IAS officer and poet RK Pathak passes away

How strange and occult is the journey of life / ends at the destination wherefrom it starts, / competitive egos have made the route curvy and complex, / humility and simplicity can make it plain and pleasant.
—The Roaring Silence by RK Pathak

Rohit Pathak, who was joint secretary level officer of Indian Administrative Services (IAS) of Gujarat cadre and a poet, succumbed to prolonged illness on Thursday. He was 57. Pathak was promoted to the IAS cadre from state administrative services in 1992 batch. He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.

Apart from being an effective administrator, Pathak had created his space in the hearts who worked in the government departments. He started his career in the state government as Prant Officer of Chhota Udepur, growing rapidly in the profession to later serve as secretary of Gujarat Electricity Board and Chief Operating Officer (CEO) of AUDA as well.

After promotion as IAS officer, Pathak worked as District Development Officer in Ahmedabad and collector of Jamnagar and Junagadh. During his tenure in Junagadh, he motivated citizens of the town, especially school children, to participate in Junagadh's infrastructure development. He was also posted as municipal commissioner of Vadodara. Always a poet at heart, Pathak was concerned of the common man. As chairperson of Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Board (GSHSEB), he made efforts to bring new system into state education. He was credited with initiation of Shala Vikas Sankul (SVS) Study Circle to improve teaching at school level. The open-book method for board examinations was Pathak's brainchild. Though a bold initiative, it was not successful.

He was transferred as development commissioner in the state panchayat department before his last transfer to the state revenue department as special secretary (appeals).