Meet Satyendranath Tagore, First Indian Civil Services Officer, Became IAS At 21, His Brother Was Nobel Laureate; He Was...

Meet India's First Civil Servant: Notably, when Satyendranath Tagore was 21 years old, he visited London to take the ICS exam which was designed by Englishmen to favour British candidates.

Indian Civil Service Exam: Today, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is one of the most prestigious government job exams in India. Not only this, it's one of the toughest exams in the world as well. While thousands of students take this exam every year, do you know who was the first Indian to become a civil servant? It was Satyendranath Tagore who cleared the then Indian Civil Service (ICS) exam (currently UPSC Civil Services) in 1863. Notably, Satyendranath Tagore was the elder brother of Noble laureate Rabindranath Tagore. 

Satyendranath Tagore was born on June 1, 1842 in West Bengal's Kolkata. Tagore had achieved what many Indians considered impossible during the then-British rule. With his immense knowledge and passion for the country, Tagore not only achieved the unthinkable but also became an inspiration for others. 

Notably, when Satyendranath Tagore was 21 years old, he visited London to take the ICS exam which was designed by Englishmen to favour British candidates. Despite the exam being tough and discriminatory towards Indians, Tagore cleared it proving that Indians could compete at any level, even in odd circumstances. Tagore returned to India in 1864 and served in the Bombay Presidency, working in places like Satara, Ahmedabad, and Pune.

Since he was the only Indian officer among British civil servants who held senior positions in the administrations, Tagore faced racial discrimination and cultural isolation. However, he remained determined to hold fellow Indians and uplift their lives.

Satyendranath was more than just a civil servant; he was a poet, writer, composer, and social reformer. He was actively involved in the Brahmo Samaj, a movement that opposed caste discrimination and promoted women's empowerment. Additionally, he played a significant role in introducing modern fashion for Bengali women, as his wife, Jnanadanandini Devi, popularized the Parsi-style saree.

Tagore did not remain confined to the civil services work and went on to translate significant literary works, including his father's autobiography, and brought Persian poetry and Western literature to Bengali readers. he fused Indian and Western cultural elements in both his music and writing. He familiarized Bengali audiences with the works of Shakespeare and Byron, while also creating patriotic songs that fostered a sense of national pride. His contributions played a crucial role in shaping contemporary Indian thought and had a lasting impact on his brother, Rabindranath Tagore.