36. Seven Steps for Farmers’ Welfare: The COVID Pandemic
I am a city man, but my grandfather and great-grandfather were farmers. My father was a farmer’s son, and my wife is a farmer’s daughter. So, love for farming has come to me naturally.
During the monsoon of 1979, when I began my first job at the Secretariat in Gandhinagar, the greenery swaying along both sides of the roads made me fall in love with it. Whenever I visited my in-laws’ village, I deeply enjoyed the fragrance of rural life and the refreshing taste of the lush green fennel fields.
But destiny didn’t want me to remain confined to the meeting rooms outside the Chief Secretary’s chamber.
At that time, my responsibilities in the Health Department were increasing. Meanwhile, Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture) Sanjay Prasad was appointed to the State Election Commission after his retirement. Hence, the government transferred me to replace him as Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture, Farmers’ Welfare, and Cooperation Department.
Natural Farming
I took charge on September 3, 2019, and the very next day, a workshop on Subhash Palekar Natural Farming was scheduled at Mahatma Mandir.
That evening itself, I had a detailed briefing with the Hon’ble Governor of Gujarat, Shri Acharya Devvrat, regarding natural farming.
Since assuming office as Governor in July 2019, he had taken a deep interest in promoting natural farming in the state. Earlier, as Governor of Himachal Pradesh, he had expanded the natural farming movement and attracted the attention of the Prime Minister.
He was once an Acharya (principal) at an Arya Samaj Gurukul school — soft-spoken, articulate, and such an engaging speaker that one could listen to him endlessly.
On September 4, 2019, the next day, the Subhash Palekar Natural Farming Workshop was held at Mahatma Mandir. The event was inaugurated in the presence of the Governor, Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Union Agriculture Minister, and several state ministers.
Throughout the day-long session, there was dialogue among the Governor, Shri Subhash Palekar, Vice Chancellors of Agricultural Universities, officials and staff from ATMA, the Departments of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, representatives of agricultural and livestock organizations, natural farming institutions, experts, and about 10,000 progressive farmers.
Within just one day, I had absorbed the complete essence of natural farming.
Follow-up meetings were held by the Hon’ble Governor on September 5 and October 16, 2019.
Statewide Natural Farming Movement
We divided the state into four zones and organized agricultural conventions at the campuses of the four agricultural universities — Junagadh, Dantiwada, Anand, and Navsari.
Through these gatherings, we appealed to farmer groups, officials, and staff of the agriculture and animal husbandry departments and ATMA to participate in the natural farming movement.
On that day, the Governor, Dr. Subhash Palekar, and I traveled across the state by helicopter, addressing all four conventions, spreading the message of natural farming, and directly engaging with farmers.
The campaign had reached every corner of rural Gujarat.
Under the guidance of the Governor and the technical leadership of Dr. Subhash Palekar, who provided scientific methods for obtaining toxin-free agricultural produce through the use of Jeevamrut (a natural growth stimulant) without chemical fertilizers or pesticides, our next goal was to give this movement an organizational structure that would keep farmers consistently engaged and inspired.
We already had the framework of ATMA (Agriculture Technology Management Agency) and the institutional strength of the Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, and Animal Husbandry.
Budget 2020
Then came the Budget of February–March 2020.
I presented seven schemes under the banner of “Seven Steps for Farmers’ Welfare.” Those two months remain unforgettable in my career.
Three major events marked that period — Namaste Trump, the State Budget, and, by the last week of March, the COVID lockdown.
In the meetings of secretaries held in the presence of the Chief Minister and Finance Minister, I introduced seven new welfare schemes for farmers under the theme “Seven Steps for Farmers’ Welfare,” two of which focused specifically on promoting natural farming.
Besides that, I played a leading role in discussions on welfare schemes of other departments, offering suggestions wherever necessary.
Having handled several major departments over the years, I had gained enough experience to feel as though I was helping run the entire government machinery.
As my retirement approached, I was like a lamp flickering at dusk — glowing brighter before going out — giving my best to every task.
When the budget was presented in the Legislative Assembly, and the next day’s newspapers carried headlines about it, the Chief Minister Vijaybhai Rupani said to me, “Parmar, today you have made your mark! The newspapers are filled with headlines about your schemes.”
His words were a great encouragement and deeply gratifying.
