The central government on Monday (23.10.2023) granted approval for the voluntary retirement of VK Pandian (IAS:2000:OD), an Odisha cadre IAS officer who currently holds the position of Private Secretary to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The Department of Personnel and Training has transmitted an official communication to the additional chief secretary of Odisha’s general administration department regarding this decision.
“In reference to letter No.GAD-SER1-PERS-0100-2014 dated 20.10.2023 from Government of Odisha on the above mentioned subject, I am directed to convey the approval of the competent authority for acceptance of voluntary retirement of Shri V Kartikeya Pandian, IAS(OD-2000) under Rule 16(2A) of All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement benefits) Rules, 1958 with waiver of the notice period as recommended by the State Government,” reads the Centre’s letter.
Pandian, who has been serving in his current capacity since 2011 and wields significant influence within the political landscape of Odisha, recently gained public attention due to his extensive travels to various districts within the state utilizing a government helicopter. Both the opposition parties, the BJP and Congress, have criticized Pandian, a native of Tamil Nadu, for alleged violations of service conditions.
REC Limited has achieved a significant milestone by securing a coveted position in the esteemed Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Global Standard Index, effective from September 1, 2023,
A recent report by Nuvama Alternative & Quantitative Research underlined REC’s strong potential as a contender for the November 2023 review. Projections from Nuvama Alternative & Quantitative Research suggest that REC could witness inflows of approximately $184 Million.
The inclusion of REC in the MSCI index solidifies its standing as a key player in the financial sector and the broader market. This achievement not only expands REC’s global reach but also highlights its remarkable influence and reputation on an international scale.
It is noteworthy that the value of REC’s stock has more than doubled over the past year, surging from Rs 100.20 on August 10, 2022, to Rs 216.65 on August 10, 2023.
The MSCI Global Standard Index, crafted by MSCI Inc., comprises a series of international equity indexes widely employed by investors, fund managers, and financial experts to gauge the performance of global equity markets.
The MSCI Global Standard Index is a comprehensive collection of international equity indexes developed by MSCI Inc. These indexes serve as a prominent benchmark utilized by investors, fund managers, and financial experts for assessing and gauging the performance of global equity markets.
The Union government on Sunday notified the appointment of new Chief Justices in six High Courts. The Ministry of Law and Justice notified the appointment of six high courts namely Delhi, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Gauhati.
Following judges have been appointed as Chief Justices of 6 different high courts:
Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, Chief Justice of Telangana High Court, has been transferred to Delhi High Court as Chief Justice.
Justice Ujjal Bhuyan of the Telangana High Court has been elevated as the Chief Justice of Telangana High Court.
Justice Amjad Ahtesham Sayed of Bombay High Court has been appointed as Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court.
Justice Vipin Sanghi, Acting Chief Justice of Delhi High Court has been appointed as Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court.
Justice Shinde Sambhaji Shiwaji of Bombay High Court has been appointed as Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court.
Justice Rashmin Manharbhai Chhaya of Gujarat High Court has been appointed as Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court.
New Delhi: The Centre has appointed two officers as Chief Vigilance Officers (CVOs) in Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), Dhanbad, and Madras Fertilizers Limited (MFL), Chennai.
According to separate orders issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Friday (October 9, 2026), the appointments have been approved for an initial period of three years from the date the officers assume charge of their respective posts or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Anjay Tiwari (IRTS:2013) has been appointed CVO in Bharat Coking Coal Limited, Dhanbad. His tenure will begin from the date he assumes charge on or after January 1, 2027, subject to further orders.
IAS officer A Muthamma (IAS:2009:AGMUT) has been appointed CVO in Madras Fertilizers Limited, Chennai, for an initial period of three years from the date she assumes charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
New Delhi: The Centre on Saturday (October 10, 2026) appointed five officers as Chief Vigilance Officers (CVOs) in MECON Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), National Hydro Power Corporation Limited (NHPC), Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
According to separate orders issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Saturday (October 10, 2026), the appointments have been approved for an initial period of three years from the date the officers assume charge of their respective posts or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
The officers and their respective postings are as follows:
Hemraj Meena (IRSSE:2006) has been appointed CVO in MECON Limited, Ranchi.
Brahmananda Srivastava (ITS:2001) has been appointed CVO in the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Delhi.
Shalini Verma (IRS-IT:2004) has been appointed CVO in Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Delhi.
Debendra Dalai (IFoS:1999) has been appointed CVO in National Hydro Power Corporation Limited (NHPC), Delhi.
