Pankaj Agrawal (IAS:1992:MP), Secretary in the Ministry of Power, has been given additional charge of Secretary, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Friday (17.01.2025), the competent authority has approved assignment of additional charge of the post to Mr Agrawal from 18.01.2025 to 25.01.25 during the period of absence on leave of Katikithala Srinivas (IAS:1989:GJ).
Abhishek Ranjan continues as CVO of Bharat Dynamics Ltd
Abhishek Ranjan (IOFS:2008), Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO), Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE), Kolkata, will continue to hold the additional charge of CVO, Bharat Dynamics Ltd. (BDL), Hyderabad, for six more months. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the competent authority has approved the proposal for entrustment of additional charge of the post to Mr Ranjan for a period of six months from December 1, 2024 i.e. upto May 31, 2025 or till appointment of a regular CVO or until further orders, whichever is earliest.
Mr. Ranjan had earlier been assigned this charge on October 17, 2024, which was initially valid until November 30, 2024. With this extension, his tenure now continues until May 31, 2025, or until further orders.
Union Cabinet approves setting up of 8th Pay Commission
The Union Cabinet gave its stamp of approval on Thursday for setting up 8th Pay Commission to revise salaries of central government employees and allowances of pensioners. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
While announcing this, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the chairman and two members of the Commission will be appointed soon. According to him, consultations with state governments and other stake holders will also be undertaken.
The news is bound to bring smiles on faces of over 49 lakh central government employees and nearly 65 lakh pensioners as well, as Pay
commissions also decide pension payments.
PM Modi shared his happiness on twitter handle X, saying that the government’s decision to constitute the eighth pay commission will boost
consumption and improve the quality of life.
The central government constitutes a pay commission once every decade to revise the salary structure of its employees. In addition to revising the salary structure, each pay commission has a term of reference (ToR), which broadly defines its focus.
Those covered under pay commission are central government employees, which means all persons in the civil services of the central government and those who are paid salaries out of the consolidated fund of India, which is the account in which government collects its revenues.
Employees of public sector undertakings (PSU) and autonomous bodies are not covered as PSU employees have separate pay scales depending on the undertaking they work for.
Arunachal IAS officer Vishakha Yadav bags ‘Best Preventive State’ award
Arunachal Pradesh IAS officer Vishakha Yadav has brought accolades for entire bureaucracy of the state by bagging the esteemed ‘Best Preventive State’ award from the State Election Commission (SEC). This is in recognition of her outstanding contributions in ensuring law and order during the electoral process in the sensitive district, located near the Indo-China border. Vishakha is currently Deputy Commissioner of Kurung Kumey district.
A 2020-batch IAS officer, Vishakha is known for her bold leadership that played a significant role in conducting peaceful and fair elections. But more than this, it was her efforts to prevent electoral malpractices that have earned widespread praise.
Apart from her electoral management, Vishakha’s exceptional leadership came to the fore with the launch of the “Digi Kaksha” project. This initiative introduced smart classrooms in government schools across Kurung Kumey and Tirap districts, significantly improving educational access in remote areas.
An engineering graduate from Delhi Technological University (DTU), she transitioned from being a software developer to pursuing a career in the civil services.
Home Ministry admonishes states to send names of IPS officers for central deputation
The Ministry of Home Affairs seems to have made up its mind to strictly deal with the issue of rising shortage of IPS officers at various ranks in central agencies and forces. That is why it has admonished all states to make “a conscious attempt” to send names of IPS officers for central deputation.
This is not a new phenomenon. The ministry invites nominations of IPS officers from states for central deputation every year to fill up the vacancies for ranks ranging from Superintendent of Police (SP) to Director General (DG). But, unfortunately, some of the states/cadres do not send sufficient number of names for central deputation.
This issue was highlighted by the ministry in its letter sent to all states recently. It rued that many a time, the state governments send more names of Senior IPS officers, but they do not propose the names for appointment to the posts of SP to IG. That is the reason why it wants a conscious attempt to be made by the state governments to forward the names of officers for deputation in such a manner that officers of different levels/ranks are adequately and proportionately represented as well as every eligible officer gets an opportunity to serve at the Centre.
A similar request was made by the MHA in June last year. But there has been a lukewarm response from the states.
It has resulted in the number of vacancies rising steadily over the years. According to the vacancy statement of MHA as of December 18, 2024, posts of 114 SPs, 77 DIGs, 40 IGs (Inspector Generals), two ADGs (Additional Director General) and one SDG (Special Director General) are lying vacant in various central agencies and forces, including the CBI, CRPF, NIA, ITBP, CISF, BSF, NSG, SSB and others.
Even Union Minister for Personnel Jitendra Singh had informed the Parliament last month that there were 586 posts of IPS vacant as on January 1, 2024. There were 4,469 IPS officers working across the country against their sanctioned strength of 5,055.