Uzbekistan Delegation
Earlier, from 19–23 October 2019, the Chief Minister had led a delegation to Uzbekistan, and I had the privilege of accompanying him — a gesture that honoured me greatly.
I was aware of his limits, and I always stayed within them; yet he treated me with genuine warmth and respect.
After all, who can ever tell what truly works with those above us?
That Uzbekistan visit remains a memorable chapter — my last foreign trip on government expense.
We visited Andijan (the birthplace of Babur), Samarkand (rich with the architectural marvels of Tamerlane), Bukhara (the historic centre of Islamic learning), and the capital city Tashkent.
Describing that journey in full would itself need a separate essay.
But one thing was evident — their children, youth, and elderly alike seemed full of vitality and freshness, perhaps even more than ours.
Their lives were not suppressed under veils and beards, but open and modern.
Looking at their tall, strong young men, one could easily imagine how Babur, as a young warrior, rode his horse tirelessly across the plains to conquer Panipat and become the emperor of Delhi.
Interestingly, most people there knew little about Babur. When I began talking about him, they listened with fascination and said I should speak about it on their radio or television.
Their hospitality was extraordinary.
They welcomed our Chief Minister with the same honour as they would a Prime Minister.
As we arrived, young girls dressed beautifully stood along both sides of the road holding trays of dry fruits to greet us — a sight to cherish.
During lunches and dinners, the folk dances and songs performed for us evoked the splendour of Babur and Akbar’s royal courts.
They too are a people who love dance, music, and fine food — much like us.
The Mughal rulers had left an indelible imprint on Indian culture through their cuisine, architecture, and aesthetics.
Even today, we relish their culinary legacy — in homes, on the streets, and in restaurants — and our Hindi films still find success when they echo that music and grace.
Their carpet weaving is exquisite but expensive.
The art that came from Iran and Uzbekistan now thrives in Kashmir and Bhadohi (U.P.), where it continues to earn global admiration.
In Tashkent, I tried to locate the hotel where Lal Bahadur Shastri had stayed, but the city’s landscape had changed so much that it was impossible to identify.
Since Uzbekistan gained independence after the dissolution of the USSR, much had transformed.
We visited the memorial dedicated to Shastriji and paid our heartfelt tributes.
The Plan to Reclaim Wastelands
The Uzbekistan visit offered an insight.
If that country could offer thousands of acres of wasteland free of cost to Indian farmers and entrepreneurs for cultivation, then surely we could do the same — by developing the vast unused lands of Kutch and surrounding districts for productive purposes.
We prepared a proposal.
Since reclaiming barren land required heavy financial investment, we designed a mechanism to attract companies and industrial entrepreneurs to participate.
But obtaining land from the Revenue Department was never easy!
Had I not retired, I’m confident we would have completed that project successfully.
Training a Cadre of Natural Farming Leaders
We organized a special workshop at Vadtal Swaminarayan Temple Campus, conducted by Dr. Subhash Palekar, to train Master Trainers.
Simultaneously, through video conferencing at 32 locations across the state, we trained another set of Master Trainers — creating a network of nearly 19,000 trainers.
Dedicated officers were appointed at the satellite stations to ensure that the training was conducted with full seriousness, just like the main camp at Vadtal.
At the taluka (sub-district) and district levels, progressive farmers practicing natural farming were appointed as coordinators, and a network of Village Natural Farming Committees was established.
Soon, training sessions on natural farming began in villages across the state.
The Chief Secretary’s Chair
After returning from the Uzbekistan tour, I realized that the Chief Secretary was due to retire in December. I decided to quietly assess my own prospects. I met the Chief Minister and spoke with him about it.
He spoke with cautious restraint and said,
“I don’t want to make the same mistake my predecessor made — you know what I mean. Go to Delhi and meet Dr. P. K. Mishra.”
I contacted Dr. Mishra, but he referred me to someone else. When I tried to get an appointment with that person, I couldn’t manage to meet him.
Later, I learned that my name was indeed among the few under consideration. But just around those critical days, a local controversy involving the Collector of Ahmedabad came up. Perhaps due to displeasure or resentment against the state administration, Delhi intervened — and instead of me, my batchmate was brought in from the Centre, relieved from his position as a Secretary to the Government of India, and appointed Chief Secretary of Gujarat.
I remained Number 2.
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Assistance for Farmers
That year, unseasonal rains had damaged crops in several districts, and we had to provide financial assistance to the affected farmers.
