Tukaram Mundhe says he wants his children to be politicians or entrepreneurs, not civil servants

The name of IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe makes even the toughest uneasy. Wherever he is posted, he instils fear in the department. Since moving to the Food and Drug Administration department, he has given trouble to everyone from roadside handcart vendors to owners of big restaurants. He has shown the full force of his office to those who play with people's health. That is why people say an officer should be like Tukaram Mundhe, and many young people dream of becoming IAS officers like him.

Yet Mundhe himself wants his children to become politicians. He explained the reason himself in an interview, while speaking in Pimpri Chinchwad.

He was asked whether he wanted his children to enter the administrative service as he did. He flatly refused. Mundhe said he wanted his children to become leaders or entrepreneurs. "I will advise them to take up politics or business. Today's Gen Z should choose paths where no administrative constraints hold them back. Then you can work for society without any pressure and with an open mind," he said.

Mundhe said that if his children asked him whether they should become administrative officers, he would tell them plainly not to. He believes that without any pressure from the system, children can contribute to society's development. "Politics and industry are both very good fields for public service. Today's young generation has limitless energy and knowledge. So they should not get trapped in a career where their freedom stays confined within a frame," he said.

Mundhe has been transferred 25 times in his 21-year career. His honesty has affected his family as well. He said his son had to change schools six times by the time he reached Class 5. His wife also had to bear considerable hardship because of the repeated transfers.

Mundhe said he had chosen this difficult path of public service himself and was prepared to face these hard circumstances. But his family had to make a great sacrifice in the process. That is why he does not want his children to follow this path.