According to a highly-placed source, IPS officers at SP and DIG level are particularly not deputed to the Centre because there are vacancies at those ranks in the states’ as well, and then there are retirements and resignations. The issue has become so problematic that the MHA has tried to take strict action against the officers who fail to join even after their names having been cleared for central deputation.
In order to strictly deal with this attitude, the ministry has adopted a policy of debarring officers from central deputation for five years if an officer, on being selected, does not join within one month of issue of his/her appointment order, either on account of personal disinclination or on refusal by concerned state government to relieve the officer.
Under the IPS (cadre) rules, 40% of senior duty posts in each cadre are earmarked as Central Deputation Reserve (CDR).
UP: 4 Divisional Commissioners, 14 DMs among 31 IAS officers shifted
In a significant late night administrative shake-up on Thursday, the Uttar Pradesh government transferred 31 IAS officers, including four Divisional Commissioners and 14 District Magistrates.
As part of the reshuffle, Lucknow District Magistrate (DM) Surya Pal Gangwar and Kanpur Nagar DM Rakesh Kumar Singh have been appointed as Secretaries to the Chief Minister. Aligarh DM Visakh G. has been named the new District Magistrate of Lucknow.
Additionally, new Divisional Commissioners have been appointed in Meerut, Agra, and Aligarh, marking a major overhaul in the state’s administrative structure.
Ashok Chandra appointed MD & CEO of PNB
Ashok Chandra has been appointed as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Punjab National Bank (PNB) for a tenure of three years. PNB announced the appointment through a communication to the stock exchange on Thursday.
The Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) had recommended Chandra for the MD & CEO role on October 10, 2024.
Prior to this, Chandra served as the Executive Director of Canara Bank, where he held the position from November 21, 2022, to January 15, 2025. During his tenure at Canara Bank, he oversaw multiple verticals, including digital banking and information technology, strategy and planning, marketing and public relations, financial inclusion, MSME, retail assets, agriculture, priority sectors, gold loans, liability management, and general administration.
Chandra also served as a director on the boards of Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company Limited, PSB Alliance Ltd, and Canara Venture Capital Fund Ltd. He was a member of the IBA Standing Committee for HR.
Before his role at Canara Bank, Chandra was the Chief General Manager at Union Bank of India. He served as a director on the board of The Union Trustee Company Private Limited and The National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited (NARCL).
With over 33 years of diverse experience in the banking sector, Chandra brings a wealth of expertise to his new role. He holds a Master’s Degree in Economics and is a Certified Associate of the Indian Institute of Bankers. Additionally, he participated in a leadership programme organized by the Banks Board Bureau and conducted by IIM Bangalore during 2019–2020.
Binod Kumar takes charge as MD & CEO of Indian Bank
Binod Kumar has assumed the role of Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Indian Bank on Thursday. He succeeds Shanti Lal Jain, who retired on December 31, 2024, upon superannuation.
The central government, through a notification dated January 16, 2025, appointed Kumar to the position for a three-year tenure, as informed by Indian Bank in a communication to the stock exchange.
The Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) had recommended Kumar for the MD & CEO role on November 24, 2024.
Prior to this appointment, Kumar served as the Executive Director of Punjab National Bank (PNB), where he managed critical portfolios including Corporate Banking, Treasury, International Banking, Finance, and Data Analytics.
Starting his banking career with PNB in 1994, Kumar climbed the ranks to become its Executive Director in November 2022. Over three decades in the banking sector, he has held several prominent roles, such as Chief General Manager (Corporate Credit), Zonal Manager, and CEO of PNB’s Dubai International Finance Centre operations.
Kumar also represented PNB as a nominee director on the boards of PNB Housing Finance and India SME Asset Reconstruction Company.
A science graduate, Kumar is certified in Financial Risk Management (FRM), CAIIB, and holds a diploma in Treasury Investment. He has also earned a Post Graduate Diploma in Banking and Finance from NIBM and completed a leadership program at IIM Bangalore.
Sunil Kumar Jha appointed Spl DG of CRPF
Senior IPS officer Sunil Kumar Jha (IPS:1993:BH) was on Wednesday (15.01.2025) appointed as Special Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Wednesday (15.01.2025), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs for appointment of Mr Jha to the post in Level-16 of the pay matrix from the date of joining the post and up to January 31, 2027 i.e. date of his superannuation or till further orders, whichever is earlier.
D/o Science & Technology AS & FA Vishvajit Sahay repatriated to his parent cadre
Vishvajit Sahay (IDAS:1990), currently serving as Additional Secretary & Financial Advisor (AS&FA) in the Department of Science & Technology, has been repatriated to his parent cadre. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Thursday (16.01.2025), the competent authority has approved the repatriation of Mr. Sahay to his parent cadre for availing the benefit of promotion.
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