Punya Salila Srivastava (IAS:1993:AGMUT), Secretary of the Department of Health and Family Welfare, has received an extension of her additional charge as Chairperson of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the extension for six months starting August 1, 2025, or until a regular incumbent joins, whichever is earlier.
The order, issued on August 4, 2025, also provides an ex-post facto approval for the officers who have successively held the additional charge of FSSAI Chairperson since 2021:
Rajesh Bhushan (IAS, then Secretary Health & Family Welfare) – Nov 28, 2021 – July 31, 2023
Sudhansh Pant (IAS, then Secretary Health & Family Welfare) – Aug 1, 2023 – Dec 30, 2023
Apurva Chandra (IAS, then Secretary Health & Family Welfare) – Dec 31, 2023 – Sep 30, 2024
Punya Salila Srivastava (IAS, Secretary Health & Family Welfare) – Oct 1, 2024 – July 31, 2025
In a significant move, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of 86 Technical and Judicial Members to the Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT). According to the order, the members will serve for a tenure of four years or until they attain the age of 67 years, whichever is earlier.
The appointments include one Technical Member (State), one Technical Member (Centre), and one Judicial Member in the Principal Bench of the tribunal. They are;
A Venu Prasad (Retd IAS: 1991: PB) has been appointed as Technical Member (State) in GSTAT, Principal Bench, New Delhi.
Anil Kumar Gupta (Retd IRS: C&IT) has been appointed as Technical Member (Centre), GSTAT, Principal Bench, New Delhi.
Justice (Retd) Mayank Kumar Jain, retired as Judge High Court of Allahabad to the post of Judicial Member, GSTAT, Principal Bench, New Delhi.
Technical Member (Centre) in the State Benches
Ajay Dixit (Retd IRS: C&IT)
Alok Chopra (Retd IRS: C&IT)
Amand Shah (Retd IRS: C&IT)
Ashish Varma (Retd IRS: C&IT)
Bijoy Bihari Mohapatra (Retd IRS: C&IT)
Bijoy Kumar Kar (Retd IRS: C&IT)
D P Nagendra Kumar (Retd IRS: C&IT)
Deep Shekhar (Retd IRS: C&IT)
Duvvuri Krishna Srinivas (Retd IRS: C&IT)
Gurdeep Singh (Retd IRS: C&IT)
Hir Bhagat Negi (Retd IRS: C&IT)
J Michael Kennedy (Retd IRS: C&IT)
Jogiranjan Panigrahi (Retd IRS: C&IT)
Kishori Lal (Retd IRS: C&IT)
M Mathew Jolly (Retd IRS: C&IT)
Nirmal Kumar Soren (Retd IRS: C&IT)
Pradeep Kumar Goel (Retd IRS: C&IT)
Pramod Kumar (Retd IRS: C&IT). At present, Kumar is serving as Technical Member, National Anti-Profiteering Authority)
Pramod Kumar Singh (Retd IRS: C&IT)
Rajiv Kapoor (Retd IRS: C&IT). At present, Kapoor is serving as Pr Commissioner, Directorate General of Performance Management.
Raju Ahuja (Retd IRS: C&IT)
Ram Niwas (Retd IRS: C&IT)
Ramamoorthi Sriram (Retd IRS: C&IT)
Ranjan Kumar Sahoo (Retd IRS: C&IT)
Sandeep Kumar (Retd IRS: C&IT). He is serving as Chairman, Customs, Central Excise & Service Tax Settlement Commission (CESTAT).
Satish Kumar Agrawal (Retd IRS: C&IT)
Shaik Khader Rahman (IRS: C&IT). At present, Rahman is serving as Pr. Commissioner, Delhi, CBIC.
Sudha Koka (IRS: C&IT). At present, she is serving as Commissioner, National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes & Narcotics (NACIN), Palasamundram.
