The Punjab government on Wednesday (September 10, 2025) announced the transfer and posting of three IPS officers. While one officer has been assigned additional charge, two others have been given fresh postings. In a key change, Ravjot Grewal has been appointed as SSP Tarn Taran, replacing Deepak Pareek.
The names of the officers and their postings are as follows;
Jagadale Nilambari Vijay (IPS:2008:PB), DIG, Counter Intelligence, SAS Nagar, has been given additional charge of DIG, Faridkot Range, Faridkot.
Deepak Pareek (IPS:2014:PB), SSP Tarn Taran, has been transferred and posted as AIG, SSOC, SAS Nagar.
Ravjot Grewal (IPS:2015:PB), Joint Director, IVC & SU, Vigilance Bureau, has been transferred and posted as SSP, Tarn Taran.
The Madras High Court on Thursday (September 11, 2025) dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the appointment of G Venkatraman (IPS:1994:TN) as in-charge Director General of Police/Head of Police Force (DGP/HoPF) in Tamil Nadu.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan held that an ad hoc appointment was necessary to ensure continuity until a regular DGP is appointed, and such interim arrangements cannot be questioned.
The Bench further noted that the Supreme Court had already issued directions on September 8 regarding the regular appointment of a DGP, making the current challenge to the stopgap arrangement untenable.
The petition was filed by R. Varadaraj, a former Inspector of Police turned advocate and president of Nethaji Makkal Katchi, who argued that the State should have appointed a regular DGP from among eligible IPS officers instead of delaying the process through an ad hoc posting.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday (September 11, 2025) announced the appointment of Abhishek Singh (IFS:2003) as India’s next High Commissioner to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He is currently serving as a Joint Secretary in the MEA and is expected to assume charge in Abuja shortly.
Singh is a 2003-batch Indian Foreign Service officer with substantial diplomatic experience. He previously served as India’s Ambassador to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, having been appointed to that post in February 2020 after a stint as Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India, Kabul.
The MEA’s short statement confirming his Nigeria appointment read: “Shri Abhishek Singh (IFS:2003), presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly.”
His prior postings in conflict-sensitive and strategically important missions including Kabul and Caracas and recent headquarters experience position him to handle the political, consular and commercial dimensions of the India-Nigeria relationship.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday (September 10, 2025) announced the appointment of Dr. Adarsh Swaika (IFS:2002) as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Kenya.
Dr. Swaika, a senior diplomat from the 2002 batch of the Indian Foreign Service, is currently serving as India’s Ambassador to Kuwait. He is expected to assume charge in Nairobi shortly.
Confirming the development, the MEA said in a statement: “Dr. Adarsh Swaika, presently Ambassador of India to Kuwait, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Kenya.”
The Kerala government has issued a circular instructing officials to prefix the Malayalam honorific “bahumanapetta” (meaning “honourable”) before the names of the Chief Minister and state ministers in replies to public petitions, reversing an earlier push to remove such salutations from official correspondence. The Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department’s directive is dated August 30, 2025.
The order, circulated to all secretariat departments, district collectors and office heads, requires that replies to petitioners explicitly note that the grievance has been placed before the “bahumanapetta” Chief Minister or the relevant minister. Critics say the instruction prioritises ceremonial deference over plain-language communication and efficient grievance redressal.
The move comes two years after Palakkad human-rights activist Boban Mattumantha petitioned the state to ban honorifics such as “bahumanapetta” in official correspondence, calling them undemocratic and a relic of feudal and colonial usage. Mattumantha’s campaign also targeted phrases that imply supplication in petitions; his efforts prompted earlier administrative changes on some form-wording, but the new circular goes the other way on ministerial salutations.
Officials involved in the file noting argued both sides for months. While some protocol officers defended honorifics as markers of respect and culture, legal and administrative notes accepted that there was no statutory bar on using the honorific for top offices — and the Personnel & Administrative Reforms Department ultimately cleared the circular. Observers say the decision reflects the administrative priorities of the State’s leadership.
Legal scholars and commentators have questioned the move against the backdrop of Article 18 of the Constitution, which prohibits the State from conferring titles (except military or academic distinctions). While Article 18 does not directly bar polite forms of address in routine correspondence, experts say the directive raises fresh questions about equality of citizens and the symbolic role of public language.
The circular has triggered debate on social media and among civil-service forums. Supporters say respectful protocol upholds institutional dignity; critics — including language reform advocates — argue that government communication should be neutral and citizen-centred, not ceremonial. The government has not issued any public statements beyond the circular itself.
In a major governance reform, the Maharashtra government is set to mandate that all municipal corporations in the state will be headed exclusively by IAS officers. The move comes after a series of corruption scandals and irregularities in smaller corporations, prompting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to direct the Urban Development Department (UDD) to amend existing rules to formalise the change.
The Centre’s Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) had earlier designated 14 major municipal corporations, including Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nagpur, Kolhapur, Kalyan-Dombivli, and Vasai-Virar, to be headed by IAS-cadre officers. However, the state government continued to appoint officers from the state services or the Chief Officer (CO) cadre, bypassing the directive. In some cases, such as the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC), even non-CO cadre officers were installed as commissioners.
Officials from the General Administration Department (GAD) and UDD admitted that appointing state cadre officers allowed local politicians greater control over civic bodies, resulting in mismanagement and corruption.
