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V Srinivas likely to be Rajasthan’s next Chief Secretary; repatriation confirms govt’s choice

By
LO Bureau
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V Srinivas IAS

With Rajasthan Chief Secretary Sudhansh Pant (IAS:1991:RJ) moving to the Central Government as Secretary, Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, the suspense over his successor has all but ended. Sources have confirmed that V Srinivas (IAS:1989:RJ) is set to take over as the next Chief Secretary of Rajasthan, with only the formal announcement awaited.

In a decisive development, the Central Government on Friday (November 14, 2025) approved the repatriation of Srinivas to his parent cadre — a move initiated by the Rajasthan government specifically to enable his appointment as Chief Secretary.

According to the order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT): “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved repatriation of Shri V. Srinivas, IAS (RJ:89), Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances and Department of Pensions & Pensioners’ Welfare to his parent cadre on the request of Government of Rajasthan.”

Among serving bureaucrats in the Rajasthan cadre, several senior IAS officers were initially seen as strong contenders for the top post. The names doing the rounds included Abhay Kumar (IAS:1992:RJ), ACS, Water Resources; Shikhar Agarwal (IAS:1993:RJ), ACS to the Chief Minister; and Akhil Arora (IAS:1993:RJ), ACS, PHED.

Parallelly, the pool of officers on central deputation also featured prominently in the early discussions. Among them were V. Srinivas (IAS:1989:RJ), Secretary, DARPG & Pensions; Rajat Kumar Mishra (IAS:1992:RJ), Secretary, Department of Fertilizers; and Tanmay Kumar (IAS:1993:RJ), Secretary, MoEF&CC. Their seniority and extensive experience at the Centre kept them firmly in the reckoning as potential choices for the state’s top bureaucratic role.

However, with Friday’s repatriation order, the race has now decisively tilted in favour of Srinivas. The Rajasthan government is expected to issue the official appointment order soon, formally naming him as the next Chief Secretary.

REC Limited & Govt of Meghalaya Facilitate Landmark MoU Between MePDCL and CPRI to Enhance Quality Testing for Power Infrastructure in Meghalaya

By
LO Bureau
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MePDCL–CPRI MoU for NABL Testing Facility

New Delhi, November 14, 2025: REC Limited, a Maharatna Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Power and a leading NBFC, has successfully mediated a crucial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Meghalaya Power Distribution Corporation Limited (MePDCL) and the Central Power Research Institute (CPRI).

The MoU was signed by MePDCL and CPRI in presence of Dr Shakeel P. Ahammed, Meghalaya Chief Secretary; Jitendra Srivastava, CMD, REC; Dr J Sreedevi, DG, CPRI; Prince Dhawan, ED, REC; Subhendu Roy, CPM Guwahati, REC and other senior officials from MePDCL, CPRI and REC.

This strategic partnership is a significant step towards bolstering the quality assurance mechanism for power distribution infrastructure in Meghalaya and entire North-East India, particularly under the flagship Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).

Key Highlights of the Collaboration:

NABL Accreditation Goal: The primary objective of the MoU is to establish a NABL-accredited testing facility within Meghalaya, addressing the critical logistical challenges and delays faced by North Eastern States in sending materials for quality testing to distant laboratories.

CPRI’s Technical Leadership: CPRI, a premier research and development organization in the power sector, will provide comprehensive consultancy and technical support. This includes preparing detailed specifications for procurement, guiding documentation, and offering supervisory support to ensure MePDCL’s facility is fully equipped and prepared for NABL inspection.

REC Limited’s Mediation and Support: As the Nodal Agency for the RDSS, REC Limited played a pivotal role in mediating this agreement, reinforcing its commitment to strict quality control and timely execution of scheme projects. The local availability of a NABL-accredited lab is expected to significantly expedite the Field Material Quality Testing and Inspection (FMQI) process, which has previously been delayed due to the necessity of transporting heavy equipment like Distribution Transformers (DTRs) across long distances.

Boosting Local Capacity: MePDCL will provide the necessary testing equipment (including specialized instruments like HV test benches and frequency meters), calibration of existing assets, and preparing the facility. This initiative will not only improve material quality but also strengthen local technical expertise through training and hand-holding by CPRI officials.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Secretary Meghalaya said, “This initiative will bolster the pace of works under RDSS and will also help MePDCL build in-house testing capacity. He appreciated the efforts of MePDCL to ensure quality certification of power infrastructure being built under RDSS”

CMD, REC Limited said, “This MoU marks a milestone in overcoming the geographic hurdles that often impede rapid quality assessment in the North Eastern Region. By facilitating the establishment of a local, NABL-accredited facility through this partnership, we are ensuring that RDSS projects in Meghalaya meet the highest standards of material quality and are executed efficiently, thereby benefiting the consumers directly.”

REC CMD also thanked the efforts of Sanjay Goyal, CMD, MeECL and Prince Dhawan, ED, REC for their efforts.

This agreement underscores the collective commitment of MePDCL, CPRI, and REC Limited to enhancing power system reliability and service delivery for the people of Meghalaya.

K’taka Cabinet approves inclusion of 3 senior IAS in GBA as members

By
LO Bureau
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Greater Bengaluru Authority

The Karnataka Cabinet finally gave its approval to the proposed amendments to the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act on Thursday. The amendments propose the inclusion of three senior IAS officers as members of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA). The chief secretary and two additional chief secretaries of Urban Development and Finance departments will be inducted as its members.

The additional chief secretary of the Urban Development Department (UDD) will be the member of the high-powered executive committee headed by the Bengaluru development minister or a minister of the Chief Minister’s choice.  

The GBA is meant to decide the issues related to the city and meets once in three months.

Further, in order to provide clarity on the issue related to the appointment of MPs, MLAs and MLCs, an amendment including a sub clause to the rulebook is also proposed. 