We designed an online application form on the lines of the OJAS model and made the process fully digital.
The VLE (Village Level Entrepreneurs) force I had built earlier during my tenure in the Panchayat Department was deployed once again. They were paid an honorarium to help farmers fill out the online forms.
For those who didn’t have bank accounts, we helped them open one, and on 25 December 2019, the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, celebrated as Good Governance Day, we credited relief assistance directly into thousands of farmers’ accounts in a single day from the State Treasury.
When the Government of India launched the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme before the 2019 general elections to transfer financial aid directly into farmers’ accounts, our model and system were already in place.
With just one click, funds began transferring directly from Delhi into the accounts of farmers across India.
Technology had made governance transparent and swift.
Still, a few fraudulent elements opened dummy accounts of farmers living away from their villages to siphon off money, but our rigorous verification system ensured that such cases were promptly caught.
The Locust Invasion
In the winter of December 2019, when the fields of Gujarat were lush with wheat, gram, mustard, cumin, and castor crops, a sudden locust invasion struck.
The locusts had originated in Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Pakistan, and their route led them straight into India. They had first bred in Arabia in May 2018, and by 2019, they had reached our borders.
The districts of Patan, Banaskantha, Mehsana, and Sabarkantha were affected, along with adjoining areas of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
Locusts are ferocious creatures — they descend in millions, and within hours can strip a field completely bare.
Their lifespan is barely five to six months, but their life cycle ensures survival — each generation breeds a new, stronger one before dying.
Just as foreign invasions on India once came through Greece, Iran, and Afghanistan into Pakistan, these locust invasions follow a similar vast route. Pakistan often suffers more damage than India.
For Gujarat and Rajasthan, the attack usually comes straight across the sea from Somalia, after crossing Kenya, Ethiopia, Arabia, and Baluchistan. Even Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab can’t always escape their reach.
Farmers try to drive them away by beating metal plates and making loud noises, sometimes managing to keep them off their own fields — but then, the locusts simply move to the next field and destroy someone else’s crop.
To control them, insecticides must be sprayed.
But if the locusts close their wings tightly and slow their breathing, even powerful chemical sprays prove ineffective.
The female locusts lay eggs in secluded sandy areas, guarded by a kind of “commando unit” for protection.
From those eggs, nymphs hatch — small, wingless hoppers that jump on the ground, feeding on tender leaves. Within 30–40 days, after molting their skin five times, they develop wings, mature, and rejoin the main swarm with their guard units.
There’s only a limited window to control them.
They rest on trees at night, and the dew wets their wings, keeping them grounded until 8 or 9 a.m., when the sun dries them and they regain flight.
So our tractor-mounted sprayer teams would reach the affected trees before dawn, fill the tanks with pesticides and diesel, and rain poison upon the locusts — all within two or three hours before sunrise. After that, once they took flight, they were beyond control.
In coordination with the Government of India — which, in turn, cooperated with Pakistan — we launched joint control operations.
Teams from neighbouring states worked together, using tractor-mounted pesticide pumps and noise-making techniques — beating drums, plates, and tin sheets — to ward off the locusts.
India’s permanent Locust Control Unit at Palanpur had limited capacity, but since our farmers owned many tractor-mounted sprayers (especially in pomegranate-growing areas), we engaged them on a PPP model (Public–Private Partnership).
Together, we fought back — killing and driving away the locusts.
We surveyed the affected areas, assessed crop damage, and paid relief assistance online to the farmers.
It was said that as many locusts died in that campaign as there are humans on Earth.
An act of mass destruction — herbivorous life perishing violently — yet animal rights advocates remained silent.
But Nature never gives up.
When drought returns to Africa or Arabia, the locusts — those flying clouds — will again rise in search of food, cross Pakistan, and return to taste the vegetation of India once more.
Seven Steps for Farmers’ Welfare
(The Farmer Welfare Schemes)
Among our “Seven Steps for Farmers’ Welfare”, two were dedicated to promoting natural farming.
Encouraging Natural Farming
For preparing Jivamrut (organic growth enhancer), cow dung and cow urine are essential. To encourage farmers to practice natural farming and to keep indigenous cows for this purpose, we launched a scheme providing ₹900 per month as financial support to farmers maintaining desi cows.
Since farmers also needed plastic fiber drums to prepare Jivamrut, we announced an additional ₹1,350 subsidy per farmer to help them purchase a kit containing a drum, bucket, and tub.