Sungita Sharma (Retd IRS: C&IT)
Sunil Kumar Das (Retd IRS: C&IT)
Sunil Kumar Sinha (Retd IRS: C&IT)
Judicial Members in the State Benches of GSTAT
A P Ravi, Advocate
Ajai Kumar Srivastava, Retired District Judge
Ajeet Singh, Retired as Principal District & Sessions Judge, Madhya Pradesh Higher Judicial Service
Arun Kumar Singal, former Presiding Officer, Debts Recovery Tribunal-III, Mumbai
Atul Madhukar Kurhekar, Retired, Maharashtra Judicial Service, former Secretary General, Supreme Court of India 30.10.1964
Bhaskar Reddy Vemireddy, Designated Senior Advocate, Telangana High Court
Dharnendra Kumar Rana, Practicing Advocate
Griesh Kumar Vaish, Retired as District Judge, Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh Higher Judicial Service
Gunvantlal Manchanddas Patel, Member (President Incharge), Gujarat Value Added Tax Tribunal, Ahmedabad
H G Nagarathna, Retired as District Judge, Presiding Officer, Industrial Tribunal, Bengaluru
Hemant Bajaj, Practicing Advocate
Jaishree Ahuja, Retired District Judge, Uttar Pradesh
Jatinder Pal Singh, Practicing advocate
Jitendra Kumar Singh, Retired as District & Sessions Judge, Azamgarh, UP Judicial Service, serving as Member (Judicial) U.P. Public Services Tribunal, Lucknow
Mahtab Ahmad, UP Judicial Service, presently serving as Member Judicial, Railways Claims Tribunal (RCT), Guwahati
Manoj Kumar Sinha, Bihar Judicial Service, Retired as Registrar (Vigilance), Patna High Court
Manoj Shankar, Retired District Judge, Siwan, Bihar, presently serving as Presiding officer, Industrial Tribunal, Patna
Narendra Bahadur Yadav, Retired as District and Sessions Judge, Balrampur, UP higher Judicial Service, Chairperson, Permanent Lok Adalat, Bahraich
Narendra Kumar, Retired as Principal Judge, Family Court, Sharanpur, UP Higher Judicial Service
Naresh Katyal, Retired as District and Sessions Judge, Kaithal, presently serving as Judicial Member, Haryana State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission, Panchkula
Neelkunth Sahay, Retired as District and Sessions Judge, Pilibhit, presently serving as President Consumer Forum, Lucknow
P Dinesha, Practicing advocate, Member (Judicial), CESTAT
Prabhakaran P M, Practicing Advocate
Pradeep Kumar Vyas, Retired as Principal District and Sessions Judge, presently serving as Judicial Member, MP Commercial Tax Appellate Board, Bhopal
Pramod Kumar Rai, Practicing Advocate
Praveen Kumar Jain, Retired as District Judge, Kannauj. Presently serving as President District Consumer Dispute 21.05.1961 Redressal Commission, Ghaziabad, UP
R Hemalatha, Practicing Advocate
Rajeev Purushottm Pande, Retired District Judge
Rajesh Jain, Practicing Advocate
Rajkumar Sharma, Special Judge, NDPS Cases Court, Jodhpur Metropolitan
Rakesh Syal, Delhi Higher Judicial Services, Special Judge (PC Act) (CBI), Rouse Avenue Courts, New Delhi
Ramesh Nair, Member (Judicial), CESTAT, Ahmedabad
Justice (Retd.) Roopesh Chandra Varshney, Retired as Judge, High Court of Madya Pradesh.
Sanjay Kumar Aggarwal, Retired as Principal Judge (Family Court), Central, Tis Hazari Court, Delhi.
Sanjay Kumar Chandhariyavi, Retired as Principal District Judge, Dumka
Sanjaykumar Dwivedi, Practicing Advocate
Santosh Kumar Srivastava, Retired District Judge, UP Higher Judicial Service
Justice (Retd.) Satya Gopal Chattopadhyay, Retired as Judge, High Court of Tripura
Senthil Kumar T R, Judicial Member, ITAT, Ahmedabad
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on Monday (August 4, 2025) approved the appointment of S Radha Chauhan (Retd.IAS:1988:UP), former Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), as full-time Chairperson of the Capacity Building Commission (CBC). Her appointment will be for a tenure of three years from the date of assuming charge, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
The order also extends the tenure of Shri Adil Zainulbhai as Part-Time Chairperson of CBC with effect from August 1, 2025, until the joining of the new regular incumbent. This extension was made under the relaxation of Clause B of the service terms and conditions for the CBC Chairperson and Members.