The controversy deepened after it emerged that in MBMC, two personal secretaries of former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde were appointed as commissioners. One of them, Dilip Dhole, faced an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe in a money-laundering case in August 2023. Similarly, Anil Pawar, former Vasai-Virar commissioner and a state services officer later promoted to IAS, was arrested by the ED on corruption charges. Even Nashik commissioner Kailash Jadhav, also promoted from the state services, has faced allegations of irregularities in recent years.
“Given this backdrop and increasing political interference in urban local bodies, particularly in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the CM has decided to ensure that only IAS officers head municipal corporations,” a senior GAD official confirmed. The UDD is preparing the proposal, which is expected to be cleared soon.
Bureaucrats are often seen as silent operators in public administration, but in Kerala, senior IAS officers are increasingly dominating headlines. Once again, suspended IAS officer Prasanth N(IAS:2007:KL) has launched a sharp attack on Chief Secretary A Jayathilak(IAS:1991:KL), this time over the controversial transfer ofB Ashok (IAS:1998:KL) to the Kerala Transport Development Finance Corporation (KTDFC) as Chairman—an order that was recently stayed by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT).
Prasanth alleged that Jayathilak committed serious procedural violations and misuse of authority in the posting of Ashok. In a strongly worded Facebook post, he mocked the Chief Secretary as “George Sir”—a reference to the villain in the Malayalam film Thudarum—and claimed that the transfer order contained over seven distinct legal violations. “Any IAS officer would see that the order was issued either without legal understanding or with only superficial knowledge of the law,” he wrote.
He further alleged that Secretariat staff had been warned against criticising the Chief Secretary, with threats of facing the same consequences as him if they did. According to Prasanth, a detailed list of Jayathilak’s alleged violations would “outsize any high-profile police scandal” and reveal a shocking number of victims.
Highlighting what he described as double standards, Prasanth questioned why ordinary citizens face strict punishment for small procedural lapses while senior bureaucrats allegedly escape accountability and even receive promotions.
In another post titled “George Sir overruled ministers”, Prasanth accused the state’s top leadership of branding whistleblowers as anti-government, allowing powerful officials to operate unchecked.
The feud between Prasanth and Jayathilak is not new. Their confrontation dates back to early 2024, months before Prasanth’s suspension in November 2024. In March 2024, he accused Jayathilak of tampering with digital records in the e-office system, claiming that dissent notes and critical file entries were erased to mislead ministers.
Despite repeated warnings, Prasanth continued to post on social media, directly criticising Jayathilak. His defiance led to suspension on charges of serious indiscipline and violation of All India Services conduct rules. A review committee later recommended his reinstatement, but the proposal was overruled after Jayathilak became Chief Secretary, and Prasanth’s suspension was extended for another 180 days.
Since then, Prasanth has projected himself as a whistleblower, accusing Jayathilak of bending rules, suppressing dissent, and misusing administrative power—escalating one of Kerala’s most high-profile bureaucratic confrontations.
The Union government on Wednesday (September 10, 2025) notified the appointment of six Additional Judges of the Bombay High Court as Permanent Judges of that High Court. The decision follows the Supreme Court Collegium’s recommendation made on August 25, 2025.
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) on Tuesday (September 9, 2025) announced the appointment of retired IAS officer Injeti Srinivas (Retd. IAS:1983:OR) as the new Chairperson of its Governing Board. His appointment, which took effect immediately, has also received approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Just a week earlier, Srinivas had joined the NSE as a Public Interest Director.
With an administrative career spanning over four decades, Srinivas brings vast experience in financial services, corporate regulation, governance, and public policy.
He was the founding Chairperson of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA), where he served from 2020 to 2023. During his tenure, he laid the foundation of India’s first international financial regulator and spearheaded initiatives in global banking, FinTech, sustainable finance, the funds ecosystem, and GCC-related services.
Earlier, as Union Corporate Affairs Secretary (2017–2020), Srinivas played a key role in overhauling corporate regulations. He introduced reforms in insolvency law, competition law, and company law, while also establishing the National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) and the Independent Directors’ databank. His efforts significantly strengthened corporate governance and CSR compliance frameworks.
Before that, Srinivas had served as Union Sports Secretary and Director General of the Sports Authority of India, where he is credited with conceptualising and launching the Khelo India programme, transforming the country’s sports governance system.
In addition, he has served on the boards of SEBI, LIC, and several state PSUs, making him one of the most experienced administrators in finance and governance.
Prasanta Kumar Das has been selected for appointment as Chairman & Managing Director (CMD), FCI Aravali Gypsum And Minerals India Limited (FAGMIL). The selection was made during a Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) meeting held on September 10, 2025. Mann is currently serving as General Manager-Marketing, IREL (India) Limited.
Following the PESB’s recommendation, his name has been forwarded to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) for final approval. His appointment will be subject to necessary vigilance clearances and the ACC’s nod.
The following 10 applicants were interviewed in the selection meeting:
Rajendra Singh Rathore, General Manager, FCI Aravali Gypsum And Minerals India Limited (FAGMIL)
Binod Kumar Gupta, Executive Director (Mining), Hindustan Copper Limited
Goutam Das, General Manager Project & Technical Department, National Aluminium Company Limited
Balgopal Raju, Assistant General Manager, National Aluminium Company Limited
Prasanta Kumar Das, General Manager-Marketing, IREL (India) Limited
Sachindra Singh, Chief General Manager, Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Limited
Neeraj Kumar, Chief General Manager- Unit Head, Centre for Applied R&D, NLC India Limited
Ajay Kumar, General Manager, BHEL, PS-PEM, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited.
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