In a significant development, Andhra Pradesh government on Saturday (01.02.2025) appointed two retired IPS officers to the key positions.
Retired IPS officer AB Venkateswara Rao (Retd.IPS:1989:AP) has been appointed as Chairman of Andhra Pradesh Police Housing Corporation Limited (APPHCL) for a two-year term. Rao, who was suspended during the previous YSRC government, was recently reinstated by the current administration. His suspension period has now been regularised, making him eligible for full pay and allowances.
Additionally, former DGP RP Thakur (Retd.IPS:1986:AP) has been appointed as an Adviser to the state government for two years. He will be based at AP Bhawan in New Delhi.
The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has failed to find a suitable candidate for the post of Chairman & Managing Director (CMD), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) at a selection meeting held on February 1, 2025. The PESB interviewed 12 candidates for the job following which it advised the Administrative Ministry/ Department to take an appropriate course of action for selection including the search cum selection committee (SCSC) or as deemed appropriate with the approval of the competent authority.
The CMD post in BPCL set to fall vacant on May 1, 2025. Currently, G Krishnakumar is serving as CMD of BPCL.
During the selection meeting, the following 12 candidates were interviewed:
Vetsa Ramakrishna Gupta, Director (Finance), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL)
Khanna S, Director (Refineries), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL)
Manoj Heda, Executive Director, (International Trade and Risk Management), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL)
Sachidananda Maharana has been selected for appointment as Director (Finance), Numaligarh Refinery Limited at a Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) meeting held on February 1, 2025. Presently, he is serving as Chief General Manager (F&A), Oil India Limited.
He will be appointed to the post of Director (Finance) after receiving vigilance clearances and approval from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
The following 10 applicants were interviewed in the selection meeting:
Pratul Kumar Saikia, Chief General Manager( Finance), Numaligarh Refinery Limited
Sachidananda Maharana, Chief General Manager (F&A), Oil India Limited
Abhijit Das, Chief General Manager (F&A-BD), Oil India Limited
Mritunjay Acharjee, General Manager (Finance), Numaligarh Refinery Limited
Uttam Paul, General Manager, HOD-CF & GM (F&A)-Noida, Oil India Limited
Jumani Saikia Nath, Deputy General Manager, Numaligarh Refinery Limited
Jayanta Kamal Datta, Deputy General Manager (Finance), Numaligarh Refinery Limited
Surinder Pal Singh Chawla, Chief General Manager (Finance), Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Limited
B Karthikeyan, Chief General Manager, Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Limited
Ajit Kumar Mishra has been selected for appointment Director (Works), IRCON International Limited at a Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) meeting held on February 1, 2025. Presently, he is serving as Executive Director, Contract Management, Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation Of India Limited (DFCCIL).
He will be appointed to the post of Director (Works) after receiving vigilance clearances and approval from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
The following 11 applicants were interviewed in the selection meeting:
Surender Singh, Executive Director/ Projects, Ircon International Limited
Jayasankar VK, Project Director, Ircon International Limited
Debajyoti Kumar, Executive Director/Technical, Ircon International Limited
Masood Ahmad, Chief General Manager/Director, Highways/SPVs, Ircon International Limited
Vinit Kumar, Chief General Manager/Civil, Ircon International Limited
Mohan Singh, Chief General Manager CGM/PH, Ircon International Limited
Mahesh Kumar, Chief General Manager CGM/Mokama (Project Head), Ircon International Limited
Lalit Kumar, Executive Director, Rites Limited
Baldev Singh Jaryal, General Manager/ Business Development & Project Coordination, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited
Ajit Kumar Mishra, Executive Director, Contract Management, Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation Of India Limited
Alok Mishra, Chief Track Engineer, Northern Railway, Ministry of Railways
Hari Kumar R has been selected for appointment as Director (Research & Development), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) at a Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) meeting held on February 1, 2025. Presently, he is serving as General Manager, Technology Planning, BEL.
He will be appointed to the post of Director (Research & Development) after receiving vigilance clearances and approval from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
The following 7 applicants were interviewed in the selection meeting:
Prabha Goyal, Executive Director National Marketing- Delhi, Bharat Electronics Limited
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her record eighth consecutive budget on Saturday, outlining the government’s plans for taxation, spending, and economic growth. The budget contained various measures that aims to ease the burden on the middle class struggling with high prices and stagnant wage growth while being fiscally prudent at the same time.
With this budget, as the President of India said, the government wishes to lift the economy out of the state of “policy paralysis” despite global concerns such as aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic and war-related uncertainties.
The Indian economy is expected to grow at 6.3-6.8 percent in 2025-26, as per the Economic Survey tabled on Friday.
There is a host of the key officials who work overtime to shape up the country’s fiscal future at least for a year. These officials work behind the scenes to draft policies that impact every sector of the economy. Have a look at them.
Tuhin Kanta Pandey, Finance & Revenue Secretary
A 1987 batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre, Tuhin Kanta Pandey is responsible for revenue generation through taxation while addressing demands for tax cuts and incentives. He is currently overseeing the revamp of income tax laws, which may be introduced in the upcoming parliamentary session.
V Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Adviser
As the Chief Economic Adviser, Nageswaran is tasked with analyzing the country’s economic health and proposing reforms to boost growth. He played a key role in preparing the Economic Survey, which serves as the foundation for many budgetary decisions.
Manoj Govil, Secretary, Department of Expenditure
A 1991 batch IAS officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, Manoj Govil plays a crucial role in managing government spending. His responsibilities include subsidy rationalization, funding centrally sponsored schemes, and improving public expenditure efficiency. Balancing welfare spending with fiscal discipline remains one of his primary challenges.
