life and times|last=Kochhar|first=Rajesh|accessdate=19 August 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00urduhindilinks/shacklesnell/303ghalib.pdf|title=Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib:Letter to Tufta (1862)|last=Pritchett|accessdate=21 August 2013}}</ref>

He is the grandson <ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.puchd.ac.in/show-news.php?id=470|title=Dr SS Bhatnagar Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology|date=24 February 2013|work=[[Panjab University, Chandigarh|Punjab University]]|accessdate=21 August 2013}}</ref> of the eminent scientist, Sir [[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar]], [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]], [[Fellow of the Royal Society|FRS]], architect of the [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]] and of the chain of National Laboratories in the country, Secretary, Ministry of Natural Resources & Scientific Research, Ministry of Education and first [[Chairman]] of the [[University Grants Commission (India)|University Grants Commission]] (1953–55).

Of his two brothers-in-law, one retired as Secretary, [[Government of India]] and the other is a serving [[Major General]] in the [[Indian Army]].

==Career==
Bhatnagar entered the [[Indian Administrative Service]] in 1966 at the age of 22 years; his assignments with the Government of India and the [[Government of Madhya Pradesh]] include:

''Assignments between 1967 – 84'':
Allotted to [[Madhya Pradesh]] cadre and worked in Field and Secretariat positions in the State, including as [[District collector]] and [[District Magistrate]], [[Sehore]] (1973 – 75). As Collector, Sehore, he is still remembered for the exemplary relief and rehabilitation work carried out by him and his team and colleagues (comprising officials, non- officials and voluntary agencies) in the Budhni and Narsrullahganj areas in the particularly intense [[monsoon]] rains of 1973.
On deputation to the [[Government of India]] as Deputy Secretary, [[Ministry of Power (India)|Ministry of Power]] (1975 – 79). Later, he served in the State Government at [[Bhopal]] as Special Secretary (Finance & Planning) and as Secretary between 1979 – 84.

''Assignments between 1984 – 1992'':
Joint Secretary, Ministry of Power between 1984 – 89 and [[Chairman]] & [[Managing Director]], [[Rural Electrification Corporation Limited]] (1985 – 86).
Secretary to the [[Chief Minister]] [[Sunder Lal Patwa]] and, concurrently, Secretary in various Departments (1989–92).

''Assignments between 1992 – 2004 in the Government of India'':
Joint Secretary to Dr [[Shankar Dayal Sharma]], [[President of India]] (1992 – 94),
Minister (Economic), [[High Commission of India, London]] (1994–96),
Additional Secretary, [[Department of Telecommunications]], [[Government of India]] (1996–98),
Principal Adviser, [[Planning Commission (India)|Planning Commission]] in the rank and pay of Secretary to the [[Government of India]] (1998 – 99),
Secretary, [[Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports]]: 1999 – 2000,
Secretary, [[Ministry of Rural Development (India)|Ministry of Rural Development]]: 2000 – 02,
Secretary, Food & Public Distribution: 2002 – 03,
Secretary, [[Department of Personnel and Training]]: 2003 – 04.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.in/2003/11/01/stories/2003110102111200.htm|title=Arun Bhatnagar appointed Secretary, Personnel|date=1 November 2003|work=[[The Hindu Business Line]]|accessdate=19 August 2013}}</ref>

As Secretary, [[Ministry of Rural Development (India)|Ministry of Rural Development]], Bhatnagar played an important role in the conceptualization and implementation of the [[Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana|PMGSY]], which was launched in 2000 - 01.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pmgsy.nic.in/pmg27.asp|title=Submission of the Report of the National Rural Road Development Committee|date=2 May 2000|work=[[National Rural Road Development Committee]]|accessdate=26 August 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pmgsy.nic.in/bl1.htm|title=Memorandum of Association: national Rural Roads Development Agency|date=10 January 2002|work=[[National Rural Road Development Agency]]|accessdate=26 August 2013}}</ref>

Bhatnagar retired from the [[Indian Administrative Service]] in June, 2004 and worked, thereafter, as Secretary, [[National Advisory Council]] (2004 – 08) and [[Chairman]], [[Prasar Bharati]] (2008 – 09) at [[New Delhi]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=2092|title=Arun Bhatnagar appointed Secretary, National Advisory Council|date=22 June 2004|work=[[Press Information Bureau, Government of India]]|accessdate=21 August 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=6285 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130819065444/http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=6285 |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 August 2013 |title=Arun Bhatnagar takes over as new Prasar Bharati Chairman |date=2 May 2008 |work=[[Outlook (Indian magazine)|Outlook]]india |accessdate=19 August 2013 }}</ref>

Articles written by him have been published in the [[Times of India]], [[The Illustrated Weekly of India]], [[The Pioneer (Indian newspaper)|The Pioneer]]<ref name="Bhatnagar">{{cite web|url=http://archive.dailypioneer.com/sunday-edition/sundayagenda/middle-india-agenda/115735-bhopal-retains-its-old-charm.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130819051413/http://archive.dailypioneer.com/sunday-edition/sundayagenda/middle-india-agenda/115735-bhopal-retains-its-old-charm.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 August 2013 |title=Bhopal retains its old charm |last=Bhatnagar |first=Arun |date=15 December 2012 |work=[[The Pioneer (Indian newspaper)|The Pioneer]] |accessdate=21 August 2013 }}</ref> and, more recently, [[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]]<ref name="Bhatnagar2">{{cite web|url=http://dawn.com/news/656476/hall-of-fame-the-ics-served-pakistan-well|title=Hall of fame: The ICS served Pakistan well|last=Bhatnagar|first=Arun|date=4 September 2011|work=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]]|accessdate=21 August 2013}}</ref><ref name="Bhatnagar3">{{cite web|url=http://dawn.com/news/674561/a-leaf-from-history-pioneers-in-science|title=A leaf from history: Pioneers in science|last=Bhatnagar|first=Arun|date=19 November 2011|work=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]]|accessdate=21 August 2013}}</ref><ref name="Bhatnagar4">{{cite web|url=http://epaper.dawn.com/~epaper/DetailImage.php?StoryImage=15_01_2012_428_003 |title=Remembering a Mughal city |last=Bhatnagar |first=Arun |date=15 January 2012 |work=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]] |accessdate=21 August 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004225105/http://epaper.dawn.com/~epaper/DetailImage.php?StoryImage=15_01_2012_428_003 |archivedate=4 October 2013 }}</ref>

Bhatnagar is the author of a book titled "India: Shedding the Past, Embracing the Future (1906-2017)". The book has been published by Konark Publishers Pvt Ltd {{ISBN|978-93-22008-90-1}}.<ref name="Bhatnagar5">{{cite web|url=http://www.konarkpublishers.com/books/925}}</ref><ref name="Bhatnagar6">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VLQ4C5o3hU}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Indian civil servants}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhatnagar, Arun}}
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian Administrative Service officers]]

Arun Bhatnagar - Revision history

imported>Novem Linguae at 04:36, 4 August 2021