Shanker Lal Meghavanshi (ITS:2001) has been appointed CVO in Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), Goa.
New Delhi: The Centre on Saturday (October 10, 2026) approved a major bureaucratic reshuffle at Joint Secretary or equivalent level, issuing appointment orders for 27 officers from various services across several ministries, departments and government organisations. Five officers have been appointed as Joint Secretaries in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) as part of the reshuffle.
The names of the officers and their new postings are as follows:
1. Brijesh Panday (IAS:2004:TR) has been appointed Joint Secretary in the Department of Capital Development for five years from the date of assuming charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Thara D (IAS:1995).
2. Nikhil Varma (IRS-IT:2005) has been appointed Additional Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Delhi, under the Department of Commerce for five years from the date of assuming charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Vrunda Manohar Desai (IRS-IT:2003).
3. Tanvi Sundriyal (IAS:2010:MP) has been appointed Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs for a combined tenure of five years up to August 25, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She will replace Rahul Jain (IAS:2005:MP).
4. Inderjeet Singh (IAS:2010:RJ) has been appointed Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Culture for a combined tenure of five years up to August 26, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Amita Prasad Sarbhai (IRAS:1993).
5. Prakash Rajpurohit (IAS:2010:RJ) has been appointed Deputy Election Commissioner in the Election Commission of India for a combined tenure of five years up to April 8, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Sanjay Kumar (IAS:2008:AGMUT).
6. Tamboli Ayyaj Fakirbhai (IAS:2009:CG) has been appointed Executive Director (Joint Secretary level) in the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) under the Department of Financial Services for a combined tenure of five years up to March 20, 2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
7. Rajesh Malik (IRSME:1994) has been appointed Executive Director in the Food Corporation of India (FCI), New Delhi, under the Department of Food and Public Distribution, for an overall tenure of five years up to February 5, 2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Ashutosh Joshi (IA&AS:1994).
8. Mohammed Y Safirulla K (IAS:2010:KL) has been appointed Joint Secretary in the Department of Health and Family Welfare for a combined tenure of five years up to August 27, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Nikhil Gajraj (IAS:2008:HY).
9. Ritu Sharma (IRS-IT:2005) has been appointed Joint Secretary in the Department of Health and Family Welfare for five years from the date of assuming charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She will replace Vandana Jain (CSS).
10. Varnali Deka (IAS:2009:AM) has been appointed Joint Secretary in the National Health Authority (NHA) under the Department of Health and Family Welfare for a combined tenure of five years up to August 28, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She will replace Jyoti Yadav (IAS:2009:UK).
11. More Ashish Madhaorao (IAS:2006:AGMUT) has been appointed Additional Chief Executive Officer (Joint Secretary level) in the National Health Authority (NHA) under the Department of Health and Family Welfare for a combined tenure of five years up to June 15, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Madhu Rani Teotia (IAS:2008:AGMUT).
12. Vivek Khare (ITS:1996) has been appointed Joint Secretary in the National Testing Agency (NTA) under the Department of Higher Education for an overall tenure of five years up to December 2, 2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. The order also provides for temporarily upgrading a newly created post of Deputy Secretary/Director to Joint Secretary level in the NTA for an initial period of two years.
13. Ravi Shankar (IAS:2007:GJ) has been appointed Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs for a combined tenure of five years up to July 31, 2028, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace M Ramachandrudu (IAS:2009:BH).
14. Chittaranjan Dash (IRS-IT:1998) has been appointed Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs for an overall tenure of five years up to January 11, 2028, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Praveen Kumar Rai (IDAS:2003).
15. P Manoj Kumar (ISS:1998) has been appointed Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs for an overall tenure of five years up to December 1, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Parthasarathi Gurrala (CSS).
16. Abhishek Bhagotia (IAS:2007:AM) has been appointed Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs for a combined tenure of seven years up to April 3, 2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Nishtha Tiwari (IRS-IT:2005).
17. Navin Agarwal (IRPS:1997) has been appointed Joint Secretary in the Department of Legal Affairs for an overall tenure of five years up to March 14, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Ajay Gupta (IRSS:1993).
18. M Ramachandrudu (IAS:2009:BH) has been appointed Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Minority Affairs for a combined tenure of seven years up to August 26, 2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Ram Singh (IAS:2008:AM).
19. Sonia Pant (IES:2001) has been appointed Adviser (Joint Secretary level) in NITI Aayog for five years from the date of assuming charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She will replace Surender Mehra (IFoS:1999).
