| 1. U Sagayam is an IAS officer from the 2001 batch of the Tamil Nadu cadre. |
| 2. His office door displays a sign that translates to "Reject bribes, hold your head high." |
| 3. Once, on a bustling road in Madurai, he penalized a man for using a phone while riding a motorbike by instructing him to plant ten saplings within one day. |
| 4. He commenced his career as a Sub-Divisional-Magistrate (SDM) in Ootacamund District, Tamil Nadu. |
| 5. In 2009, he became the first IAS officer in Tamil Nadu to publish his asset details on the district website. |
| 6. During his 27 years of service, he has experienced approximately 25 transfers. |
| 7. For fear of tampering with evidence related to a multi-crore Granite Scam, he even spent a night sleeping in a graveyard. |
| 8. During his 30 years of service, he experienced approximately 25 transfers. |
| 9. In 1999, he sealed a Pepsi production unit in Kancheepuram district after lab reports confirmed samples were unfit for human consumption. |
| 10. He was the first IAS officer in the country to voluntarily declare personal assets in the public domain. |
| 11. He joined the Central Secretariat Service in 1989 after qualifying the Civil Services Examination but voluntarily resigned after seven months in New Delhi. |
| 12. As Block Development Officer in Kudaloor, he displayed the motto 'If you have power, use it for the poor' in his office. |
| 13. He ensured fair conduct of the 2011 Assembly elections in Madurai district and was commended by India's Chief Election Commissioner for detecting vote-buying and confiscating Rs 20 lakh intended for voter bribes. |
| 14. He submitted a detailed report to the Tamil Nadu government on granite and mineral sand looting, prompting action. |
