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Justice Surya Kant Sworn In as the 53rd Chief Justice of India

By
LO Bureau
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Selection panel for CEC

Justice Surya Kant on Monday (November 24, 2025) was sworn in as the 53rd Chief Justice of India (CJI), with President Droupadi Murmu administering the oath of office at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He succeeds Justice Bhushan R. Gavai and is set to serve a 14-month term at the helm of the Indian judiciary.

Justice Kant, born on February 10, 1962, in Petwar village in the Narnaud region of Hisar, comes from a rural background and completed his schooling in government schools in the area. He earned his law degree from Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, in 1984 and began his legal practice the same year in the Hisar district court. A few years later, he moved to Chandigarh and built a formidable practice in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, focusing largely on constitutional, service and civil matters. He later completed an LLM from Kurukshetra University while serving on the Bench, graduating as first-class first.

His rise through the legal profession was unusually swift. In 2000, at just 38, Kant became the youngest Advocate General of Haryana. A year later he was designated Senior Advocate, and in 2004 he entered the judiciary as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He went on to serve as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court in 2018, before being elevated to the Supreme Court in May 2019.

Over six years in the apex court, Justice Kant authored more than 300 judgments, including several with far-reaching constitutional implications. He was part of the Constitution Bench that upheld the abrogation of Article 370, the bench that delivered the judgment on Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, and the bench that granted interim bail to former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal while holding his arrest lawful. Most recently, he was on the bench that gave its opinion on the Presidential reference concerning the time frame for gubernatorial and presidential assent to legislation passed by state assemblies.

With his assumption of office, the Supreme Court begins a new phase under a judge known for a sharp grasp of constitutional law and an equally strong focus on administrative reform inside the judiciary. Justice Kant will lead the court at a time when several key constitutional matters are pending and judicial backlog remains a major institutional challenge.

IAS officers opting for central deputation in large numbers in MP  

By
LO Bureau
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MP IAS officers

A sense of ennui seems to be developing among the senior IAS officers serving under the Mohan Yadav government in Madhya Pradesh. This is perhaps the reason why 17 IAS officers opted to proceed on central deputation during the last year, with only three returning to the state.

Recently, the Centre’s Personnel Department issued an order for the deputation of another IAS officer, Avinash Lavania, to the Centre. Besides, two secretary-level officers, Swatantra Kumar Singh and Abhishek Singh, are also trying for central deputation. They have submitted applications for it.

Two other secretary-rank officers, Shriman Shukla and John Kingsley, were also trying to move to the Centre but failed to get postings there.

Those who have already moved to the Centre on deputation include Preeti Maithil, Priyanka Das, Sofia Wali Faruqui, Tarun Pithode, and Ajeet Kumar. Chandramohan Thakur, Pankaj Jain, Neeraj Singh, Tanvi Sundriyal, Praveen Singh Adhayach, Nikunj Shrivastava, Gyaneshwar Patil, Pawan Sharma, Bakki Karthikeyan, Harsh Dikshit, and Anuradha P.

The three officers who returned to the state are Vishesh Garhpale, Ashish Bhargava, and Ruhi Khan. Garhpale is the only officer holding the secretary rank.

There are precisely two reasons behind this trend. One reason is to enhance the chances of empanelment in the government, as the officers are required to work for two years as directors, after which they are empanelled for the post of joint secretary. But the second reason that sounds more plausible is the lack of good postings and exposure in the state government.

Haryana DGP instructs police to treat singers promoting gang lifestyle as criminals

By
LO Bureau
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Haryana DGP O P Singh

Buoyed by the spectacular success of the ongoing “Operation Trackdown” against criminals in the state, Haryana DGP O P Singh has now added a new dimension to it. He has asked the state police to treat the singers who promote gang lifestyles to youth through music and videos as criminals and initiate strict legal action against them. The DGP’s new prescription is virtually aimed at attacking the very roots of the growing criminal tendencies among youths.

The DGP believes that these singers destroy the parental preaching, education by teachers, and sense of social discipline among youths within minutes by glamourising a maverick lifestyle through songs and videos.

There is no doubt that such songs or music videos command a sizable viewership and hence have the potential to vitiate the youths’ minds. That was the reason why many such songs were taken off social media platforms.

This is not a new phenomenon in Haryana as the police had initiated similar action against songs that allegedly promoted gun culture, glorified violence, and incited hatred earlier this year. That initiative resulted in bringing various singers, social media, and other platforms under the lens. The police has its cybercrime unit to monitor social media and take appropriate action where required.

The DGP opened up his mind through a post on X, addressed to the police officials from ADGP-rank officers down to SHOs on Sunday. The DGP congratulated them for the success of the ongoing “Operation Trackdown,” which has been a major success in breaking criminal networks in the state.

Centre says it has no plan to alter Chandigarh’s governance structure in Winter Session

By
LO Bureau
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Ministry of Home Affairs

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Sunday said the Centre is not planning to bring any Bill in the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament that would alter Chandigarh’s governance or administrative setup.

