Mata Prasad

Born in the Chamar Caste of scheduled caste family in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Mata Prasad secured his master's degree in first class from Allahabad University and started his career as an assistant professor in October 1960 at the department of economics of the university.{{cite web | url=http://www.upsc.gov.in/general/rti/Annualr54/Pro_Chairman_members.doc | title=Profiles of Hon'ble Chairman and Members of the Commission | publisher=Union Public Service Commission | date=2016 | access-date=3 July 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070710081508/http://www.upsc.gov.in/general/rti/Annualr54/Pro_Chairman_members.doc | archive-date=10 July 2007 | url-status=dead }} He resigned from the academic post when he was selected to the Indian Administrative Service in 1962{{cite book|title=From Powerless Village to Union Power Secretary: Memoirs of an IAS Officer|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fermnQunyX4C&pg=PA287|year=2009|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|isbn=978-81-8069-555-1|pages=287–}} and served the civil service for over 35 years till his superannuation as the secretary of Water Resources of the Government of India. In between he held several positions such as District Collector of the districts of Almora, Etah, Lakhimpur and Bareilly as well as the Divisional Commissioner of Agra district. Subsequently, he served as the Managing Director of the Cement Corporation of Uttar Pradesh before returning to revenue department posts as the secretary to the Government of Uttar Pradesh and headed various departments including Public Enterprises, Administrative Reforms, Planning, Home, Jail, Home Guards, Civil Defence, Political Pensions and Official Language. Moving to the Union Government as a Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Human Resource Development, he headed the Department of Youth Affairs and served as a Joint Secretary, Additional Secretary and later, as a Secretary at the Ministry of Welfare, in charge of the Department of Personnel Training.

It was during his tenure as the Secretary, he made news by becoming the subject of a power struggle between Sitaram Kesari, the then Minister of Welfare who wanted Prasad to stay at his ministry, and Mulayam Singh Yadav, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh during that time, who invited Prasad to head the state bureaucracy. Prasad, eventually, decided to accept the latter post and became the first dalit chief secretary of the state,{{cite web | url=http://www.governancenow.com/news/regular-story/policy-pariahs-why-there-are-so-few-scst-officers-top-echelons | title=Policy pariahs | publisher=Governance Now | date=15 October 2013 | access-date=3 July 2016}} starting his stint in June 1995 during Mayawati's first incumbency as the state chief minister, holding the post till October 1996. His tenancy as the chief secretary or his relationship with Mayawati were not reported to have been smooth.{{cite web | last=Singh | first=Anand Raj | title=Mayawati may create new district to tame old foe | work=The New Indian Express | date=12 March 2015 | url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/article398789.ece | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604045449/http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/article398789.ece | url-status=dead | archive-date=4 June 2016 | access-date=14 May 2016}}{{cite book|title=Democracy in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cFs0YSkA4ckC&pg=PA413|year=2000|publisher=Sanbun Publishers|isbn=978-3-473-47305-2|pages=413–}} He returned to central government service in 1996 as the secretary at the Ministry of Water Resources and retired from civil service in February 1999, after getting a one-year extension of service.{{cite web | url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/specials/mata-prasad-gets-1-yr-extension-198010601012_1.html | title=Mata Prasad Gets 1-Yr Extension | publisher=Business Standard | date=6 January 1998 | access-date=3 July 2016}} It was reported that he was a candidate to become a cabinet secretary, supposedly the first dalit to get to the rank, but his candidature was overlooked.{{cite web | url=http://www.firstpost.com/india/dalit-top-civil-service-tina-dabi-break-the-glass-ceiling-2796854.html | title=With a Dalit yet to make it to the top of civil service, can Tina Dabi break the glass ceiling? | publisher=First Post | date=24 May 2016 | access-date=3 July 2016}} However, he was appointed a member of the Union Public Service Commission on 23 April 1998 and, after a stint of five years, he became the chairman of the agency on 8 September 2003. He retired from the position on 4 January 2005, succeeded by S. R. Hashim.{{cite web | url=http://www.upsc.gov.in/general/rti/57report/annualreport/Appendix%2042.doc | title=List of Former Chairmen of the Commission (since 1926) | publisher=Union Public Service Commission | date=2016 | access-date=3 July 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725064053/http://www.upsc.gov.in/general/rti/57report/annualreport/Appendix%2042.doc | archive-date=25 July 2011 | url-status=dead }} He is associated with Sitapur Shiksha Sansthan, a Lucknow-based educational organization, as a member of its Board of Advisors.{{cite web | url=http://www.sitapurshikshasansthangi.org.in/manag.html | title=Board of Advisors | publisher=Sitapur Shiksha Sansthan | date=2016 | access-date=3 July 2016}} The Government of India included him in the Republic Day Honors list for the civilian award of the Padma Bhushan in 2012.

{{portal|India}}

• K. R. Narayanan
• K. G. Balakrishnan
• Dalit

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• {{cite news | url=http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main11.asp?filename=ts042305Taint_at_the.asp | title=Taint at the Top | work=News report | date=23 April 2005 | agency=Tehelka | access-date=3 July 2016 | author=Ashish Khetan | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315124257/http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main11.asp?filename=ts042305Taint_at_the.asp | archive-date=15 March 2016 | url-status=dead }}

{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 2010–19}}

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Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in civil service

Category:Indian Administrative Service officers

Category:University of Allahabad alumni

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