Few of my friends experienced working with the District Collector earlier, and their stories fascinated me. Back in my school days, I was part of “Nammude Kozhikode” programs, which had already planted a spark of interest in understanding how things function behind the scenes. Being part of DCIP gave me an entirely new perspective. I began to see the inner workings of district administration—its strengths, its limitations, and the sheer effort that goes into making the “system” run. It was...