Ajay Seth, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs
A 1987 batch IAS officer from the Karnataka cadre, Ajay Seth heads the Department of Economic Affairs. He has been instrumental in maintaining macroeconomic stability and balancing fiscal consolidation with growth-oriented policies. His department also plays a key role in shaping economic policies amid global financial uncertainties.
M Nagaraju, Secretary, Department of Financial Services
A 1993 batch IAS officer of the Tripura cadre, M Nagaraju oversees the Department of Financial Services, ensuring the smooth flow of credit, regulating fintech companies, and expanding the insurance sector. His role is critical in maintaining financial sector stability.
Arunish Chawla, Secretary, DIPAM & DPE
A 1992 batch IAS officer from the Bihar cadre, Arunish Chawla leads the government’s disinvestment and asset monetization efforts. He played a significant role in the strategic sale of IDBI Bank and other state-run enterprises while working on asset monetization plans to generate revenue for public spending.
These officials, working tirelessly behind the scenes, ensure that India’s budget is not just an annual financial statement but a roadmap for the nation’s economic future. Their expertise and decision-making shape policies that impact every sector, from taxation and public spending to investment and economic stability.
The Gujarat government on Saturday (01.02.2025) promoted four IAS officers of the 2000 batch to the Higher Administrative Grade (HAG) Pay Scale (Level 15 in the Pay Matrix) in the rank of Principal Secretary.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on Saturday (01.02.2025) effected a major Joint Secretary level reshuffle by appointing seventeen officers from various services, batches and cadres to Joint Secretary/Joint Secretary equivalent level posts.
The names of the officers and their postings are as follows;
Petal Dhillon (IRTS:2002) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce, for a tenure of five years in place of Anant Swarup (IRPS:1992).
Abhinav Gupta (IRS-C&IT:2004) has been appointed as Additional DG, Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under the Department of Commerce, for a tenure of five years. Gupta replaces S C Agarwal (IRS-C&IT:1994).
Santosh Kumar Verma (IRSS:1995) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, for a tenure of five years by temporarily upgrading a vacant post of Director in the Department vice Vineet Mathur (IPoS:1994)
Samar Nanda (IRS-C&IT:2004) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture, for a tenure of five years vice Mugdha Sinha (IAS:1999:RJ).
D Anandan (IAS:2000:SK) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Expenditure, for a tenure of five years in place of Amit Singh Negi (IAS:1999:UD).
Dr Madhu Rani Teotia (IAS:2008: AGMUT) has been appointed as Additional CEO, National Heath Authority (NHA) for a combined tenure of 7 years i.e. up to 04.10.2027 in place of Basant Garg (IAS:2005:PB).
Sanjay Mehrishi (IOFS:1991) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, National Health Authority (NHA) till his superannuation on 30.06.2027.
Vijay Nehra (IAS:2001:GJ) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Health & Family Welfare, for an overall tenure of five years up to 31.10.2028 vice P Ashok Babu (IAS:2003:AM).
Praveer Kumar (IA&AS:1999) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), for a tenure of five years in place of Deepak Agarwal (IAS:2000:UP).
Ajay Nagabhushan Mn (IAS:2004:KN) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, for a tenure of five years.
Sanjay Chilwarwar (IRSSE:1997) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) till retirement on 31.08.2029 vice Lalit Bohra (IRTS: 1998).
Udit Agrawal (IAS:2008:GJ) has been appointed as Joint Director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie, for a tenure of five years vice Radhika Rastogi (IAS:1995:MH).
Pankaj Kumar (ITS:1991) has been appointed as Joint Secretary (Logistics), Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT), for a tenure up to his superannuation on 31.10.2028 vice V Radha (IAS:1994:MH).
Vikas Anand (IAS:2002:AGMUT) has been appointed as CEO, National Land Monetization Corporation (NLMC) under the Department of Public Enterprises, for an overall tenure of five years up to 16.02.2028.
Rajesh Lakhani (IAS:1992:TN) has been appointed as Commissioner, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) under the Department of School Education & Literacy, for a tenure up to the date of his superannuation on 31.05.2029 in place of Vinayak Garg (IRSEE: 1995).
Dr Shankari Murali (lCAS:1991) has been appointed as Joint Secretary & Financial Adviser, Department of Space, for a tenure up to her superannuation on 28.02.2027. He replaces M Maheshwar Rao (IAS:1995:KN) by temporarily downgrading the vacant post of AS&FA.
Manish Thakur (IAS:1998:AM) has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, for a tenure of five years vice R Jaya (IAS:1995:TN) in place of Ms R Jaya (IAS:1995:TN).
The Andhra Pradesh government has extended the suspension of senior IPS officer N Sanjay until May 31, 2025. It was decided after a review by the suspension committee. The general administration department issued an order in this regard on Friday.
A 1996 batch IPS officer, Sanjay, was suspended on Dec 3, 2024 following allegations of serious misconduct during his tenure as Additional Director General (ADG) of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) and as Director General (DG) of AP state disaster response and fire services.
After the Union home ministry confirmed the suspension, a review committee was constituted to examine the case. The committee met on Wednesday and recommended an extension of Sanjay’s suspension.
Additionally, articles of charge were issued against him under Rule 8 of the AIS (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1969, indicating that disciplinary proceedings are ongoing.
The government has directed the state’s Director General of Police (DGP) to take necessary follow-up actions regarding the extension order.
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