published on in Trending

Who is K K Pathak? Biography, Wiki, Age, Wife, Family, Education, Current Posting, Salary & More

K K Pathak (born 15 January 1968, Age: 55 years old), also known as Keshav Kumar Pathak, is a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Bihar cadre who has been in the limelight for his controversial actions and statements. He is currently the Additional Chief Secretary of the Excise and Prohibition Department in Bihar and the Director General of Bipard (Bihar Institute of Public Administration & Rural Development). He is also the Managing Director of National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Pathak is known for his strictness and dedication towards his duties, but also for his arrogance and abusive behavior towards his subordinates and colleagues. He has been involved in several controversies and scandals, ranging from assaulting a journalist to misusing his power to threatening and beating a contractor. He recently made headlines when a video of him abusing the deputy collector and the Bihar Administrative Service Association (BASA) in a meeting went viral on social media on 2 February 2023.

In this article, we will explore the biography, wiki, age, wife, family, education, current posting, salary, and more of K K Pathak, the controversial civil servant of Bihar.

K K Pathak Wiki/Bio

Full nameKeshav Kumar Pathak
ProfessionCivil Servant (IAS)
Date of Birth15 January 1968 (Monday)
Age (as of 2023)55 Years
BirthplaceUttar Pradesh
Zodiac signCapricorn
FatherMajor G.S. Pathak (Principal Secretary, Minor Water Recourses Department of Bihar)
NationalityIndian
Educational Qualification(s)Bachelor of Economics • M.Phil (Economics)
Current PostingAdditional Chief Secretary, Excise and Prohibition Department, Bihar
Instagramkkpathakias
Homepagenewsunzip.com

Early Life and Education

K K Pathak was born on 15 January 1968 (age 55 years; as of 2023) in Uttar Pradesh. His zodiac sign is Capricorn. His father, Major G.S. Pathak, was the Principal Secretary of the Minor Water Recourses Department of Bihar. He has pursued a bachelor’s degree in economics and an M.Phil in economics.

Career and Achievements

Pathak joined the IAS in 1990 and was allotted the Bihar cadre. He has served in various capacities and departments in the state, such as the Deputy Commissioner of Giridh, the District Magistrate of Patna, the Secretary of the Health Department, the Principal Secretary of the Industries Department, the Principal Secretary of the Minor Irrigation Department, and the Principal Secretary of the Excise and Prohibition Department.

He has also been posted at the Centre, where he worked as the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Defence and the Director of the Ministry of Home Affairs. He was brought back to Bihar from his Delhi posting in 2015 when the alliance formed the government in Bihar.

Pathak is credited with implementing the total prohibition of alcohol in Bihar in 2016 when he was the Principal Secretary of the Excise and Prohibition Department. He was transferred by the Bihar government after he faced opposition from some quarters for his strict enforcement of the liquor ban. He was given the same posting again in 2021 after the Nitish Kumar-led government returned to power.

Pathak is also known for his initiatives in the fields of infrastructure development, industrial promotion, public administration, and rural development. He is the Managing Director of NHIDCL, a company that is responsible for the construction of highways and bridges in the Northeastern region and other strategic areas of the country. He is also the Director General of Bipard, an institute that provides training and research facilities for the civil servants and other stakeholders of Bihar.

Controversies and Scandals

Pathak has been embroiled in several controversies and scandals throughout his career, which have tarnished his image and reputation. Some of the major ones are:

  • In 1990, he allegedly hit a journalist for presenting a wrong report about him, when he was the Deputy Commissioner of Giridh.
  • In 2018, he was fined by the Patna High Court for misusing his power and filing a false case against seven branch managers of SBI for late deposit of stamp duty in 2016.
  • In 2019, he was accused of threatening to kill and beat Kumud Raj Singh, director of Maa Shakuntala Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, when he was the Principal Secretary of the Minor Irrigation Department.
  • In 2023, he was seen abusing the deputy collector and the BASA in a video that went viral on social media, when he was the Additional Chief Secretary of the Excise and Prohibition Department. He was angry over the people of the city not following the traffic rules and blamed the deputy collector for his poor performance. He also insulted the BASA, saying that they were useless and incompetent. He faced severe criticism and backlash from the public and the media, as well as from the BASA, which demanded his removal from the post. The Prohibition, Excise and Registration Minister in Bihar government, Sunil Kumar, said that strict action would be taken against him. The BASA also filed an FIR against him.

