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Bihar govt posts 13 IAS officers as Collectors & District Magistrates in major reshuffle

By
LO Bureau
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Bihar IAS using charter plane

The Bihar government on Monday (December 8, 2025) carried out a major reshuffle in district-level administration by posting 13 IAS officers as Collectors and District Magistrates. Of these, four officers who were already serving as District Magistrates have been transferred to new districts, while nine officers from the 2018 batch, earlier posted in various departments, have been appointed as District Magistrates in nine districts.

The names of the officers and their postings are as follows;
  1. Shrikant Shastri (IAS:2012:BH), Collector and District Magistrate, Aurangabad, has been transferred and posted as Collector and District Magistrate, Begusarai.
  2. Taranjot Singh (IAS:2017:BH), Collector and District Magistrate, Madhepura, has been transferred and posted as Collector and District Magistrate, West Champaran (Bettiah)
  3. Vivek Ranjan Maitrey (IAS:2017:BH), Collector and District Magistrate, Sheohar, has been transferred and posted as Collector and District Magistrate, Siwan.
  4. Abhilasha Sharma (IAS:2017:BH), Collector and District Magistrate, Arwal, has been transferred and posted as Collector and District Magistrate, Aurangabad.
  5. Ashutosh Dwivedi (IAS:2018:BH), Joint Secretary, Building Construction Department with additional charge of OSD, Disaster Management and State Transport Commissioner, Transport Department, has been transferred as Collector and District Magistrate of Katihar.
  6. Pratibha Rani (IAS:2018:BH), Project Director, Bihar AIDS Control Society, Patna with additional charge of Mission Director, Jal-Jeevan-Haryali, Rural Development, has been transferred and posted as Collector and District Magistrate, Sheohar.
  7. Vaibhav Srivastava (IAS:2018:BH), Director, Information and Public Relations Department with additional charge of MD, Bihar State Dialogue Commission, has been transferred as Collector and District Magistrate, Chhapra.
  8. Vinod Duhan (IAS:2018:BH), Director, Mines & Geology, has been posted as Collector and District Magistrate, Araria.
  9. Abhishek Ranjan (IAS:2018:BH), Director, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry, has been transferred as Collector and District Magistrate of Madhepura.
  10. Shekhar Anand (IAS:2018:BH), Director, Technical Development, Industries Department, has been transferred as Collector and District Magistrate of Shekhpura.
  11. Amrisha Bains (IAS:2018:BH), OSD, Energy Department, has been transferred and posted as Collector and District Magistrate, Arwal.
  12. Sahila (IAS:2018:BH), Director, Elementary Education, Education Department, has been transferred and posted as Collector and District Magistrate, Buxar.
  13. Nitin Kumar Singh (IAS:2018:BH), Director, Agriculture Department, has been transferred as Collector and District Magistrate, Kaimur (Bhabua).

UP Government Promotes 24 IAS Officers

By
LO Bureau
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Indian Administrative Service

The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday issued promotion orders for 24 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, of which four officers from the 2001 batch have been elevated to the rank of Principal Secretary, while the remaining 20 officers from the 2010 batch have been promoted to the rank of Special Secretary.

They are;

Principal Secretary Rank;

  1. Shashi Bhushan Lal Sushil
  2. Ajay Kumar Shukla
  3. Aparna U
  4. SVS Ranga Rao

Special Secretary Rank:

  1. Akhand Pratap Singh
  2. Durga Shakti Nagpal
  3. K Balaji
  4. Ashutosh Niranjan
  5. Kumar Prashant
  6. Neha Sharma
  7. Monika Rani
  8. Sujeet Kumar
  9. Sandeep Kaur
  10. Shambhu Kumar
  11. Sanjay Kumar Khatri
  12. Yogesh Kumar
  13. Nitish Kumar
  14. Bhawani S Khagrawat
  15. Ravindra Kumar
  16. Nagendra Pratap
  17. Divya Prakash Giri
  18. Om Prakash Arya
  19. Krishna Kumar
  20. Sudha Verma

Know the man who is PM Modi’s closest adviser and crisis manager  

By
LO Bureau
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TV Somanathan IAS

Ever knew the man who advises Prime Minister Narendra Modi on how to sail through complicated national affairs and coordinates between ministries? He is the Prime Minister’s principal adviser and crisis manager. Interestingly, he is not a politician but an IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre. Meet Dr. T. V. Somanathan—India’s Cabinet Secretary- the topmost executive official, the senior-most civil servant, and the most influential bureaucrat in this country.

