Tamil Nadu is likely to get an acting Director General of Police (DGP) with the incumbent, Shankar Jiwal(IPS:1990:TN), set to retire on August 31. According to reports, the state government has not yet forwarded the panel of eligible DGP-rank officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), leaving the succession question unresolved.
In the absence of a UPSC-approved panel, the state government will be compelled to make an ad hoc arrangement by appointing an acting DGP, until a regular appointment is made in line with Supreme Court guidelines.
Meanwhile, Jiwal’s post-retirement assignment has already been finalised. He will take charge as the Chairman of the newly constituted Fire Commission from September 1, a body set up to oversee fire safety reforms and modernisation.
The tenure of Dr Rajiv Bahl as Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Secretary, Department of Health Research, has been extended for two years.
According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Thursday (August 28, 2025), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the extension of his tenure for a further period of two years with effect from October 7, 2025.
Dr Bahl was first appointed to the post on September 23, 2022, for a period of three years. Before taking charge at ICMR, he served as Head of Research on Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health, and Head of the Newborn Unit in the Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland.
Senior IPS officer Alok Ranjan (IPS:1991:MP), currently serving as Director of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), has been granted the Apex pay scale (Level 17).
According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Thursday (August 28, 2025), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs for the grant of the Apex Pay Scale to Mr. Ranjan with immediate effect.
Alok Ranjan was appointed as Director of the NCRB on September 22, 2024, replacing Vivek Gogia (IPS:1991:AGMUT). He will continue to head the organisation until his superannuation in June 2026.
The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday (August 28, 2025) announced the formation of a new Fire Commission and appointed the state’s current Head of Police Force (HoPF), Shankar Jiwal (IPS:1990:TN), as its first chairman with effect from September 1. Notably, Jiwal is scheduled to retire on August 31.
The Fire Commission has been constituted to implement the assurance made by Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, who also holds the Home portfolio, on the floor of the Assembly on May 10, 2022. The commission is tasked with recommending the adoption of new technological innovations in fire and life rescue operations, regulating the issuance of fire licences and fire safety certificates for buildings, and suggesting training programmes to strengthen the capacity of fire and rescue services personnel.
Apart from Jiwal as chairman, the commission will include an Additional Director (Administration), the Member-Secretary of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), former Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD) K. P. Sathyamurthy, and retired fire service officer M. Namasivayam as full-time members. Dr. A. M. Ikram, Fire Marshal Secretary of the Indian Medical Association at Christian Medical College, Vellore, will serve as a part-time member.
In a significant reshuffle in the police administration, the Tamil Nadu government on Friday (August 29, 2025) issued transfer and posting orders for nine IPS officers. Notably, S Lakshmi has been entrusted with a crucial new role as Inspector General of Police, Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Special Investigation Cell-II, Chennai.
The names of the officers and their postings are as follows;
Anisa Husain (IPS:2001:TN), IGP, Special Investigation Division, Crime Branch CID, Chennai, has been transferred and posted as IGP, Idol Wing CID, Chennai, vice S. Lakshmi.
S Lakshmi (IPS:2006:TN), IGP, Idol Wing CID, Chennai, has been posted as IGP, Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, SIC-II, Chennai, in the existing vacancy.
Dr Sonal Chandra (IPS:2008:TN), IPS, DIG (on repatriation from Central Deputation), has been posted as DIG / Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic (North), Greater Chennai Police.
G Jawahar (IPS:2016:TN), SP, North Zone, Crime Branch CID, Chennai, has been posted as SP, Metro Zone, Crime Branch CID, Chennai. He will also hold additional charge of SP, North Zone, Crime Branch CID, Chennai.
R Sughasini (IPS), Deputy Commissioner of Police, Headquarters, Coimbatore City, has been posted as DCP, Traffic (West), Greater Chennai Police.
MP Dhivya (IPS), Additional SP, Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Coimbatore, has been promoted to the rank of SP and posted as DCP, Headquarters, Coimbatore City.
BH Shajitha (IPS), Deputy Commandant, Tamil Nadu Special Police, VI Battalion, Madurai, has been promoted to the rank of SP and posted as SP, Coordination & Administration, Crime Branch CID, Chennai. She will also hold additional charge of SP, South Zone, Crime Branch CID, Chennai.
Dr P Vijaya Kumar (IPS:2004:TN), DIG / Joint Commissioner of Police, Law and Order (East), Greater Chennai Police, has been posted as DIG / Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic (South), Greater Chennai Police, Chennai.
Bandi Gangadhar (IPS:2011:TN), DIG / Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic (South), Greater Chennai Police, has been posted as DIG / Joint Commissioner of Police, Law and Order (East), Greater Chennai Police, Chennai.