Crop Storage Facility on Farms
Farmers often spend nights in their fields. Their produce remains exposed, and sudden rain can destroy everything.
To prevent such losses, we launched the Chief Minister’s Crop Storage Scheme, offering ₹30,000 in financial assistance to build a 330 sq. ft. storage unit on farms.
The scheme became so popular that, from last year, the assistance amount was increased to ₹1 lakh.
Kisan Transport Scheme
To solve farmers’ difficulties in transporting produce, we started the Kisan Parivahan Yojana, providing assistance of ₹50,000 to ₹75,000 for purchasing medium-sized goods carrier vehicles.
Umbrella Scheme for Street Vendors
Who hasn’t seen the plight of vendors selling vegetables, fruits, and dairy products on the streets?
When evening falls, unsold items often spoil, leading to losses. To support them, we launched a scheme providing free umbrellas for protection from sun and rain.
Government-distributed umbrellas became a common sight in markets, village fairs, town squares, and on mobile carts across the state.
Modern Toolkits for Farmers and Laborers
While modern agricultural tools were available in the market, most farmers still worked with traditional implements — the khurpi, datard, and dantali. Agricultural laborers often had none.
We conducted a market study and created a list of modern farm tools, launching a scheme to provide toolkits worth up to ₹10,000 not just to farmers, but also to agricultural laborers.
Promoting Water Conservation and Drip Irrigation
In a state facing water scarcity, promoting drip irrigation was essential.
Since electricity was not available 24 hours a day, we encouraged farmers to build underground water tanks. This way, if power supply came late at night, they could store water and use it for drip irrigation in the morning.
With solar energy support emerging, this became even more practical.
We introduced a scheme offering up to ₹9.80 lakh in assistance for farmer groups to construct water storage tanks of up to 1,000 cubic meters capacity.
FPOs and Agro Infrastructure Development
Farmers growing fruits and vegetables could earn more if they had facilities for collective procurement, washing, sorting, grading, and cold storage.
Our Chief Minister once told me how he used to buy lemons cheaply during the season, store them in cold storage, and later sell them off-season at higher prices, making a handsome profit. That memory inspired us.
In Phase I, we formed Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and developed clusters in Banaskantha, Kutch, Jamnagar, Navsari, Chhota Udepur, and Panchmahal districts to provide infrastructure facilities for farmers.
We sanctioned up to ₹18 lakh per FPO at the rate of ₹2,000 per farmer, for infrastructure and office operations. To support them financially, NABARD created a ₹1,000 crore Credit Guarantee Fund.
Towards Agro-Industrial Estates
Our long-term vision was to create Agro-Industrial Estates on the lines of industrial parks —
In North Gujarat, industries based on potato and spice crops
In Saurashtra, industries linked to groundnut and cotton
In South Gujarat, processing units for vegetables and fruits
For the overall agricultural and livestock market development, we also proposed to establish INDEX-A (for Agriculture) — just like INDEX-B (for Industries) and INDEX-C (for Cottage Industries).
All applications for these schemes were completely online.
Farmers could apply within the specified timeframe on the portal, and beneficiaries were selected through transparent computerized draws within the available budget limits.
To ensure balanced benefits across the state, district-wise and taluka-wise targets were pre-set.
Procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP)
The government had begun procuring cotton (through CCI) and groundnut (through NAFED) at MSP.
Though these were central agencies, the state administration had to implement the process in the field.
When MSP was declared and the market price fell below it, the government was obliged to buy a fixed quantity.
In 2017, some farmers faced issues initially, but later, with strict verification, operations improved.
Procurement took place in APMC premises, and storage was arranged in FCI and Warehousing Corporation godowns. Later, depending on market trends, the produce was sold openly — sometimes at a profit, sometimes at a loss.
There were reports that some oil mills benefited from the system by depositing old stock in farmers’ names while purchasing new produce from the market.
The government also procured chickpeas (chana), which helped meet protein requirements in the state — the stock being distributed through FPS, mid-day meal schemes, and ICDS centers.
To strengthen APMCs further, we proposed doubling their warehouse capacities, constructing new godowns, and secured budgetary approval for these new initiatives.
A Competent Team Led by a Capable Director of Agriculture
Our agriculture department was blessed with an outstanding team.
At the helm was Director of Agriculture Bharatbhai Modi, a man with a treasure of knowledge and impeccable integrity. Once a task was assigned to him, I could rest assured it would be completed flawlessly.
