Anil Bordia

Anil Bordia was an Indian educationist, social activist and former civil servant, The Government of India honoured him, in 2010, with Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, for his services to the fields of education and literature on education.

Early life & education

Anil Bordia was born on 5 May 1934 in the Indian city of Indore, in Madhya Pradesh. He had his schooling at Vidya Bhavan in Udaipur and graduated from the M. B. College, Udaipur. He secured his post graduate degree from the St. Stephen's College, and, later, qualified for the Indian Administrative Service examination in 1957.

Civil services career Anil Bordia joined Indian Administrative Service in 1957 for a civil service career which spanned 35 years, until he retired from the service, as the Union Education Secretary in 1992. During his career, he was involved in many major educational projects and policy formulation assignments such as the Education Policy of 1986.

Controversy Anil Bordia's name featured in an administrative litigation, when J. C. Jetli, a senior IAS officer, approached the Central Administrative Tribunal, against Bordia's appointment as a Government Secretary, superseding Jetli's claims. The case precipitated a CAT judgment asking the Central Government to lay down norms and guidelines for the appointment of cabinet secretaries.

He also had to meet with opposition during the Lok Jumbish program, when the rural people wanted full-fledged schools, rather than the system Bordia suggested, which finally led to the untimely cessation of the program in the state of Rajasthan.

Awards and recognitions Anil Bordia was awarded Padma Bhushan, in 2010, along with his teacher at the St. Stephen's College, Professor Mohammed Amin, which was celebrated by the college as a felicitation to the awardees. UNESCO Fellow – Asia-Pacific Centre of Educational Innovation for Development, Bangkok

Death Bordia died on 2 September 2012, following a cardiac arrest, at the age of 78.

Writings