On a Clear Day, You Can See India: The Little World of the District Official in India’s North East

• Drawing on notes and diaries from his time as an IAS officer, Balagopal presents anecdotes from his years in Manipur. The narrative explores the realities of working in distant district and sub-divisional offices and the complexities of administration in a culturally and geographically distinctive region.

• C. Balagopal studied economics at Loyola College, Madras, and joined the IAS in 1977. He served in Manipur and Kerala before leaving the civil service in 1983 to establish a medical-products business. He later continued writing and consulting.

The book gives a ground-level account of district administration in Manipur through the author's personal experiences. It describes interactions with ordinary people, administrative challenges, local customs and the practical realities of governing remote areas. Rather than focusing only on policy, Balagopal shows how government decisions and procedures affect everyday life at the district level.