Ramesh Banoth watches a movie, meets friends to unwind 

Ramesh Banoth, a 2009 batch IPS Officer and Mysuru City Police Commissioner, comes from a rural background. Born to farmer parents with his roots in rural Telangana, he completed his schooling in Government-owned educational institutions and later earned his engineering degree from JNT University, Hyderabad, after which he successfully cleared the UPSC exam.

Ramesh had earlier served as the SP at Crime Investigation Department (CID) in Bengaluru, SP at Ramanagara and Haveri, DCP Bengaluru City West and DCP Law & Order in Hubballi-Dharwad. Besides performing his dynamic role, he enjoys playing golf and likes spending quality time with family.

By Shadan Muneer

Star of Mysore (SOM): Tell us about your formative years.

Ramesh Banoth: I spent my childhood at a village in Telangana that did not have road connectivity with scarce electricity which was quite a challenge but my parents, who were my driving force, instilled discipline early in my life which helped me overcome challenges. We are four siblings who are well-settled. My wife has been a great support all through and I am blessed with two children — a son and a daughter.

SOM: Scaling greater heights requires sheer dedication and discipline. What has been your biggest motivating factor for achieving these laurels?

Ramesh Banoth: During my formative days there was a stark difference with regard to education between rural and urban children and in rural areas the environment around us acted as a prime motivator. As my parents are agriculturists, the hard work they put in shaped our careers and pushed us to achieve unheralded success. My parents have been my guiding force and they instilled sincerity, hard work and dedication in us at a very early age. My brother is a doctor and both my sisters are engineers and whatever I am today, I owe it to my parents.

SOM: Amidst your hectic work schedule, you also need some activities to unwind. So what are your other interests and hobbies?

Ramesh Banoth: Unwinding is necessary and it keeps you going. Of late, I have developed a liking for golf. I play golf regularly and I am quite enjoying it. I also play tennis and badminton. Besides work, spending time with family is something I look forward to and I also like watching movies.

SOM: How do you strike a balance between professional and personal life?

Ramesh Banoth: You need to be sacrificing and compromising and it requires a great amount of dedication. I try not to mix my professional life with my personal life and never discuss my work with my family. When I was placed in Bengaluru early in my service, it was very difficult to balance both. I would start work early in the day and return home late and my kids would be asleep.

But I am fortunate to have a supportive wife. You need to accept the nature of your work and whenever I get time, I dedicate it to my family. But now with experience and having reached a level with a supportive team who share my responsibilities on the work front, I have managed to balance both in a better way.

SOM: You hold such a dynamic and stressful position and still appear to be calm and composed. How do you handle the stress that is a constant part of your job?

Ramesh Banoth: My family is a major stress-buster for me. My friends too play a role in unwinding. It’s important to stay calm and composed at your workplace so that your subordinates and your team do not feel the pressure. By doing so, the efficiency and outcome will also be higher. Even at home, I stay calm but at times when the stress becomes obvious, my wife manages to keep the atmosphere stress-free. Whenever I get time, even if it is for a day, my family plans up a trip which is relaxing and helps de-stressing. Catching up on a movie with family is also a great stress-buster.

SOM: Mysuru has been a peaceful city but yet law and order command constant attention. How have you braced up for the challenge?

Ramesh Banoth: Law and order situation in Mysuru is fairly better compared to other cities and even the crime rate is fortunately lesser. Proper enforcement of traffic management is something that I am aiming at — traffic discipline is the need of the hour and hence traffic monitoring cell is intensified. Along with the Police, the members of society must act responsibly and cultivate traffic sense. Measures to prevent crime are in place. My goal is also to improve the current law and order situation, take measures to combat criminal activities and continue to work for a fear-free society.

SOM: What message would you like to give youngsters with regard to the law and order?

Ramesh Banoth: Younger generation must take their academics and career seriously which eventually shapes their future. Do not get distracted or attracted to bad content that is easily available on the web and do not get addicted to the mobile revolution.

Addiction gives only temporary pleasure with a negative impact in the longer run. Say no to drugs and help us prevent crime, report to us if you come across such activities, and use social media in a productive way. We are just a click away. So, reach out to us through a tweet, text or a call so that we all can live in a safe environment.

SOM: How is Mysuru treating you?

Ramesh Banoth: It’s been almost three months since I have taken charge and Mysuru has treated me really well. Mysureans are warm and friendly. People from all walks of life — be it youngsters, senior citizens, employed section, housewives or children for that matter — interact with me; they appreciate, support and also advise me. Mysuru now feels like home and there is a lot of love around.