His father was a Gandhian, and Bharatbhai often recalled his father’s moral standard — “If an officer’s honesty is in doubt, even his water should not be accepted.” He lived by those values.
Shishirsinh Solanki and Prakash Rabari were tireless officers — always on the move, day and night, completing every task entrusted to them without complaint.
K.D. Panchal, the Director of Atma, who sadly passed away during the COVID pandemic, had worked relentlessly with his team to make the Natural Farming Campaign a great success.
The Director of Horticulture Vaghasiya and Joint Director C.M. Patel were equally enthusiastic, constantly pushing forward progressive schemes.
Our field officers carried out their responsibilities with diligence and punctuality. I found the level of discipline and time management in this department to be remarkable.
The Vice Chancellors of the agricultural universities were also proactive, offering constructive suggestions and taking the lead in various programs.
Agricultural Education through Private Colleges
Considering the growing employment and value-addition opportunities in agriculture and animal husbandry, we felt the urgent need to increase the number of agricultural graduates.
If doctors and engineers could be trained by private universities, why should agricultural education remain a monopoly of government institutions?
Following the Chief Minister’s guidance, we allowed private universities to offer degree programs in agriculture, provided they maintained the required academic standards.
The Farmer – The True Provider of the World
No matter how much we do for farmers and farm laborers, it is never enough.
Most farmers are small or marginal, and when we separate their household income from the state’s per capita income, the difference becomes painfully visible — what is the average income per person elsewhere, is often the entire family income for them.
Drafting of New Scheme Resolutions
After the budget was approved, the lockdown extended till the end of May, and most government staff worked remotely. During that period, I personally drafted the resolutions for all the new schemes.
Our Deputy Secretary, a newly recruited IAS officer, was trained by me on how to draft a government resolution properly — because a poorly written resolution invites confusion, implementation issues, and even misuse.
We wanted our resolutions to bring blessings from farmers, not opportunities for wrongdoing.
The COVID-19 Lockdown
The nationwide lockdown began on 25 March 2020 and lasted until 3 May 2020 — exactly when Rabi crop transportation was at its peak.
Without Gujarat’s onions, the kitchens of Delhi’s Punjabis had lost their flavor!
We immediately opened communication with the Government of India, and through coordination, obtained seven key relaxations in the lockdown restrictions.
This allowed movement of agricultural produce, seeds, fertilizers, wheat harvesters, and operation of APMCs. Even employees of associated companies were permitted to work.
We had to strike a balance — travel may stop, but how can food stop? For without food, even prayer cannot continue.
Dr. Hasmukh Adhia Committee
To revive the economy affected by COVID-19, the Government of Gujarat constituted an Economic Revival Committee, chaired by Dr. Hasmukh Adhia.
As an invitee to the committee’s deliberations, I contributed actively to the discussions on agricultural reforms. Many of my recommendations were included in the committee’s final report.
Gujarat Land Development Corporation
I also served as Chairman of the Gujarat Land Development Corporation (GLDC) — once a prestigious institution with an impressive past.
Over time, however, some insensitive postings had weakened it. There were repeated complaints: the work looked good on paper, but the actual fieldwork was questionable.
During monsoon inspections, officers often reported — “The rains have washed everything clean” — a polite way of saying that there was no trace left to verify the work!
The corporation received grants not only from the budget but also under Drought Relief, District Planning, and TASP programs, and its officers were regularly seen at district-level review meetings.
It remained a positive-minded organization — never refusing any assignment — yet the volume of complaints kept rising.
Finally, a decision was made to wind up the corporation.
The task of closing it fell upon me as its last chairman.
The staff resisted — unwilling to close their records or move out. Eventually, by carefully transferring each employee to suitable vacancies elsewhere, we formally dissolved the corporation, bringing an end to a loss-making unit.
Chief Minister’s Agricultural Assistance Scheme: A Bold Alternative to Crop Insurance
The existing Crop Insurance Scheme seemed deeply unfair — both to our farmers and to us. The insurance companies collected massive premiums, yet offered meager compensation to farmers for crop losses.
Their excuses were equally absurd.
They often claimed that farmers failed to report crop damage within 24 hours to the company’s taluka office — as per policy conditions.
But when one tried to find these taluka offices, they were often tucked away in some rented corner room, marked by a faded board and a locked door.