He is virtually the conflicts manager of the Modi Cabinet, who resolves differences among ministries and departments and ensures smooth transaction of government business. He leads coordination during national crises and emergencies. His office also submits monthly reports from all ministries to the President, Vice President, and union ministers.

As a Cabinet Secretary, Somanathan is the head of civil services and ex-officio chairman of the Civil Services Board and thus heads the entire IAS cadre. Somanathan is today sitting at the pinnacle of an IAS career. 

The Cabinet Secretariat is located in South Block near the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and houses three sections—civil, military, and intelligence—with the civil wing being the most important as it supports the Union Cabinet. The Cabinet Secretariat played a major role during the removal of Article 370 and the reorganisation of Jammu & Kashmir into two Union Territories, coordinating between intelligence agencies and the central government.

Somanathan’s contribution has been immense to the Modi government’s performance, as he was also responsible for spearheading several initiatives when the centre’s earnings were damaged owing to the pandemic, especially between 2020 and 2021, including enforcing expenditure limitations on various ministries and departments across the central government.

Somanathan was also instrumental in the implementation of landmark programs like ‘PM Gareeb Kalyan’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat,’ which was announced during the initial wave of COVID-19.

Somanathan is a highly qualified bureaucrat holding a PhD in economics from Calcutta University and is a qualified chartered accountant, cost accountant, and company secretary. Later he completed an Executive Development Program at Harvard.

His vast and variegated career includes serving as finance secretary, working in the PMO and holding a top position at the World Bank apart from his crucial stints in the Tamil Nadu government.

Despite maintaining a high-tension job profile in his career, Somanathan has authored two books and penned several chapters. He has more than 80 papers and articles published on public policy, finance, and economics in journals and the media under his belt.

UP cadre IAS officer Anamika Singh seeks voluntary retirement

By
LO Bureau
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Anamika Singh IAS

Senior IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, Anamika Singh (IAS:2004:UP), has applied for voluntary retirement citing personal reasons. She is currently serving as the Commissioner, Food and Civil Supplies in the state government.

According to reports, Anamika Singh was keen on going on central deputation but was reportedly upset after she did not receive the required No Objection Certificate (NOC). Though there is no official confirmation linking the two developments, the timing of her decision has triggered discussions in administrative circles.

She is known in official circles as an active and efficient officer with a strong professional reputation.

UPSC says no vacancy for Haryana DGP post; returns govt’s proposal to set up panel

By
LO Bureau
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Haryana Map

 

A new twist has surfaced in the appointment process of the new police chief for Haryana, with the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) returning the state government’s proposal to prepare a panel of three IPS officers for appointment of the new DGP. The UPSC has stated that no vacancy as such exists at this point, as the existing DGP Shatrujeet Kapur (IPS:1990:HY) is only on leave and could resume his duty at any time.

It should be noted here that Kapur had been asked to proceed on leave on October 14 amid the growing clamour for his ouster following the suicide of a fellow IPS officer, Y Puran Kumar (IPS:2001:HY).

The Haryana government had recently sent a proposal containing the names of five IPS officers to the UPSC for shortlisting three names.

The commission has stated in its communication that the state government is required to send its proposal only if there is an anticipation of the vacancy. But, since Shatrujeet Kapur is merely on leave and can join back as DGP anytime, there would be no vacancy after the retirement of officiating DGP, OP Singh (IPS:1992:HR). Singh was only given the additional charge of the state DGP during the leave period of Kapur. He is scheduled to retire on December 31

The five names sent to the UPSC for shortlisting by the state govt were:

• Shatrujeet Kapur (IPS:1990:HY), On leave
• Sanjeev Kumar Jain (IPS:1991:HY), DGP, Haryana Human Rights Commission
• Ajay Singhal (IPS:1992:HY), DGP, Vigilance & ACB
• Alok Kumar Mittal (IPS:1993:HY), MD, Haryana Police Housing Corporation
• Arshinder Singh Chawla (IPS:1993:HY), Director, Haryana Police Academy, Madhuban

The name of officiating DGP O P Singh was not included in the list as he is retiring on December 31 and as per the Supreme Court’s guidelines, an officer must have at least six months of service remaining to be eligible for the post.

Now, if the Haryana government is disinclined to retain Satrujeet Kapur as DGP after he returns from leave, the state govt will have to send a fresh proposal to the commission explaining the key element—occurrence of vacancy.

FCI Punjab GM Post: Will Tradition Hold or Centre Break Convention?

