Woman of Impact - Hari Chandana’s Journey From Rural Grassroots To Driving National Change

Hari Chandana is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Telangana cadre, who is currently the Food Safety Commissioner and Director of AYUSH Telangana. She is an alumna of the London School of Economics and the University of Hyderabad. She is known as a woman of impact, who has made a remarkable difference in the fields of governance, environment, and social development. In this article, we will explore Hari Chandana’s journey from rural grassroots to driving national change with her innovative and impactful initiatives.

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Hari Chandana’s journey began when she decided to leave her reputed job in London, where she worked with the World Bank and BP Shell, and return to India to become an IAS officer. She was inspired by her father, who was also an IAS officer, and wanted to serve the society and the nation. She cleared the UPSC exam in her second attempt, in the year 20101. She started her career as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Vikarabad from 2012 to 2014, where she implemented several welfare schemes and development programs for the rural population, such as distributing bicycles to school children, providing nutrition to pregnant women and children, promoting home composting, creating SHG owned companies, etc2.

UPSC #Vikarabad #RuralDevelopment #WelfareSchemes #SDM

She then became the Zonal Commissioner and Additional Commissioner of GHMC (Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation) from 2014 to 2020, where she led several mega infrastructure and green projects in Hyderabad, such as:

• Creating India’s first ever pet park for dogs in Gachibowli, which provides a safe and fun space for dogs and their owners.

• Launching self-sustaining 200 “Loo-Cafes” based on a revenue model, which provide sanitation and public services for the urban poor.

• Promoting the usage of recycled plastic as footpaths, street furniture and art installations, which reduce plastic waste and enhance the aesthetics of the city.

• Installing “Feed the Need” community refrigerators in Hyderabad, which provide food for the needy and prevent food wastage.

• Constructing the Durgam Cheruvu cable-stay bridge, which is the longest extradosed bridge in India and a landmark of Hyderabad.

• Reviving and rejuvenating several lakes in Hyderabad, such as Durgam Cheruvu Lake, Mir Alam Lake, Neknampur Lake, etc., which are major sources of drinking water and recreation for the city.

• Introducing mobile ‘She-Toilets’ for the first time in the country, which provide sanitation and public services for women.

• Executing green projects like Panchatantra Park, Mir Alam Park, Geriatric Park Miyapur, and Dog Park, which enhance the greenery and biodiversity of the city.

• Enabling ISO 14001:2015 certified green government buildings, which are eco-friendly and cost-effective.

• Using drones to spray for mosquito eradication and de-weed water bodies in Hyderabad, which is a smart and efficient way of controlling vector-borne diseases and maintaining the water quality.

GHMC #Hyderabad #GreenProjects #Recycling #Infrastructure

She then became the Collector and District Magistrate of Narayanpet from 2020 to 2022, where she initiated several innovative and impactful initiatives to improve the lives of the people and the environment in the district, such as:

• Initiating ‘T-Consult’, a free telemedical service connecting rural areas with specialist doctors, which improved the access and quality of healthcare for the villagers.

• Starting “Aarunya”, a first-of-its-kind district marketing company providing an e-platform to rural SHG women to reach out to metro markets, which empowered the women economically and socially.

• During the lockdown, generating surplus income to the SHG women and weavers by dovetailing the local resources to global demand, such as producing masks, sanitizers, PPE kits, etc.

• Monitoring district administration through “Palle Pragathi” (village progress tracker) app, which enabled data-driven and transparent governance.

• Bridging the digital divide for rural children by providing coding, app development and digital learning skills to government school kids, which enhanced their employability and creativity.
• Restoring heritage step wells in the district, which preserved the cultural and historical legacy of the region.

Narayanpet #TConsult #Aarunya #PallePragathi #EarlyCoders

She is currently the Food Safety Commissioner and Director of AYUSH Telangana since 2023, where she is responsible for ensuring the safety and quality of food products and services in the state, as well as promoting the traditional and alternative systems of medicine and wellness.

FoodSafety #AYUSH #Telangana #Medicine #Wellness

Hari Chandana has also received many awards and recognitions for her outstanding work and contribution to the society and the environment. Some of them are:

• British Council Alumni Award for Social Impact in 2021, recognizing her contribution to sustainable development through localized governance solutions.

• Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration in 2020, along with 12 other public officials from the country, for her exemplary work in Narayanpet.

• Science and Sustainability Award in 2021, a testament to her extraordinary work in promoting environmental protection and sustainable development.

• FICCI, Women in Public Service Award in 2021, for her exemplary leadership and service in the public sector.

BritishCouncilAlumniAward #PMsAward #ScienceAndSustainabilityAward #FICCIWomenAward

Hari Chandana is a role model and an inspiration for many people, especially women and young aspirants, who want to make a difference in the world. She has shown that with passion, dedication, and innovation, one can achieve great heights and lead national change.

RoleModel #Inspiration #NationalChange #India