Raghav Chandra
I.A.S 1982 batch
chandraraghav007@gmail.com
News & Events
- ट्रम्प की पसंदीदा दवा क्या वाकई गेम चेंजर साबित होगी : राघव चन्द्रा, दैनिक भास्कर , 17 April, 2020
- Lessons from Indore in Urban Managment: Raghav Chandra, Published on 'Businessworld, 25 May - 7 June 2019'
- kali's Daughter: by Raghav Chandra
- America-China Trade War: Historic Opportunity For India: Raghav Chandra, ublished on 'Businessworld.in'
- Lateral Entry Into Govt: Will It End Bureaucracy?: Raghav Chandra, on 'btvi.in'
- Bhopal literature Festival:Published on 'City Bhaskar Bhopal, 13 January 2019'
- ‘Government and industry take Adivasis’ land for development projects but ignore their interests’ article by Raghav Chandra in scroll.in, Delhi, 23, Aug. 2018
- राज्य की सीमाओं पर सुरक्षा व्यवस्था हो चाक -चौबंद : राघव चंद्रा, Rashtriya Sahara, New Delhi, 25, April 2019
- केंद्रीय पर्यवेक्षक ने जांची तैयारियां: Dainik Tribune, 25, April 2019
- 26646 पुलिसकर्मी, 14025 होमगार्ड और 65 कंपनियों की देखरेख में चुनाव: Dainik Jagran, 24, April 2019
- विशेष अब्ज़र्वर ने समीक्षा बैठक कर लिया चुनाव की तैयारियों का जायजा: Arthsprakash, Chandighar, 24, April 2019
- लोकसभा चुनाव में ९० सखि और ९० आदर्श मतदान केंद्र होंगे: Chandighar, 24, April 2019
- On the Book Launch of "SCENT OF A GAME" by Raghav Chandra
- "Reparation for destruction of wildlife" article by Raghav Chandra in The Ecomomic Times, Delhi, 10th October 2015
- "Delhi Needs Statehood" article by Raghav Chandra in The Ecomomic Times, Delhi, 18th June 2015
- BOOK REVIEW 'SCENT OF A GAME' : मनुष्य की पाशविकता का आख्यान : दैनिक भास्कर - 12 January 2015
- "A bureaucrat with a social cause" By Raghav Chandra : economictimes.com - 3rd February 2008
- BOOK REVIEW 'SCENT OF A GAME' : Sanctuary Asia - Issue December 2014
- Lesson from the Vedanta Catastrophe' : Business Standar - Issue 19th July
- Smarter parking for better cities : Livemint.com - 7th June 2017
- SCENT OF A GAME REVIEW BY TEJ NARAYAN IN JET WINGS MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2014 EDITION VOLUME -14, ISSUE -10
- Book Review 'Scent of game' :Indian Literature -Sept-Oct.2014
- Tiger tale with conservation at heart - The Telegraph
- बाघ बचाने की चिंता हिंसक पशु बनता मानव (उपन्यास शैली में वन्य जीव संरक्षण का मुद्दा ) - hindi.governancenow.com
- बुक रिव्यू: 'सेंट ऑफ ए गेम' टाइगर्स बदलेगी टाइगर को लेकर आपका नजरिया
- Scent of a Game – Book Review
- सच्चाइयों और कहानियों से भरी किताब : एम पी ग्लोबल एक्सप्रेस
- Festival of India Launched in South Africa : Travel Mail
- हिंसक पशु बनते जा रहे मनुष्य का आख्यान : दैनिक भास्कर
- Scent of a Game is a thriller that races across countries and cuts across the famed politico-bureaucrat-corruption nexus.
- Tiger poaching: Then and now : Economic Times
- Tiger poaching burning bright, business-standard.com, 3rd July 2014
- 'I'm optimistic about the tiger's future' : Mid-Day
- सच्चाइयों और कहानियों से भरी किताब : दैनिक भास्कर
- वन जीवन के प्रति जागरूक करती है ' सेन्ट आफ आ गेम ' : नई दुनिया
- किताबों मे बाघो की दास्तां: पत्रिका
- कान्हा और पन्ना मे रोज एक बाघ की मौत : पीपुल्स समाचार
- यथार्त के धरातल पर कल्पना ने बुने शब्द : राज एक्सप्रेस
- ...ताकि अवेध शिकार और तस्करों से निपटा जा सके : स्टार समाचार
- Book reading session for literature lovers held : The Pioneer
- "It is an amalgam of my experiences in forests" : Hindustan Times, 2nd July 2014
- 'Scent of a Game' - A New Book on Tiger Poaching : NDTV
- Walking with the big cat : Millennium Post
- A bureaucrat and his tiger 'game' : The Times of India - Kolkata
- A bureaucrat and his tiger 'game' : The Times of India - Kolkata (Paper Cutting), 8th Jun 2014
- The Tiger Agenda: Local Communities in Conservation : ndtv.com
- Scent of a Game - Book Reviews : goodreads.com
- Tiger book : The Telegraph India
- Bureaucrat pens thriller on tiger conservation : The Pioneer
- Following Tiger Trails : The New Indian Express
- Fascinated by the big cat : The Hindu - Chennai
- IAS officer pens novel on tiger poaching : Hindustan Times
- Wildlife mystery-thriller : Hindustan Times - Lucknow
- Catch a tiger by its tale:Millennium Post
- Read more on Face Book
PROFILE
Recruited into the prestigious Indian Administrative Service through a national competition in 1982, Raghav Chandra is a career civil servant who has an interest in writing about environment, economic and public administration issues. He has Masters Degrees in Mathematics and Public Administration from Delhi University and Harvard respectively. He has recently authored SCENT OF A GAME, a mystery-drama that vividly unravels the larger issues of tiger poaching/management/conservation and the need to seek redemption by protecting animal life.