When we analyzed the records, the numbers were startling.
Over the past five years, the companies had collected about ₹12,000 crore in premiums but had paid only around ₹5,000 crore as compensation.
That year, when we called for new tenders, the companies quoted ₹6,000 crore as the premium demand.
We summoned the insurers for negotiations — yet they refused to lower the rates. They seemed to operate as a cartel: one company retained 20% of the premium and reinsured 80% of the risk with another; the second company again kept 20% and passed on the remaining 60% to a third.
In this game of layered hedging, what did the farmer get in the end? Nothing but crumbs.
Why should public funds be squandered in this manner?
We prepared a detailed presentation, backed by data and financial analysis, and sought an appointment with the Chief Minister.
I explained that instead of paying ₹6,000 crore to insurance companies, the government could create its own fund and directly assist farmers in times of crop loss.
As an alternative, we proposed the Chief Minister’s Agricultural Assistance Scheme — a homegrown, transparent, and farmer-friendly initiative.
The idea had merit. The Chief Minister called a meeting with the Finance Minister, several cabinet colleagues, senior officials, and representatives of farmers’ organizations, and asked me to present the proposal again.
While the insurance companies kept waiting for a deal, we went ahead and launched the Chief Minister’s Agricultural Assistance Scheme for the farmers of Gujarat.
Under this scheme, whenever crops were damaged due to natural calamities during the monsoon, the relief amount from the State and Central Disaster Relief Funds was augmented by this new fund, opening a wide door for comprehensive farmer support.
I retired on 31 July 2020, but later learned that during that very year, the government had distributed around ₹2,900 crore to farmers under the scheme — while still saving ₹3,100 crore in the state treasury.
In essence, the Chief Minister’s Agricultural Assistance Scheme outperformed the traditional Crop Insurance Scheme, ensuring better protection for farmers and greater efficiency for the state.
After all — who would willingly give up such a win-win policy?
COVID Care: Courage in the Midst of Crisis
From March 25 to May 3, 2020, India went into a nationwide lockdown. To contain the spread of COVID-19, the state’s health system, local self-governance bodies, police, and various administrative departments worked tirelessly on the frontlines.
Given my prior administrative experience, I was assigned to oversee patient-care arrangements for COVID-19 indoor cases in government hospitals.
A City on the Edge
At Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, the situation soon turned grim.
By April, patients on ventilators were dying one after another.
Fear spread even among doctors and staff entering the ICU.
Regular employees hesitated; those on deputation were pushed forward. PPE kits were still in short supply.
Our Chief Minister displayed remarkable courage. He, the Chief Secretary, the Additional Chief Secretary for Health, and I boarded the state aircraft to visit major civil hospitals across Gujarat. Wearing plastic gowns, we entered ICUs, encouraged the medical teams, and returned — leaving behind morale where fear had taken root.
Finding a Treatment Path
COVID care then was a maze of uncertainty. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) had authorized the use of Hydroxychloroquine, Ivermectin, and Azithromycin for related respiratory symptoms.
But the crisis deepened. We began holding daily video-conference meetings at noon to review patient conditions, treatments, and mortality data from all government and municipal hospitals.
One suggestion from experts proved crucial: start death audits.
It was not easy — who would perform post-mortems on bodies wrapped in plastic and cremated under fear?
Yet, a few brave doctors stepped forward.
Understanding the Virus
Death audits revealed how the virus attacked the alveoli — the tiny sacs in the lungs that transfer oxygen to the blood.
It was as though the lungs were burned from within, rendering the lower lobes useless. Without oxygenated blood, vital organs shut down one after another.
We noticed a strange pattern:
For the first two days, patients ran a high fever. On the third or fourth day, the fever subsided — giving a false sense of recovery. But by the fifth day, the disease struck back with full force, often claiming lives by the eighth or tenth day.
Those who survived beyond ten days usually recovered by the fourteenth or fifteenth.
We had found our critical ten-day window.
To protect the lungs and heart, the use of Heparin (a blood thinner) showed promise. It wasn’t in IMA’s official protocol, so there was initial resistance — but given the “trial and error” nature of the times, doctors cautiously began using it.
Steroids, too, were introduced — leading to a race between government agencies and charitable trusts to secure supplies. Soon came Remdesivir and Tocilizumab, both undergoing global trials that would continue for months.