The deputation tenure of Sanjay Mathur (IPS:1994:TN) as Joint Director in the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has been extended for one more year. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Wednesday (August 28, 2025), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the proposal to extend his tenure beyond August 15, 2025, completing nine years in total, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Mathur was appointed as Joint Director (IG level) in NCRB on July 5, 2017 for a period of five years and assumed charge on August 15, 2017. Before the completion of his initial tenure in August 2022, he was granted a two-year extension in April 2022. Later, in July 2024, he was given another one-year extension till August 15, 2025. The latest approval marks his third extension.
The deputation tenure of Ashwin Shenvi (IPS:2006:HY) as Joint Director in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been extended for one more year. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Tuesday (August 27, 2025), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the proposal to extend her tenure beyond September 6, 2025, completing six years in total, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Ashwin Shenvi was appointed to the CBI on July 22, 2020 for an initial tenure of five years and assumed charge on September 6, 2020.
In a key development, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved a six-month extension in service for Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Tuesday (August 27, 2025), his tenure has been extended with effect from October 11, 2025, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Dr. Mohanty, who has been heading the DAE and Atomic Energy Commission since May 2023, was initially scheduled to demit office on October 10, 2025, upon attaining the age of 66 years.
A distinguished nuclear physicist, Dr. Mohanty previously served as Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) from March 2019 before assuming his current role. Over the years, he has contributed significantly to India’s nuclear research programs, reactor technologies, and advanced applications of atomic energy.
In a major development, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Dr. Urjit Patel, economist and former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), as Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a period of three years. According to the government order issued on Thursday (August 28, 2025), his appointment will be effective from the date he assumes charge, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
The position had been vacant since April 30, 2025, following the removal of Krishnamurthy Subramanian, whose term at the IMF ended six months before schedule. Subramanian, who took charge in November 2022, was relieved nearly four months ago, creating a key vacancy at the multilateral institution.
As Executive Director, Dr. Patel will serve on the IMF’s 24-member executive board, which plays a crucial role in reviewing national, regional, and global economic developments, approving financing packages for member countries to tackle balance of payments challenges, and overseeing the Fund’s capacity development activities.
Currently, Dr. Patel serves as Chairman of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), New Delhi, a position he assumed in June 2020. Widely respected for his expertise in macroeconomic management and fiscal policy, he has also held influential roles in India’s financial sector.
Dr. Patel was appointed as the 24th Governor of the RBI on September 4, 2016, succeeding Dr. Raghuram Rajan. His tenure saw significant monetary policy decisions, including the implementation of the inflation-targeting framework under the Monetary Policy Committee. However, he resigned from the post citing personal reasons on December 10, 2018, becoming the first RBI governor since 1990 to step down before completing his term.
Notably, this is not Dr. Patel’s first association with the IMF. Between 1996 and 1997, he worked on deputation from the IMF to the Reserve Bank of India, where he advised on developing India’s debt market, reforming the banking sector, updating pension funds, and evolving the foreign exchange market. From 1998 to 2001, he also served as a consultant for the Ministry of Finance’s Department of Economic Affairs, further deepening his role in shaping India’s financial architecture.
Over his distinguished career, Dr. Patel has contributed in both public policy and the private sector, making his return to the IMF a strategically important appointment for India’s representation at the global financial institution. His expertise is expected to strengthen India’s voice in discussions on international financial stability, monetary reforms, and developmental financing.
In a key development, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved a one-year extension for Satish Kumar (IRSME:1986), Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Railway Board. Kumar, who was due to retire on August 31, 2025, will now continue in office till August 31, 2026, on a re-employment contract basis.
According to a government order dated August 27, 2025, “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the extension in tenure of Satish Kumar, Indian Railway Management Service, as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Railway Board, for a further period of one year with effect from 1.9.2025 on re-employment on contract basis, on existing terms and conditions or until further orders, whichever is earlier.”
Kumar assumed charge as Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board on September 1, 2024. Prior to this, he served as Member, Traction and Rolling Stock, a crucial post that oversees the vital domains of traction and rolling stock operations across the Indian Railways.
An officer of the 1986 batch of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME), Kumar’s career spans over 34 years. He has held several key assignments in different divisions, zones, and production units of Indian Railways, including the Jhansi Division of the erstwhile Central Railway, Diesel Locomotive Works in Varanasi, North Eastern Railway, Patiala Locomotive Works, Lucknow Division of Northern Railway, Jaipur Division of North Western Railway, and the North Central Railway.
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