By
LO Bureau
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Food Corporation of India

As the three-year tenure of B Srinivasan (IAS:2011:PB), General Manager of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) Punjab Region, ends on December 31, 2025, uncertainty looms over whether the long-standing convention of appointing a Punjab cadre IAS officer will continue or a departure from long-standing tradition is on the cards.

By convention, the FCI Punjab GM post, headquartered in Chandigarh, has always been held by a Punjab cadre IAS officer since the inception of the corporation. However, sources indicate that this time an AGMUT cadre IAS officer may be appointed after Srinivasan’s tenure concludes. This information has been doing the rounds in the power corridors of Delhi and Chandigarh since mid-October 2025.

Amid these developments, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, on November 6, wrote to Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, cautioning that the appointment of an AGMUT cadre officer could create disharmony and raise doubts among farmers, arhtiyas, labourers and other stakeholders.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government has already sent two panels of officers to the Centre for approval. According to sources, the first panel included Shena Aggarwal (IAS:2012:PB), Sanyam Aggarwal (IAS:2012:PB) and Amrit Singh (IAS:2014:PB). This panel was returned by the Centre citing certain objections. The state government then sent a second panel, which again, as per sources, included Shena Aggarwal and Sanyam Aggarwal along with a new name, Deepti Utpal (IAS:2011:PB).

However, no decision has yet been taken by the Central government on either of the panels. With the tenure-end deadline approaching fast, all eyes remain on whether tradition will prevail or a precedent-setting change will take place. (By-Rajeev Singh)

AI, ML to Drive Consumer-Centric Power Distribution: Manohar Lal

By
LO Bureau
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) based applications will play a decisive role in building intelligent, consumer-centric and self-optimizing power distribution networks, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal said while addressing the two-day National Conference on AI/ML in Power Distribution at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi today.

The conference was organised under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) to promote large-scale adoption of digital technologies across India’s power distribution utilities. Senior officials from the Centre and states, DISCOMs, technology providers, industry leaders, innovators and academia participated in the event.

Highlighting the impact of emerging technologies, the Power Minister said that smart meter analytics, digital twins, predictive maintenance, theft-detection intelligence, appliance-level consumer insights, automated outage prediction and GenAI-based decision support systems have the potential to completely transform consumer experience as well as operational efficiency of DISCOMs.

Manohar Lal appreciated the active participation of Distribution Companies (DISCOMs), Advanced Metering Infrastructure Service Providers (AMISPs), Technology Solution Providers (TSPs) and Home Automation Solution Providers (HASPs). He said the solutions presented at the conference reflected the growing maturity of India’s power sector in adopting advanced digital tools.

The Minister urged DISCOMs to work closely with all ecosystem stakeholders to move towards smart, reliable and consumer-focused distribution systems. He stressed the importance of consumer engagement and said misinformation surrounding new technologies must be addressed to ensure public trust and smooth adoption of digital solutions.

He observed that AI and ML-based systems can help restore trust in the electricity sector by empowering households to manage their consumption better, predicting outages before they occur, protecting honest consumers from theft-related losses and enabling DISCOMs to reduce financial losses, optimise power purchase costs and reinvest in stronger infrastructure. He said these efforts position India as a global leader in digital electricity reform and future-ready grid governance.

Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal, in his address, reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to strengthening digitalisation across DISCOMs. He said the focus is on adopting AI and ML solutions that deliver measurable operational and financial improvements. He also highlighted the need for large-scale capacity building, secure data-sharing frameworks and strong interoperability standards to ensure that successful innovations can be implemented nationwide.

As part of the national call for innovation, a total of 195 applications were received from DISCOMs, AMISPs, technology solution providers and home automation companies. After detailed screening, 51 solutions were shortlisted for jury evaluation on the first day of the conference held on December 6, 2025.

Following the final evaluation, Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) and MP East Discom were declared winners in the DISCOM category. Tata Power and Apraava Energy won in the AMISP category, Pravah and Flock Energy were selected in the solution provider category, while Tata Power won in the home automation solutions category.

The winning organisations made detailed presentations highlighting data-driven innovations. TNPDCL showcased advanced smart-meter analytics for revenue protection, while MP East demonstrated accurate consumer indexing systems to reduce distribution losses. AMISPs such as TP Power Plus and Apraava Energy presented behavioural demand response tools and AI-based operational automation. Technology providers Pravah and Flock Energy showcased unified real-time grid intelligence and consumer appliance analytics, while Tata Power presented a futuristic and user-friendly solution for monitoring and controlling household energy consumption.

