Shri Anshuman Raj is a 2020-batch Madhya Pradesh cadre Indian Administrative Service officer whose career is distinguished by the practical use of technology in governance. Born on June 4, 1992, and hailing from Bihar, he joined the IAS on October 12, 2020. After serving in revenue and rural-development assignments, he moved into Madhya Pradesh’s digital-governance ecosystem and is presently serving as Additional Managing Director, Madhya Pradesh State Electronics Development Corporation (MPSEDC).
Early Life and Academic Pursuits
Shri Raj comes from Buxar district in Bihar and studied at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas before pursuing Marine Engineering at the Marine Engineering and Research Institute, Kolkata. He later worked with an international shipping company, gaining technical and global professional exposure. After an earlier selection to the Indian Revenue Service, he secured All India Rank 107 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2019 and entered the IAS.
Professional Genesis and Ascendancy
Shri Raj began his Madhya Pradesh career as Assistant Collector, Betul, followed by service as Sub-Divisional Officer (Revenue), Narsinghgarh in Rajgarh district. He later served as CEO, Zila Panchayat, Sidhi, before moving to Bhopal as Managing Director, State Wide Area Network (SWAN) with responsibilities connected to cybersecurity. His subsequent role at MPSEDC further expanded his involvement in state-level digital infrastructure and e-governance.
Administrative Tenure: Technology for Public Problem-Solving
A defining feature of Shri Raj’s career has been his ability to adapt emerging technologies to practical administrative challenges.
AI-Based Borewell Safety
During his tenure in Narsinghgarh, Shri Raj and his team mapped around 12,000 wells and borewells, leading to the closure of more than 500 unsafe structures. Using this geospatial database and satellite imagery, he developed a machine-learning model that reportedly identified potential borewell locations with around 95 percent accuracy.
The initiative demonstrated how AI and GIS could be used to improve public safety while reducing dependence on entirely manual surveys.
Satellite-Based Crop Damage Assessment
Shri Raj also used remote-sensing technology after hailstorm damage to identify affected agricultural areas and support faster crop-loss assessment. The approach offered a more targeted method of disaster evaluation and highlighted the potential of satellite data in agricultural administration.
Rural Development in Sidhi
As CEO, Zila Panchayat, Sidhi, Shri Raj gained broader experience in panchayat administration and rural-development programmes. The assignment allowed him to bring a data-oriented approach into local planning while working directly with village institutions and development schemes.
Digital Infrastructure and Cybersecurity
At the state level, his technical orientation found a natural extension through SWAN, MP-CERT and MPSEDC. His responsibilities have included digital infrastructure, cyber resilience and government technology systems.
A notable achievement came in 2026 when MP-CERT secured the first runner-up position at the International Investigator Summit & Competition, held alongside the INTERPOL Digital Forensics Expert Group meeting and involving teams from more than 18 countries.
Other Notable Achievements
- Earlier Civil-Service Selection: Allocated the Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Central Excise) through CSE 2018 before entering the IAS.
- International Maritime Experience: Worked as a marine engineering officer before joining public service, gaining professional exposure across multiple countries.
- GIS-Based Planning Orientation: His later technology work has also included the use of GIS-based tools for planning rural water-conservation assets and infrastructure.
A Visionary Outlook
Shri Anshuman Raj’s career illustrates how engineering thinking can strengthen public administration. His use of AI, GIS and satellite imagery shows that technology can improve safety, disaster response and decision-making when directed toward clearly defined public needs.
His transition into digital infrastructure and cybersecurity represents a natural progression—from solving local field problems with technology to helping strengthen Madhya Pradesh’s wider digital systems.
Why is he one of the ‘Stars of MP’?
Shri Anshuman Raj stands out for making technology directly useful to governance. From identifying hazardous borewells and improving crop-damage assessment to contributing to digital infrastructure and cybersecurity, his work reflects innovation with a clear public purpose.
This ability to convert technical expertise into safer, faster and more responsive administration gives Shri Anshuman Raj a distinctive identity and makes him one of the ‘Stars of MP’.
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