20. Nitin Kumar (CSS) has been appointed Additional Secretary (Joint Secretary level) in the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) under the Department of Personnel and Training for five years from the date of assuming charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Ajay Kumar Kanouja (CSS).
21. C Murugan (IAS:2007:WB) has been appointed Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for a combined tenure of five years up to September 15, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Kamlesh Chaturvedi (IFoS:1988).
22. Rajneesh Kumar Tomar (IRSME:1998) has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (Joint Secretary level) of National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML) under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for an overall tenure of five years up to November 2, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Rajesh Malik (IRSME:1994).
23. Nishtha Tiwari (IRS-IT:2005) has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (Joint Secretary level) of the Development and Welfare Board for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities (DWBDNCs) under the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment for a combined tenure of seven years up to December 9, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She will replace Apparao Veerell (IRSS:1993).
24. Manisha Trighatia (IAS:2002:UP) has been appointed Joint Secretary in the Department of Urban Development for five years from the date of assuming charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She will replace Roopa Mishra (IAS:2004:OR).
25. Avinash Jain (IRSE-Civil:2001) has been appointed Joint Secretary in the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation for an overall tenure of seven years up to February 6, 2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Subodh Yadav (IAS:1999:KN).
26. Pawan Kumar (IRS-C&IT:2005) has been appointed Joint Secretary in the National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD) under the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation for five years from the date of assuming charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will replace Anand Mohan (IFoS:1996:RJ).
27. Anita Shah Akella (IA&AS:1996) has been appointed Joint Secretary in the National Commission for Women (NCW) under the Ministry of Women and Child Development for an overall tenure of five years up to May 25, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. She will replace Radhika Chakravarty (IPoS:1996).
Despite the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary, M Sai Kumar (IAS:1990:TN)’s directive to file the annual statement of assets and liabilities for the year 2025, only 3.12% of state government employees have so far filed it. Significantly, only three weeks are now left to do it, as the deadline is October 31.
This low compliance has raised questions among employees regarding the effect of the Chief Secretary’s August 5 directive. The CS had stated that submission of the statement would be taken into consideration while preparing panels for promotion.
The CS had directed all government employees to submit their Statement of Assets, Debts and Other Liabilities through the Integrated Financial and Human Resources Management System (IFHRMS) portal for the year ended December 31, 2025, by October 31, 2026.
The orders also stipulated that in future govt employees should submit the statement for the year ending December 31 on or before March 31 of the succeeding year without fail. According to the directive, the date of filing the statement is to be mentioned in the Annual Confidential Report of employees.
This has happened despite the govt’s directive clearly mentioning that non-filing of assets and liabilities within the stipulated time will be treated as a violation of the “Tamil Nadu Government Servants’ Conduct Rules, 1973.”
The major reason behind it is said to be apprehensions among govt employees over linking the filing of the statement to promotion-panel preparation. However, an official said the requirement is not a new measure or a coercive step by the government.
According to him, the directive is part of the state govt’s efforts to strengthen its database. Further, as the official said, the state govt is not going to recheck the details, since it is a voluntary disclosure of assets. A section of employees’ union welcomes the move while other expresses reservation.
According to TN Secretariat Association president G Venkatesan, each department had its own deadline for completing promotion-panel preparation and that the new stipulation could affect certain sections of employees.
The Punjab & Haryana High Court took exception to Punjab Chief Secretary K A P Sinha (IAS:1992:PB)’s stand on the alleged non-compliance with its orders in the DA arrears case on Friday and directed the contempt case against him to be placed before the bench having jurisdiction as per the roster.
A division bench of Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor passed the order after the court was informed about the Chief Secretary’s stand that there was no deliberate intention to make a false statement regarding removal of defects in the state govt’s Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed in the Supreme Court.
The Punjab govt’s counsel submitted that the CS had no intention to mislead the court and was willing to offer an unconditional apology.
But the bench was unrelenting and went ahead to direct the matter to the court, having jurisdiction as per roster.
The contempt proceedings were initiated after the state govt‘s alleged failure to comply with the High Court’s directions to pay all pending DA arrears to govt employees and pensioners within 15 days.
The court had directed the Chief Secretary to file a compliance affidavit, but it was not filed as directed, following which applications seeking contempt proceedings were moved.
In the meantime, the state govt moved a Special Leave Petition in the top court on September 1. But some defects were detected in the SLP. The High Court then directed the govt to remove those defects.
Later a report obtained from the Supreme Court Registry showed that the defects remained unremoved.
However, the Chief Secretary had earlier filed an affidavit stating that the defects had been removed.