The winners were felicitated by the Power Minister, who encouraged them to scale up these solutions across states for wider national impact.

During the event, Union Power Minister also launched the STELLAR (Strategic Expansion for Long-Term Load Adequacy and Resilience) platform developed by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). The platform will enable DISCOMs to carry out detailed resource adequacy studies and prepare long-term power adequacy plans.

In addition, the India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF) launched a comprehensive handbook on AI, ML, AR/VR and Robotics solutions for electric utilities. The handbook outlines 174 practical use cases, including 45 from Indian utilities, providing a clear roadmap for digital transformation of the power distribution sector.

Punjab & Haryana HC pulls up Punjab govt over IAS officer holding dual charge in PSPCL and Transco

By
LO Bureau
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HC slaps penalty on IAS

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has pulled up the Punjab government for not giving a clear reply on IAS officers holding top posts in both Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and Punjab Transmission Corporation Limited (Transco).

Justice Harpreet Singh Brar said he was not satisfied with the “evasive and perfunctory” affidavit filed by the Principal Secretary, Power. He also noted that the state had already been given two chances. The court said there was no reason to seek more time, but still granted one last chance and fixed December 15 as the next date of hearing.

The court pointed out that PSPCL and Transco are autonomous bodies and are supposed to work independently, yet both are being headed by the same IAS officer, Ajoy Kumar Sinha, who is also Principal Secretary (Power). The court had earlier asked the Chief Secretary to file a personal affidavit explaining this arrangement.

The matter comes from petitions filed against PSPCL and others through senior advocate Amit Jhanji and counsels Manu K. Bhandari and H.C. Arora. The petitioners said that after the bifurcation of the Punjab State Electricity Board, the state notified the Power Sector Reforms Transfer Scheme on April 16, 2010, under a tripartite agreement to transfer functions, assets, liabilities and personnel between PSPCL and Transco.

However, the petitioners argued that the state did not fully follow the scheme because it did not set up the required committee to oversee the transfer and absorption of staff. The High Court will now examine the issue of control and functioning of both power companies at the next hearing.

Also Read: HC objects to IAS officer holding triple charge and heading two autonomous bodies simultaneously

UP IAS Kamini Ratan Chauhan posted as Principal Secretary in Sales Tax Deptt

By
LO Bureau
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IAS Officer Kamini Ratan Chauhan

Senior IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, Kamini Ratan Chouhan (IAS:1997:UP), has finally been posted as Principal Secretary in the Sales Tax Department by the Yogi Adityanath government in the state. An official order to this effect was issued on December 6. She was awaiting posting after returning to her parent cadre from central deputation recently.

Chouhan has replaced M M Devraj (IAS:1996:UP), who was holding the post in an additional charge since August 16, 2024.

Chouhan served as Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser in the Petroleum Ministry during her deputation stint at the Centre. She had moved to the Ministry on November 22, 2022, and returned to UP last month after completing her deputation tenure at the Centre.

During her previous tenure of central deputation that began in December 2019, Chouhan served as Joint Secretary in the Department of Higher Education. She continued in that role until she was empanelled for Additional Secretary–level posts in October 2022.

India has emerged as a global innovation powerhouse: P K Mishra, PM’s Principal Secy

By
LO Bureau
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PK Mishra
PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to PM

A renowned former bureaucrat and currently the principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, P K Mishra, described India as a global innovation powerhouse with over 100 unicorns and more than two lakh startups, making it the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world.

Mishra said this while addressing the Centenary Foundation Week of the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, on Dec 3.

He called on IIT Dhanbad to drive Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed India, or Viksit Bharat, by 2047 by underscoring its pivotal role in India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation. It was the occasion of the celebrations of the institute’s 100-year legacy.

Mishra urged the institute to reflect on its role, as the goal of India is to achieve the status of a developed country while balancing nature and culture and leading globally in science and technology. He emphasized that India will be atmanirbhar (self-dependent) across all sectors, women will lead the development story, the economy will be inclusive and innovative, and corruption, casteism, and communalism will have no place in national life.

Mishra elaborated on the immense contributions of the institution to mining, energy, earth sciences, and applied engineering. While describing IIT Dhanbad as a pioneer in mining education in Asia, Mishra said it has consistently provided expertise to national institutions such as Coal India, ONGC, GSI, CMPDI, and NTPC. Its research outcomes have shaped national standards in mine safety, coal exploration, oil and gas, and mineral beneficiation, Mishra added.

 

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