Avinash Dharmadhikari


Avinash Dharmadhikari is a former Indian Administrative Services officer. He was a well known social activist and free-lance journalist before joining IAS.After serving on various posts during his administrative career of ten years he resigned from IAS in 1996 for the reason that can be best described in Arun Shourie's words "to be able to serve Indian society better". He was Deputy Secretary to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra at the time of his resignation. He is founder and director of Chanakya Mandal Pariwar, working in the field of Career Guidance and Personality Development. He unsuccessfully contested for Lok Sabha as an independent candidate against Suresh Kalmadi. He was Director General of Neharu Yuva Kendra Sangathan in 2001 under Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of India. As a social activist he has been part of many movements such as farmers' movements and movements against corruption. He was also a part of Team Anna during India against corruption movement. He has been carrying out many study tours all over the world and attending many important International lconferences such as UNGA, UNFCCC recently.
He has authored many books which includes Aswastha Dashakachi Diary, Nava Vijaypath, Ek Vijaypath, Swatantra Nagarik, Jinkanara Samaj Ghadawanari Shikshanpadhhati, Aani Aapan Saglech, Ratra Gahirichya Tisarya Prahari . Aswastha Dashakachi Diary has been translated into English by Gauri Deshpande titled: Diary of a Decade of Agony.
Apart from being an Ex-IAS, Educationist, activist, Journalist and Author he has been widely admired as a great Orator.He is looked upon as an activist who has taken pledge & promotes youngsters to take pledge to become a devoted volunteer in serving India.

Early life and education

Avinash Dharmadhikari was born in a Marathi family in Kolhapur, Maharashtra on 2 August 1959. He spent his childhood in Kasba Peth, Pune. He attended the Jnana Prabodhini Prashala, Pune for his early and high school education.He received his bachelor's degree from Modern College, Pune, an affiliate of Pune University.The mid 1970s was a tumultuous period in Indian history that saw high inflation, nationwide strikes, anti corruption movement led by Jayaprakash Narayan, and the national emergency imposed by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi which curtailed civil liberties. Adhikari credits this period for inspiring him to become a political activist.He was driven by nationalist thoughts of Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi. He got married with Poorna Dharmadhikari before joining Indian Administrative Services.

Life before IAS

Dharmadhikari was a full-time social activist for ten years before joining IAS. He was also a free-lance journalist during the same period. He undertook extensive study tours of the country. The outcome was the book in Marathi called 'Aswastha Dashakachi Diary', based on the reflections on experiences of these visits.
Before joining the highest Indian Civil Service i.e. IAS, Dharmadhikari was actively involved in solving Punjab Crisis along with his wife, Poorna Dharmadhikari between 1978 and 1986.The couple worked for national integration staying in Punjab right through the thick of Bhindranwale phase. They undertook extensive traveling on foot throughout Punjab, learnt Punjabi and Gurumukhi script, stayed in Gurudwaras and also at the Golden Temple.
Since then both of them have continued an active association with Punjab.

Administrative career

In his administrative career he had been known for his efficient, transparent and creative work in Maharashtra. During these 10 years he had served on many posts such as – Sub-Divisional officer, Phaltan; Officer on Special Duty for state's Chief Secretary; Director, State Archives, Mumbai; CEO at Ratnagiri and Amaravati zilla parishads; Additional Collector, Pune; Director, Women and Child Welfare Dept, Maharashtra; District Collector, Raigad ; Deputy Secretary to Chief Minister, Maharashtra.
While in service, initiated many experiments in responsive administration: Field level functioning of government machinery to reorient the operations and methodologies in bureaucracy. Long-pending land disputes resolved speedily through reconciliatory measures, adopting revenue-court system. Active participation in literacy, globalization of education, women-farmers-consumer movements, water conservation, movements against corruption and superstitions. Implemented a special program for neo-literates so they do not re-lapse into illiteracy and was appreciated as a 'model scheme', by the National Literacy Mission.

Aftermath of administrative career

After resigning from IAS in 1996, he founded Chanakya Mandal Pariwar, a network organization working in the field of Career Guidance, Competitive Exam Training, Entrepreneurship Building and Personality Development. It was the disappointment he felt for being the only one from Maharashtra to get selected for the Civil Services in 1986, along with rampant corruption and apathy among the civil servants towards issues of the common man that led him to found the CMP in 1996, with a motive to send honest and efficient cadres to the services and contribute in the nation building in his own way.
On 31 December 2014, the 14th Dalai Lama inaugurated a new 'Vastu' of Chanakya Mandal Pariwar and lauded Avinash Dharmadhikari's commitment to serve nation through youth education.
Working as the Director General of Neharu Yuva Kendra Sangathan in 2001 under Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of India, he initiated some major programs to encourage youths to join sports.
He was a Shiv Sena member between March 2009 and April 2011.
In November 2012 he joined Team Anna that led a revolutionary India Against Corruption movement against the then UPA-II government and proposed Jan Lokpal Bill along with former IPS Kiran Bedi, Justice Santosh Hegde, Activist Medha Patkar, former Army Chief Gen Vijay Kumar Singh, former DGP Shashikant, Lt Col Brijendra Khokhar, Akhil Gogoi, Sunita Godara, Arvind Gaur, Rakesh Rafiq when Arvind Kejriwal, Yogendra Yadav and some other members separated from Anna Hazare to form a political party.