Retired IAS officer Dr. SK Nanda, of Gujarat cadre, has died of a cardiac arrest in the USA. An IAS of the 1978 batch, Dr. Nanda, known for his amicable and helpful nature, was visiting his daughter in the USA. He was about 69 years old.
Dr Nanda, originally from Odisha, had made Gujarat his home post-retirement. During his tenure, he had held key positions in the government of Gujarat. In the initial years, he served as Assistant Collector and Collector in the Dangs, Baroda, Panchmahal, Banaskantha, and Junagadh districts. Later, he served in key government departments like Home, Health, Tourism, Information & Broadcasting, Finance, Food & Civil Supply, Forest & Environment.
Dr Nanda had been an additional chief secretary, home and a director in the Government of India’s Housing and Urban Development Corporation (Hudco). S K Nanda had been the Chairman and Managing Director of Gujarat State Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited (GSFC) too.
Dr. Nanda had a Masters Degree in Political Science and Law and a PhD in Rural Economics. He was known for his expertise in the fields of management and administration, finance, and health.
After his retirement in 2016, Dr. Nanda involved himself in various sectors such as tribal development, the environment, the Scouts organization, and HAM Radio.
Dr. Nanda, the senior-most senior IAS bureaucrat then, next only to Sinha (1977 batch), however, was not lucky to be appointed as chief secretary. Varesh Sinha, IAS, had been preferred and was given an extension. Some quarters attributed the decision of the government to Nanda’s closeness to senior Congress leaders in Delhi. Interestingly, S. K. Nanda was a student leader during his days at Delhi University and came in close contact with Sanjay Gandhi during the Emergency (1975–77). When senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley was heading the ABVP, S. K. Nanda was also acting president of the Youth Congress-backed Delhi University Students Union.
S. K. Nanda was found criticizing the role of bureaucrat turned politician Pandian, whom he blamed for the downfall of Navin Patnaik’s government in Orissa.
An Odia and an ardent devotee of Lord Jagannath, he posted on X very recently that the benevolence of Donald Trump towards ISCKON in 1976 in New York, was returned by Gods as divine favor to help him escape the assassination bid.