Infrastructure Under Pressure
ICU beds and ventilators were limited, so the system raced to expand capacity.
It couldn’t happen overnight. Oxygen supply became a critical lifeline.
If a patient could be kept alive through the twelfth day, chances of survival soared.
Our video-conference consultations gradually helped establish an effective line of treatment, saving many lives.
Eventually, global studies confirmed what our doctors had learned through experience:
Instead of overwhelming intervention, supporting the patient’s natural immune response with oxygen and symptomatic treatment gave the best outcomes.
But before this understanding took hold, many lives were lost — and in April–May 2021, the country faced a massive oxygen shortage.
The Human Toll
The pandemic popularized a new medical term — comorbidities.
Whether deaths were due directly to COVID or to pre-existing conditions like diabetes, hypertension, or heart and kidney disease, statistics were adjusted to reduce public fear.
COVID did not always kill — it merely accelerated what was already fragile.
The Unforgettable Days
Who can forget those days?
“Social distancing” became so pervasive that even family members felt untouchable.
Government teams collected swab samples, and once the word “positive” appeared on a report, entire neighborhoods were sealed off.
Within a 100-meter radius, life froze into an unspoken quarantine.
Even asymptomatic patients were picked up and admitted to civil hospitals.
But there arose a new problem: where to accommodate them?
While hospitals strained to treat the truly sick, these mildly affected patients required meals, tea, and care.
Samras hostels were converted into isolation centers.
The administration went in to provide hospital care — and got stuck providing hospitality instead.
Then, Ayurveda practitioners stepped forward — offering herbal decoctions (kadha).
Asymptomatic Patients drank them eagerly, and once felt recovered and went home, practitioners counted them among the “cured” — proudly posting videos claiming success.
Ultimately, the real healer was the human immune system.
It only needed time and a little help.
The oxygen supply turned out to be its greatest ally.
COVID-19 took many lives — but also transformed the medical landscape.
Testing labs, CT scan centers, and manufacturers of masks, sanitizers, and medicines flourished.
By 2021, even hospitals once running at a loss found themselves profitable, thanks to the surge in COVID care.
When COVID Visited Our Home
In the first wave of the pandemic (April 2020), COVID-19 entered our home.
My elder son, Ujjval, who works at a bank in Ahmedabad, contracted the infection — likely from an office attendant who had tested positive. Soon, his health began to decline.
Because I was familiar with medical monitors and the line of treatment being followed in hospitals, I decided not to admit him to the ICU. My instincts told me he would do better under calm care at home.
I stayed by his side — offering mental strength, constantly monitoring his SPO₂ and heart rate.
Perhaps because I had suffered from swine flu earlier, or by sheer grace, I never caught the infection myself.
On the eighth night, his oxygen level began to drop. Fear gripped me.
I made him lie in a prone position (on his stomach) and prayed through the night.
By morning, he had passed the worst phase.
His recovery began on the tenth day, and by the thirteenth, he was out of danger.
His wife, Sonali, also tested positive. She endured three days of high fever, tossing in bed, until her immune system fought back and she recovered naturally.
Around the same time, my brother-in-law in Ahmedabad became seriously ill with COVID.
I advised my sister to stay isolated at home and take utmost precautions.
He kept drinking herbal decoctions, remained mostly lying on his stomach, and despite severe weakness, pulled through after a critical struggle.
That was our first-hand encounter with the pandemic — a storm that entered our home, tested our resolve, and eventually taught us the strength of care and faith.
The Taste of Vegetables
During the lockdown, when procuring essentials was a challenge, we often recalled our friends, seniors, and colleagues in Gandhinagar.
We shared with them the farm-fresh taste of vegetables, as a small token of connection — a reminder that even in isolation, human warmth could travel beyond distance.
The Krishi Karman Award
Earlier that year, in January 2020, the Government of India had organized an agricultural awards ceremony in Bengaluru.
For our outstanding performance in pulse crop production, the Hon’ble Prime Minister presented us with the Krishi Karman Award — a moment of deep pride for Gujarat’s farmers and our entire agricultural team.
A Happy Mantra
That same year, my first book of short stories — Happy Mantra — was published.
It carried reflections of life, happiness, and hope — the very emotions that sustained us through the pandemic.
Farewell to Service
And now, the time has come — to bid farewell to the IAS and the Government of Gujarat, to look back not just at a career, but at a journey of learning, service, and gratitude.
16 October 2025
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