Happenings on the evening of September 1, 1989, was fresh in the memory of T. Udayachandran, Secretary, Department of School Education, as he addressed a unique gathering at the Institute of Road and Transport Technology (IRTT), Chithode, recently.
That was the day he was admitted to IRTT by his parents much against his wishes. For, the wannabe engineer could not gain entry into another institution of his choice.
On returning to his alma mater as a key speaker at the Silver Jubilee celebration of 1989-1993 batch, the IAS officer who was ranked 38 at the Union Public Service Commission exam during 1995 was brimming with gratitude to the IRTT. Incidentally, it was the same day, on June 23, that year when the UPSC result brought him ecstasy. Preparation for civil services examination right from second year with support of friends
were to be the foundation for attaining a position to fulfil some of Mr. Udayachandran’s dreams about future. The friends had an inkling of what was to come as they had already started calling him as ‘Jilla Collector.’
One instance of fulfilment reflected in a whopping ₹ 110 crore disbursed to students in Erode district as education loans during 2007 when Mr. Udayachandran was at the helm as Collector.
And he did that with resolve, having gone through the pain of being denied the loan while studying in the college. A nationalised bank had denied education loan citing many reasons when his father had approached a branch in Namakkal district.
Mr. Udayachandran said that to this day the very instant anybody thanked him for the societal reach of official work, he would at once think of his formative years in the IRTT.
As many as 110 batch mates, including many who had turned up with family members, listened in rapt attention, as the senior IAS official went down memory lane with his usual spontaneity.