Personal Life, Spouse & Kids

There is not much information available about Pathak’s personal life and family. He is married and has two children, a son and a daughter. His son, Shashank Pathak, is an IAS officer of the 2017 batch, who is currently posted as the Sub-Divisional Officer of Gopalganj in Bihar. His daughter, Shreya Pathak, is a lawyer, who has graduated from the National Law School of India University, Bangalore.

Salary and Net Worth

As an IAS officer of the Additional Chief Secretary rank, Pathak draws a monthly salary of around Rs. 2.25 lakh, as per the 7th Pay Commission. He also receives various allowances and perks, such as house rent allowance, dearness allowance, medical allowance, travel allowance, etc. His net worth is estimated to be around Rs. 10 crore, as per some sources.

Bihar’s top education official warns teachers to stay within 15 km radius from school or face dismissal

Who is KK Pathak and what did he say?

KK Pathak is the Additional Chief Secretary of the Education Department in Bihar, a state in eastern India. He is a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer who has been in charge of the education portfolio since 2020. He is known for his strict and controversial decisions to improve the quality and accountability of education in the state.

On November 11, 2023, Pathak issued a stern warning to the newly appointed teachers who were selected through the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) examination. He said that if they form any kind of teacher union or association, or join any existing one, their provisional appointment will be canceled immediately. He also said that they should not put up any posters or banners related to any teacher organization in their schools or offices.

K K Pathak further said that the new teachers should focus on teaching the students in rural areas with honesty and dedication. He said that they should not seek transfers or postings to urban areas, and should stay within a 15 km radius from their assigned schools. He said that if they violate this rule, they will lose their jobs. He said that the government is spending thousands of crores of rupees on their salaries, and they should not waste it by neglecting their duties.

Why did Pathak issue this warning?

K K Pathak’s warning came in the backdrop of several issues and challenges faced by the education sector in Bihar. Some of the major ones are:

  • Low learning outcomes: According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2018, only 44.4% of the students in class 5 in Bihar could read a class 2 level text, and only 23.7% could do a simple division. The national averages were 50.3% and 27.8%, respectively.
  • Teacher absenteeism: According to a World Bank study in 2010, Bihar had the highest rate of teacher absenteeism in India, at 37.8%. The national average was 25%. The study also found that only 50% of the teachers in Bihar were engaged in teaching activities during school hours.
  • Teacher vacancies: According to the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2019-20, Bihar had a shortfall of 2.6 lakh teachers in elementary schools and 1.2 lakh teachers in secondary schools. The pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) in Bihar was 38:1 in elementary schools and 34:1 in secondary schools, higher than the national averages of 24:1 and 27:1, respectively.

  • Teacher quality: According to the National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2017, only 28% of the teachers in Bihar had a professional qualification, such as a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) or a Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed). The national average was 80%.
  • Teacher politics: According to media reports, several teacher unions and associations in Bihar have been involved in political activities, such as protests, strikes, and rallies, demanding higher salaries, promotions, transfers, and other benefits. Some of them have also been accused of corruption, nepotism, and irregularities in recruitment and evaluation processes.

Pathak’s warning was aimed at addressing these issues and ensuring that the new teachers, who were recruited through a competitive and merit-based examination, do not fall prey to the influence of teacher politics and compromise their professional ethics and responsibilities.

He also wanted to ensure that the new teachers serve the rural students, who are often deprived of quality education and opportunities and help them achieve better learning outcomes and aspirations.

How did the teachers and others react to Pathak’s warning?

Pathak’s warning sparked mixed reactions from the teachers and other stakeholders in the education sector. Some of the new teachers, who were posted in remote and backward areas, expressed their dissatisfaction and resentment over Pathak’s warning.

They said that they were facing difficulties in commuting, finding accommodation, and accessing basic amenities in their assigned locations. They also said that they were not given any choice or preference in their postings and that they were being treated unfairly and harshly by Pathak.

Trivia

  • K K Pathak is fluent in Hindi, English, and Urdu languages.
  • He is fond of reading books and listening to music.
  • He is active on social media platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook, where he shares his views and opinions on various issues and topics.
  • He has received several awards and honors for his work and achievements, such as the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration, the Bihar Gaurav Samman, the Bihar Ratna Samman, etc.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r7HWrKynspmle6S7zGiuoqOZZLhut4ypmK2gkaB8