The clarification followed a political uproar triggered by a recent Lok Sabha bulletin. The bulletin dated November 21 had listed the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2025 among the Bills likely to be introduced, sparking speculation that the Union government was preparing to modify Chandigarh’s status. The reported proposal suggested placing Chandigarh under Article 240, grouping it with Union Territories that do not have legislatures — such as the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, and Puducherry when its Assembly is dissolved or suspended.

As protests began to build up, the MHA issued a clarification on X, saying the idea — which is still under internal examination — only aims to ease the Central government’s law-making procedure for Chandigarh. The Ministry underlined that it does not seek to change “Chandigarh’s governance or administrative structure, or the long-standing arrangements with Punjab and Haryana.” It added that a final decision would be taken only after consultations with all concerned.

The Ministry also made it clear that there is no intention to introduce such a Bill in the Winter Session, and asked political actors not to read more into the bulletin entry.

Political reactions

The mention of the draft amendment led to strong reactions in Punjab.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann slammed the reported proposal, calling it against Punjab’s interests. Congress state president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also raised concern, saying the amendment — if ever brought — could have “serious consequences” for the state.

Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said his party opposed the idea altogether, arguing that any move in this direction would undermine earlier commitments regarding Chandigarh’s transfer to Punjab.

3 IAS officers inducted into Rajasthan Revenue Board as members

By
LO Bureau
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Rajasthan Revenue Board

The Rajasthan government inducted three IAS officers in its Revenue Board as members on Friday. According to an official order issued in this regard, Tikam Chand Bohra (IAS:2012:RJ), Kesarlal Meena (IAS:2015:RJ) and IAS officer Ajeet Singh Rajawat have been inducted as the new Revenue Board’s members.

While Bohra is currently serving as Managing Director of RAJFED Jaipur, Meena is an Additional Director and ex-officio Joint Secretary in the Social Justice and Empowerment Department, and Rajawat is posted as Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Jodhpur.

With these appointments, all four posts in the board approved under the IAS quota are thus filled, as another IAS officer, Dr. Shivprasad Singh, is already serving as a member.

The Board’s prime concern behind inducting these three IAS officers is to expedite the disposal of pending revenue cases in the state.

But seven of the total 20 sanctioned posts still remain vacant, as the board has only 13 members. Besides the four members from the IAS quota, there are 12 sanctioned posts from the RAS quota, but only 7 members are currently working, leaving 5 posts vacant. Similarly, there are two posts each sanctioned from the judicial and lawyer quotas, but both have been lying vacant for a long time.

Know About New Agriculture Secretary Atish Chandra, Who Will Take Charge on Feb 28, 2026

By
LO Bureau
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Atish Chandra IAS

Senior IAS officer Atish Chandra (IAS:1994:BH), who is serving as Special Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, has been picked to join the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare as OSD in the rank of Secretary from February 1, 2026.
He is expected to take over as Secretary of the Department after the present incumbent, Devesh Chaturvedi (IAS:1989:UP), superannuates on February 28, 2026.

Chandra, born on December 3, 1969, has been on central deputation since September 20, 2018. His current stint at the Centre began in the Agriculture Ministry as Joint Secretary, after which he was moved to the Food Corporation of India where he served as CMD. In May 2022, he shifted to the PMO as Additional Secretary and was later promoted to Special Secretary.

Academically, Chandra completed both his graduation and post-graduation in Political Science from Delhi University — something colleagues often say shaped his strong interest in governance and public policy rather early in his career.

A point worth noting: before 2018, Chandra never left his parent cadre. His entire career was in Bihar. He started out as Deputy Development Commissioner in Saharsa, and later became District Collector and District Magistrate in as many as six districts — Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Gaya, Madhubani, Madhepura and Vaishali. Officers who have worked with him often mention that his long field experience in Bihar shaped his work style more than anything else.
He also had a long innings in the Chief Minister’s Office, apart from holding senior roles across various state departments.

People tracking the appointment say it almost feels like a return to familiar territory. Chandra has already spent several years dealing with agriculture and food systems at the national level, and his upcoming assignment places him back in a domain where he has handled both policy and implementation.

Home Ministry considering prosecution of 8 IAS officers in arms licence scam in J&K

By
LO Bureau
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Minisry of Home Affairs

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is actively considering giving prosecution sanction against eight IAS officers allegedly involved in the arms licence scam in Jammu & Kashmir. The ministry has informed a division bench of the J&K and Ladakh High Court.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice Arun Palli and Justice Rajnesh Oswal, is hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed in this case, titled Sheikh Mohammad Shafi versus Union of India and others.

The Deputy Solicitor General of India, Vishal Sharma, representing the MHA, submitted that the J&K government and the CBI have submitted their respective replies to the clarifications sought by the Home Ministry. The ministry also informed the bench that it had convened a meeting with the officials of the J&K government and CBI to discuss the proposal of sanction for prosecuting these IAS officers allegedly involved in the scam.