The court observed that giving a ‘false statement’ prima facie indicated that attempt was only to misrepresent the facts before the Court.
The matter has now been directed to be listed on October 12.
New Delhi: IAS officer Saju Vaheed A (IAS:2015:TR) has been appointed Deputy Director at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie, at the Deputy Secretary level for a period of four years.
According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Friday (October 9, 2026), the competent authority has approved his appointment for four years from the date he assumes charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Vaheed is currently serving as Mission Director, National Health Mission, and Member Secretary, National Ayush Mission, in Agartala, Tripura.
New Delhi: IAS officer Govind Jaiswal (IAS:2007:AGMUT), Joint Secretary in the Department of Higher Education, has been prematurely repatriated to his parent AGMUT cadre with an extended cooling-off period.
According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Friday (October 9, 2026), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal of the Department of Higher Education for his repatriation.
Jaiswal joined central deputation as Deputy Secretary in the Department of Health and Family Welfare in September 2020 for four years. In July 2023, he moved to the Department of Higher Education as Joint Secretary for an overall tenure ending October 11, 2025. His tenure was subsequently extended by two years, until October 11, 2027.
With the latest order, he is returning to his parent cadre approximately one year before the end of his extended tenure.
New Delhi: IAS officer Himanshu Khurana (IAS:2015:UK) has been appointed Deputy Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat for a period of four years.
According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Friday (October 9, 2026), the competent authority has approved his appointment for four years from the date he assumes charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Khurana is currently serving as Additional Secretary in the Forest Department of the Uttarakhand government.
New Delhi: The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has recommended Rakesh Kumar for the post of Director (Operations) at Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL).
Kumar is currently serving as General Manager, Technical Services, at Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL). The recommendation was made at the PESB selection meeting held on October 9, 2026.
Kumar will succeed P Kannan, who has been serving as Director (Operations) at CPCL since August 1, 2023, and is due to retire on October 31, 2026.
The PESB had advertised the vacancy on February 20, 2026, inviting applications from eligible candidates for the key executive position at the public sector oil refining company.
A total of 9 candidates appeared before the PESB selection panel for the post. They were:
Kondapalli Siva Rama Rao, Chief General Manager, CEO, IOLPL, Indian Oil Corporation Limited.
M Sankar, Chief General Manager, Chairman Secretariat, Indian Oil Corporation Limited.
Muralidhar S, Chief General Manager, LPG, Karnataka State Office, Indian Oil Corporation Limited.
Purushotham, Chief General Manager, Corporate Planning and Business Development, Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited.
Om Prasad Chetry, General Manager, General Manager-in-Charge (HR), Indian Oil Corporation Limited.
Rakesh Kumar, General Manager, Technical Services, Indian Oil Corporation Limited.
Thullibilli Kishor Babu, General Manager, Operations—Refinery III/LEB/HGUs/Diesel Treating/DCU/SRUs, Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited.
Bhishmadev Mandal, Chief General Manager (Production), also in-charge of Specialist Pool Management, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited.
Om Prakash, General Manager-in-Charge, Operations and Maintenance Contracts, Specialist Pool Management, Ahmedabad Asset, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited.
Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Friday (October 9, 2026) issued transfer and posting orders for five IAS officers in a major bureaucratic reshuffle. A Karthik has been appointed Principal Secretary of the Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, replacing K Manivasan, who has been posted as Additional Chief Secretary/Commissioner of Land Administration.
The details of the officers and their new postings are as follows:
1. Dr K Manivasan (IAS:1993), Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, has been transferred and posted as Additional Chief Secretary/Commissioner, Land Administration.
2. A Karthik (IAS:1996), Principal Secretary/Chairman and Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development Corporation (TANSIDCO), has been transferred and posted as Principal Secretary, Home, Prohibition and Excise Department.
3. V Arun Roy (IAS:2003), Chairman and Managing Director of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board and Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Limited, and Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation Limited, Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation and Tamil Nadu Power Generation Corporation Limited, has been transferred and posted as Secretary (Expenditure), Finance Department.
4. N Venkatesh (IAS:2009), Secretary (Expenditure), Finance Department, has been transferred and posted as Agriculture Production Commissioner and Secretary, Agriculture-Farmers’ Welfare Department.
5. Rajesh Lakhoni (IAS:1992), Additional Chief Secretary/Commissioner, Land Administration, has been transferred and placed at the disposal of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board and Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation, Chennai, for appointment as Chairman and Managing Director. He will also function as Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Power Generation Corporation, Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation and Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation.
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