The bill containing the amendments will be tabled in the next session of the assembly for its final approval.

Punya Salila Srivastava, Nikunja Bihari Dhal get additional charges

By
LO Bureau
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In a fresh round of senior-level assignments, the central government has entrusted additional charges to two IAS officers of the 1993 batch.

Punya Salila Srivastava (IAS:1993:AGMUT), currently Secretary in the Department of Health and Family Welfare, has been assigned additional charge of Secretary, Ministry of Ayush. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), in an order issued on Friday (November 14, 2025), approved the arrangement from November 15 to November 23, 2025, during the leave period of Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha.

Similarly, Nikunja Bihari Dhal (IAS:1993:AGMUT), serving as Secretary in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, has been given additional charge of Secretary, Department of Justice. The DoPT order states that Mr. Dhal will hold the charge from November 17 to November 30, 2025, during the leave of Niraj Verma (IAS:1994:AM).

C’garh administration repatriates 2 IAS officers to parent Punjab cadre

By
LO Bureau
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Chandigarh Administration

The Chandigarh Administration has finally repatriated two IAS officers, Harsuhinder Pal Singh Brar and Rubinderjit Singh Brar, to their parent cadre—Punjab—after their deputation period ended with the UT Administration.

The responsibilities they discharged have been distributed among officers of the Haryana Civil Service (HCS) and Punjab Civil Service (PCS). These responsibilities will be in addition to their current assignments.

Radhika Singh, an HCS officer, will discharge multiple duties as Director of Higher and Technical Education, Project Director of Educity, Controller-cum-Joint Secretary of Printing & Stationery, and Joint Secretary of Cooperation.

Similarly, PCS officer Amandeep Singh Bhatti will be in charge of Director, School Education, and Additional Excise & Taxation Commissioner-cum-Deputy Excise & Taxation Commissioner-cum-Collector (Excise).

K’taka HC rejects govt’s plea for action against senior IPS officer Alok Kumar

By
LO Bureau
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Alok Kumar IPS

The Karnataka government received a severe setback in its contemplated move against senior IPS officer Alok Kumar after the High Court refused to stay a CAT order in Kumar’s favour.

The CAT had set aside the charge memo issued to the IPS officer by the state government on the orders of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The state government had moved the High Court in the hope of securing a stay on the CAT order. But a division bench of Justices Shyam Prasad and TM Nadaf declined the govt’s plea for a stay.

It all started with an audio clip of an illegally intercepted conversation/call that grabbed media attention in August 2019. The case was handed over to the CBI, which filed its first closure report in June 2021 and recommended a regular departmental action in September 2021, but no proceedings were initiated by the then BJP govt.

But a fresh charge memo was issued against Kumar on May 9, 2025. Kumar moved the CAT against this memo, and the tribunal set it aside. The CAT noted that the charge memo was revived just days before Alok Kumar’s scheduled promotion to the rank of Director-General of Police by the end of May 2025.

The CAT order was challenged by the state govt in the High Court, which has been dismissed by the court. The matter is now listed for Dec 4.

Ex-Andhra IAS seeks apologies from former colleagues for suspending them earlier

By
LO Bureau
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Praveen Prakash IAS

In an unusual display of repentance, former IAS officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre, Praveen Prakash (IAS:1994:AP), has sought a public apology from two of his former colleagues — former IPS officer AB Venkateswara Rao (IPS:1989:AP) and former IRS officer Jasti Krishna Kishore (IRS-IT:1990) — for his actions that led to their suspension. Both Rao and Kishore were suspended for service rule violations, irregularities, and corruption allegations when Praveen was serving as Principal Secretary in the General Administration Department.

The reason for Praveen’s remorse is that he had cleared the files for their suspension and the initiation of criminal proceedings against them.

Praveen shared his feelings of guilt through a video message, requesting the duo to pardon him for not viewing their cases from an ethical perspective. Praveen feels he would not have done what he did had he applied a role-reversal test before acting against them. The fact of the matter is that Praveen’s latest move is virtually aimed at purification of conscience.

GK Goswami appointed Director of UPSIFS for one year post-retirement

By
LO Bureau
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GK Goswami IPS

The Uttar Pradesh government has appointed retired IPS officer Dr. G.K. Goswami (IPS:1997:UP) as the Director of the Uttar Pradesh State Institute of Forensic Sciences (UPSIFS), Lucknow, for a period of one year. The appointment, approved by the Hon’ble Governor, takes effect from November 13, 2025.

Notably, Dr. Goswami, who served as the founding director of UPSIFS, retired from service on September 30, 2025. As LegendOfficers.com reported on September 4, the state government had been exploring potential successors for the institute’s leadership. It was also indicated that if no suitable replacement was finalized, Dr. Goswami might be re-engaged on a special assignment post-retirement, a scenario that has now materialized.

Also Read: After GK Goswami, will UPSIFS see new leadership or his extended association? (September 4, 2025)


Amit Kumar appointed Deputy Secretary in Ministry of Steel

By
LO Bureau
-
Ministry of Steel

Amit Kumar (IDAS:2014), who was recommended for Central deputation by the Department of Defence, has been appointed as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Steel.

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Thursday (November 13, 2025), the competent authority has approved his appointment under the Central Staffing Scheme for a period of four years from the date he assumes charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

IPS officer Shalini appointed DIG in CBI

By
LO Bureau
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Shalini IPS

In a key development, IPS officer Shalini (IPS:2011:UP) has been appointed as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a period of five years.

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Tuesday (November 11, 2025), the competent authority has approved her induction into the CBI for a tenure of five years from the date she assumes charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Ms. Shalini is presently serving as DIG, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), Moradabad, a position she has held since March 2025.

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