Earlier, the ministry, in its status report filed on August 6, had informed the division bench that it had received proposals from the J&K government seeking a grant of prosecution sanction against IAS officers. The MHA said that the proposal will be examined and an appropriate decision taken after receiving the comments of the CBI.

The matter had come to light in 2017 when the Rajasthan ATS unearthed a huge arms licence scam allegedly involving district magistrates posted in J&K. The J&K police began the probe, but the case was handed over to the CBI by the then governor, NN Vohra.

The CBI later made a startling revelation by claiming that approximately 1.53 lakh arms licences were issued in 10 districts of Jammu division and approximately 1.21 lakh in 12 districts of the then Kashmir division, allegedly for monetary gains by the then district magistrates on forged documents during 2012 and 2016.

The IAS officers in the dock are: P K Pole (2004:AGMUT) the then district magistrate (DM) of Udhampur; M Raju (2005:AGMUT) the then DM of Kargil; Yasha Mudgal (2007:AGMUT) the then Udhampur and Baramulla DM; Jitendra Kumar Singh (2008:JH) the then DM, Kathua and then DM, Rajouri; Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary (2009:AGMUT) the then DM, Udhampur; Niraj Kumar (2010:AGMUT) the then DM, Udhampur and then DM Pulwama; Prasanna Ramaswamy G (2010:AGMUT) the then ADM Kathua and then DM, Leh and Ramesh Kumar (2011:AGMUT) the then DM, Kathua.

The J&K government told the HC bench that the ball is now in the ministry’s court, and now it is up to the MHA to decide on the prosecution sanction. The bench adjourned the matter to December 30.

Chandra Sekhar Kumar gets additional charge as NCM Secretary

By
LO Bureau
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Chandra Sekhar Kumar IAS

Senior IAS officer Chandra Sekhar Kumar (IAS:1992:OR), currently serving as Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs, has been assigned additional charge as Secretary of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM).

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Friday (November 21, 2025), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the additional charge for Kumar during the period of absence on leave of the incumbent, Alka Upadhyaya (IAS:1990:MP).

S Gopalakrishnan gets additional charge as NRA Chairman

By
LO Bureau
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S Gopalakrishnan IAS

Senior IAS officer S Gopalakrishnan (IAS:1991:TN), currently serving as Chairman of the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), has been assigned additional charge as Chairman of the National Recruitment Agency (NRA).

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Friday (November 21, 2025), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the assignment of additional charge to Gopalakrishnan till the appointment of a regular incumbent or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

This responsibility was earlier held by Pradeep Singh Kharola, CMD of ITPO, who was functioning as Chairman, NRA on an additional-charge basis. With his extended tenure ending on October 19, 2025, the charge has now been transferred to the SSC Chairman.

Who is Neeraj Mittal- Know More About New MoP&NG Secretary

By
LO Bureau
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Neeraj Mittal IAS

The central government on Friday (November 21, 2025) appointed senior IAS officer Neeraj Mittal (IAS:1992:TN) as the new Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG). He replaces Pankaj Jain (IAS:1990:AM), who is set to join as Member Secretary of the Eighth Central Pay Commission. Mittal has been serving as Telecom Secretary since September 2023.

This marks Mittal’s second stint in MoPNG, where he earlier worked as Director and Joint Secretary between December 2010 and June 2015. His extensive familiarity with the ministry’s functioning is expected to support the government’s ongoing energy-sector reforms.

During his tenure in the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Mittal played a pivotal role in advancing India’s telecom framework. He was instrumental in promoting India’s indigenous telecom technology stack, supervised BSNL’s rollout of nearly 1 lakh 4G sites, and chaired the Digital Communications Commission, contributing to several landmark policy reforms.

Widely regarded as one of the most meticulous and result-oriented officers at the Centre, Mittal’s appointment to MoPNG comes at a crucial time. The ministry plays a vital role in managing India’s energy security, supporting economic growth, ensuring energy access to millions, and advancing the nation’s transition toward clean and sustainable energy. His leadership is expected to reinforce these national priorities.

Born on 17 December 1967, Mittal is an alumnus of IIT Kanpur. Over the years, he has served in diverse roles across both the central government and his parent cadre of Tamil Nadu. He has been on central deputation since September 2023, when he was appointed Telecom Secretary.

Mittal began his career as Assistant Collector of South Arcot in Tamil Nadu in October 1992. At the Centre, he has served in key departments including Finance, Petroleum & Natural Gas, Commerce & Industry, and Telecommunications at the Director and Joint Secretary levels. In the Tamil Nadu cadre, he worked in departments such as Information Technology, Secretariat Establishment, and Transport, besides playing a crucial role as Joint Commissioner of Tsunami Rehabilitation in Chennai. He also served as District Collector of Coimbatore between 2006 and 2008, earning recognition for his administrative leadership.

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