About Scent of a Game
Mystery-drama-thriller about tiger-poaching, big-game hunting and the international trade in endangered species against the backdrop of conservation
Book Reviews : Goodreads
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Antony De SaOctober , 2019
KALI’S DAUGHTER: On the surface, this is a story – and an engaging one, at that – of a young girl from a small town who gets into the Foreign Service, her friendships, relationships and professional dilemmas. But Kali’s Daughter is considerably more than that. Like the Narmada in spate, it runs deep and turgid, and plumbs the uncomfortable truths of pernicious pride and prejudice that surround caste in our society; and it does this with a frankness and incisiveness that is as sharp as it is disturbing. The story line is superbly crafted, bringing together the myriad caste-related incidents that we read of in the newspapers into a coherent and interesting narrative. Clearly the author has drawn on his experience as Secretary of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Tribes, and the access he had to rich documentation of events. Such an approach could have well degenerated into dull reportage. But not so. On the contrary, Chandra manages to hook the reader in the opening pages, and never lets interest flag. Chandra doesn’t shy away from telling it as it is. What is remarkable is that few of his characters are either black or white. Through conversations and stories within the story he touches on a whole gamut of thorny issues and taboos – reservations, beef-eating, professional merit, menial work, inter-caste marriage – and he does this in a way that is non-judgmental, with an exposition of arguments in favour and contrary, leaving the discerning reader to make of it what she will. But in the end, it is a powerful indictment of caste discrimination. One the characters, a thakur himself, says: ‘Our great Indian head is stuffed with two big things: gobar and jaat. Laws can change, governments can change, but one thing never changes in India – our minds.’ As the story unfolds, one begins to see the truth of this. Such a book could well have turned out to be sombre and depressing. But Chandra delivers a tale that is as interesting at the personal human level as it is in the larger societal dimension. The twists and turns in the plot keeps you guessing as to who will end up with whom, and what will become of the main characters after they leave the cocoon of the Academy of Administration. Readers familiar with Madhya Pradesh and those from the Civil Services will find the book etched with echoes of authenticity, and the graphic depiction of the life of Officer Trainees during the joint foundation course in the LBSNAA could only have been written by one who has experienced it himself. In more ways than one, this compelling story is an insider’s view of the contradictions in our society, the vulnerabilities of administrators, and the hypocrisies of the privileged. It is also a charming story of courage and hope, that neatly ties up some loose ends, and leaves others to the reader’s imagination to resolve. A book of our times, that needs to be read. -
Anil SwarupMay 30, 2014
The book scores on a number of fronts. It is extremely well researched. It weaves a gripping story to drive home an important conservation related issue. The character of the chief protagonist is such that the reader can relate to his agonizing and frustrating moments. The book explores a new dimension of greed of the colonial powers and of those "natives" that pandered to this greed. Though there are references to certain aspects of CITES (perhaps to lend authenticity to the concerns about wildlife conservation), the narration is simple and taut. The story moves seamlessly through various periods and regions, reminiscent of Amitava Ghosh. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. -
Pravir KrishakMay 27, 2014
Gripping and absorbing! ‘Scent of a Game’ is a wonderfully crafted thriller. As Mr Raghav Chandra creates gripping plots and events around wildlife poaching,hunting and mafia associated with its trade,he gives us an unforgettable and masterful work of fiction with underlying social message on environmental concerns. -
Gaurav Krihna BansalJune 17, 2014
Scent of a Game: Durrell Meets Hitchcock on the Tiger Trail
When Ram, a wealthy NRI, decides to return to India to fulfill his father's last wish, he gets caught in a web of deceit, intrigue and big money revolving around Tiger Poaching and big game hunting. What happens next and how the plot unfolds is what keeps you glued to the novel. Scent of a Game is a unique novel in as much as it seamless blends two diverse genres of writing-conservation and suspense-to produce a thriller par excellence which entertains and educates at the same time. I have been a huge fan of Gerald Durrell and Alfred Hitchcock. What Raghav Chandra has done is that he has managed pull a rabbit out of the hat by fusing the domain knowledge of a Gerald Durrell novel the Suspense and Thrill of one written by Hitchcock. Scent of a Game boldly explores the rich tapestry of Indian culture and indeed-the culture of whole South East Asia-and its intimate connection with the Tiger. It takes you on a breathtaking journey across India, Nepal and Myanmar and regales you thoroughly while surreptitiously adding to your knowledge about the battle between the international mafia involved in the trade of parts of endangered species-especially the tiger-and nations trying to protect their precious natural heritage from this relentless onslaught. All in all, a true thriller based on deep knowledge and understanding of the Tiger, its habitat, its poaching and the dirty underbelly of crime and money that fuels the carnage. ‘Scent Of A Game’ it is an unputdownable book-one that you will want to read from cover to cover not once but several times. -
Prof. ZamiruddinMay 17, 2014
Raghav Chandra’s marvelous book jolts our social conscience and deserves to be read by all those who are concerned about the preservation of environment and most importantly the impending extinction of the tiger – a fast disappearing species. -
RohitMay 23, 2014
Brilliant description of wildlife poaching, hunting, history of hunting, international mafia that deals in wildlife trade. An excellent read! A must for all wildlife and tiger lovers and those who have been anywhere near a wildlife park, sanctuary or Tiger Reserve. Very gripping and very absorbing! If you can't have enough adventure in your life, at least read this book!