# This 1994 UPSC topper from Bihar weathered a CBI raid to rise from Leh-Ladakh administrator to head of Delhi's PWD department

> Naveen Kumar Chaudhary of Bihar's Majhaulia village secured the sixth rank in the 1994 UPSC exam and now serves as Delhi's PWD Principal Secretary, having earlier weathered a CBI probe in a power project case.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Success Stories · **Published:** 2026-09-05 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/success-stories/majhaulia-ke-naveen-chaudhary-leh-ladakh-se-delhi-pwd-vibhaga-taka-cbi-chhape-ke-bavajuda-raha-damana-sapha-28291 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Naveen Kumar Chaudhary, UPSC result, Darbhanga, Delhi PWD, Leh-Ladakh, CBI probe, IAS officer, Mithila

A son of Majhaulia village in Bihar's Darbhanga district built a career in the civil services that people in the region still talk about three decades later. Naveen Kumar Chaudhary now serves as Principal Secretary of the PWD department in the Delhi government, but before reaching that post he held demanding administrative charges in Leh-Ladakh and weathered a CBI probe stemming from a controversial case.

## Celebrations back in 1994
When the UPSC results came out in May 1994, Naveen Chaudhary had secured the sixth rank at the all-India level. As soon as the news reached Majhaulia, sweets were distributed across the area. Villagers and neighbours say a rank that high, for a local youth, was seen as a rare achievement at the time, and the entire Mithila region took pride in his success.

## From the Jammu and Kashmir cadre to Leh-Ladakh
After his rank was announced, Chaudhary opted for the Jammu and Kashmir cadre. There, he held several important posts, including that of Deputy Commissioner, or DC, of Leh-Ladakh. During this period, the then Lieutenant Governor Satya Pal Malik accused him in a case linked to a power project. Given the seriousness of the allegations, the CBI raided several locations, including his home. The investigation, however, did not turn up any evidence against him. The episode came to be seen as politically motivated, and Chaudhary's reputation remained untarnished.

## A clean chit, a move to Meghalaya, then a call from Delhi
Once he was cleared in the investigation, his cadre was changed to Meghalaya. Sometime later, the Delhi government brought him over to serve in the capital. His first major assignment there was the cleanup of the Yamuna river, an effort in which he achieved considerable success. That track record is what led to his current posting as Principal Secretary of the PWD department, one of the Delhi government's most significant departments.

## The village still takes pride in him
Residents of Majhaulia say Chaudhary becoming an IAS officer brought recognition to the entire village. At the same time, villagers no longer expect a single officer to single-handedly bring development to their village. Even so, Majhaulia continues to take pride in the achievements of its son.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. Who is Naveen Kumar Chaudhary?
He is from Majhaulia village in Bihar's Darbhanga district and currently serves as Principal Secretary of the PWD department in the Delhi government.

### 2. When and what rank did he secure in UPSC?
When results were declared in May 1994, he secured the sixth rank at the all-India level.

### 3. Which cadre did he choose after getting the rank?
He chose the Jammu and Kashmir cadre and held several important posts there, including Deputy Commissioner of Leh-Ladakh.

### 4. What was the CBI case about?
The then Lieutenant Governor Satya Pal Malik accused him in a case linked to a power project in Leh-Ladakh, after which the CBI raided several locations including his home.

### 5. What did the investigation find?
The investigation did not find any concrete evidence, and the case came to be viewed as politically motivated, leaving his reputation clean.

### 6. What happened to his cadre after the clean chit?
After the clean chit, his cadre was changed to Meghalaya, and the Delhi government later called him to serve there.

### 7. What was his first assignment in Delhi?
He was first given the responsibility of cleaning the Yamuna river, in which he achieved considerable success.

### 8. What do villagers say about him?
Villagers say his becoming an IAS officer brought recognition to the village, and Majhaulia continues to take pride in him today.

## Inspiration & Lessons
Naveen Kumar Chaudhary's journey offers lessons for anyone trying to build a career against difficult odds.

- **Academic focus pays off:** Rising from a small village to an all-India sixth rank shows that focused effort can overcome limited resources.
- **Choosing the harder path:** Instead of an easier option, he opted for the Jammu and Kashmir cadre and took on tough postings like Leh-Ladakh.
- **Staying steady under allegations:** Even amid a CBI raid and public accusations, he continued his work, and time eventually vindicated his clean record.
- **Results build trust:** His success in a tough assignment like the Yamuna cleanup is what earned him a bigger responsibility in Delhi.
- **Staying rooted:** Even after reaching a senior post, his village still claims him as its own, a reminder to stay grounded after success.

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