Sandeep Bhaga, IRS

An officer who hasn't forgotten the road home.

He grew up in a middle-class home in Huzurnagar, cracked the civil services with All India Rank 244, and now serves at Hyderabad Customs.

Sandeep Bhaga is an officer of the Indian Revenue Service in the Customs & Indirect Taxes cadre under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), 2020 batch. He cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2019 from Huzurnagar, the third-largest town in Telangana's Suryapet district.

He began his field career in Bengaluru as an Assistant Commissioner in the GST investigation wing, tracking down tax evasion. In 2025 he said a "bittersweet" goodbye to the city. He now serves as Deputy Commissioner with Hyderabad Customs, and he recently married Tejaswi.

Outside the office he goes out to meet people. He has put down the desk for a spade to work beside rural labourers. He has also spoken with the President of India about the culture of the Banjara and tribal communities of his home constituency.

He still keeps close ties with Huzurnagar and its schools, festivals and people. He tells young people from small towns that the civil services are within their reach.

In his own words

Indian Revenue Service (C&IT) 🇮🇳 Deputy Commissioner at Customs. Travel Freak | Foodie | Investor in Social Capital. Huzurnagarite | Hyderabadi

Guiding idea Be them to know them

He believes an officer understands the underprivileged best by living their day, not by reading a file about them.

From Huzurnagar to the airport.

2019UPSC CSE

All India Rank 244 in the Civil Services Examination

After the result he spoke to aspirants about handling setbacks and uncertainty during UPSC preparation, and told ABN Telugu that everyone writes their own destiny.
AIR 244
2020Batch

Joins the Indian Revenue Service (C&IT)

Allotted to the Customs & Indirect Taxes branch of the IRS, the Group-A service that administers GST, Customs and Central Excise under the CBIC.
Group-A · CBIC
Nov 2022New Delhi

Meets President Droupadi Murmu

He conveyed his greetings and spoke about the customs and traditions of the tribal and Banjara communities of the Huzurnagar constituency, calling them symbols of pure, untainted human bonds.
Rashtrapati Bhavan
2023Bengaluru

Assistant Commissioner, GST Investigation

Posted to the investigation wing of the Bangalore South Central Tax Commissionerate, where he worked from the Central Revenue Building on Queens Road on cases of deliberate tax evasion.
Bengaluru South · CGST
Jun 2024Suryapet

"Be them to know them": a day as an MGNREGA labourer

He worked unpaid alongside 152 rural job-card holders at Chilpakuntla, Nuthanakal mandal. Read the story
Public outreach
May 2025Bengaluru → Hyderabad

Farewell to Bengaluru, promoted to Deputy Commissioner

"It's bittersweet to say goodbye to Bangalore," he wrote as he left the city, before returning home to Telangana.
Promotion
NowHyderabad

Deputy Commissioner, Hyderabad Customs

Heads the Air Cargo Complex (Admin & International Courier Terminal) at Shamshabad, which serves Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.
Current posting

A day at Chilpakuntla, 17 June 2024.

152 workersMGNREGA job-card holders de-silting the village tank
4½ hoursWith pickaxe and spade, 8:00 am to 12:30 pm
₹200 eachPaid to every worker from his own salary and savings
₹0 takenHe worked the whole shift unpaid

Sandeep Bhaga heard that a tank de-silting project under MGNREGA was under way at Chilpakuntla village in Nuthanakal mandal. He got permission from the District Rural Development Officer and turned up at 8 a.m. with a pickaxe and spade.

He did everything the other labourers did. He dug the earth, loaded it into baskets and tractors, and helped carry the silt to farmers' fields. His hands blistered and he kept going. At the break he shared the food the villagers had brought and asked about their wages and their difficulties. He also told the women about self-employment schemes.

The day ended with everyone playing Bathukamma together. He said he knows the value of hard work because he, too, came up from a middle-class home.

Witnessing their resilience has strengthened my dedication to fostering positive change.

Sandeep Bhaga, on Instagram ↗

Life beyond the file.

Just married.

Sandeep recently married Tejaswi. He shared the wedding, the reception and the family celebrations in his Instagram highlights.

In July 2026 the couple spent what he called "a truly unforgettable evening" with Megastar Chiranjeevi and Smt. Surekha.

Just Married
Reception Crew
Family Vibes
Love

Megastar Chiranjeevi and Smt. Surekha smiling at their home during the evening with Sandeep and Tejaswi

July 2026 · with Tejaswi

He started his golf journey at the Army Golf Course.

Mar 2024Mellacheruvu Jathara

He celebrated the jathara's bullock-cart race, "a symbol of deep-rooted connection between humans and animals."

SandeepBhaga, IRS

An officer who hasn't forgotten the road home.

From Huzurnagar to the airport.

All India Rank 244 in the Civil Services Examination

Joins the Indian Revenue Service (C&IT)

Meets President Droupadi Murmu

Assistant Commissioner, GST Investigation

"Be them to know them": a day as an MGNREGA labourer

Farewell to Bengaluru, promoted to Deputy Commissioner

Deputy Commissioner, Hyderabad Customs

A day at Chilpakuntla, 17 June 2024.

Life beyond the file.

Megastar Chiranjeevi

Rahul Sipligunj

K S Bharat

Dr. Naina Jaiswal

Vadla Bharathi

In the news, on the record.

News coverage

IRS Officer Sandeep Bhaga Works under Job Cards in Suryapet

ఉపాధి హామీ పనికి వెళ్లిన ఐఆర్‌ఎస్ అధికారి

ఉపాధి పనుల్లో IRS అధికారి: hats off, sir

IRS officer Sandeep works as MGNREGA worker in Suryapet

భారత రాష్ట్రపతిని కలిసిన సందీప్ భాగ ఐఆర్ఎస్

Talks & interviews

ఎవరి తల రాతను వారే రాసుకోవాలి

How to tackle life challenges & uncertainty in UPSC preparation

How can an average student clear UPSC?

Official records

Customs: Jurisdiction & Officers

Service profile: 2020 batch, IRS (C&IT)

Say namaste.