The Capacity Building Commission, under the National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (Mission Karmayogi), is responsible for overseeing civil service reforms, designing training modules, and enhancing the efficiency of government officers across India.
The Union government on Monday (August 04, 2025) notified the appointment of 5 Judicial Officers as Judges of the Allahabad High Court.
They are;
Pramod Kumar Srivastava
Abdul Shahid
Santosh Rai
Tej Pratap Tiwari
Zafeer Ahmad
The Supreme Court Collegium, in its meetings held on April 2, 2025 and July 2, 2025, approved the elevation of two and three judicial officers respectively to the post of High Court Judges. The recommendations were subsequently forwarded to the President of India, leading to the official appointments.
The Bihar government on Monday (August 4, 2025) appointed senior IAS officer Pratyaya Amrit (IAS:1991:BH) as the new Chief Secretary of Bihar, succeeding Amrit Lal Meena (IAS:1989:BH), who will retire on August 31, 2025.
Currently serving as Development Commissioner of Bihar, Pratyaya Amrit also holds the additional charge of Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Disaster Management Departments. According to an order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD), he will serve as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Chief Secretary’s office until he formally assumes the top post.
Known as one of the most trusted bureaucrats of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Pratyay Amrit has been instrumental in spearheading several of the state government’s flagship infrastructure and public service initiatives. His close working relationship with the CM and long administrative experience are seen as key factors behind his elevation.
Outgoing Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena will complete exactly one year in office on August 31, 2025. He was appointed to the top post on August 31, 2024, after Brijesh Mehrotra (IAS:1989:BH) retired.
The Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) on Monday (August 4, 2025) recommended 11 candidates for the position of Executive Directors (EDs) in Public Sector Banks (PSBs).
The Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) interviewed 80 candidates from various public sector banks between July 19-August 4, 2025 for the position of Executive Directors (EDs).
“Keeping in view their performance in the interface, their overall experience, and the extant parameters the Bureau recommends the following candidates in the panel for the year 2025-26,” said an official notification.
In order to improve coordination and close structural gaps in the child protection ecosystem, Assam Police organised a state-level multi-stakeholder dialogue on August 2 as part of its flagship Sishu Mitra programme. Strengthening institutional response systems and reinforcing the need for shared responsibility among all stakeholders in order to provide child protection, rehabilitation, and justice as required by law were the initiative’s goals. The Assam Police Sishu Mitra Programme, which was started in 2019, is a ground-breaking project that collaborates with UNICEF and the UTSAH Child Rights Organisation to create a child-friendly policing system in Assam.
Just a few days back- on July 26, UTSAH- a leading child rights organisation in Assam had launched a dedicated POCSO Centre aimed a providing psychosocial and legal support to children who are victims of sexual offences. The centre was inaugurated on by Partha Sarathi Mahanta, Commissioner of Police, Guwahati.
The Chief Guest, Judge Kaushik Goswami of the Guwahati High Court, praised the initiative, saying it is an important step in addressing issues related to convergence and synergy to guarantee that children who encounter the child protection system have unhindered access to justice and rehabilitation. He further emphasised that everyone involved has a constitutional obligation to protect children; it is not a freebie.
The programme is in line with the Assam Chief Minister’s vision for children, according to Harmeet Singh, IPS, Director General of Police, Assam. He also stated that the goal was to establish a forum where all parties involved could have frank discussions in order to jointly address issues that prevent children who encounter the legal system from receiving services and guarantee justice for all children.
The need for child-sensitive infrastructure and services in all police stations, courts, and service-providing agencies was emphasised by Ajay Tewari, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Home & Political Department, Government of Assam, while discussing the duties of various departments in guaranteeing a child-friendly justice system. Senior government officials also gave technical presentations at the event, including Sanjukta Parashar, IPS, IGP (CID), Makhan Phukan (Director, Prosecution), Laxminarayan Nanda (Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF Assam), John B. Ekka, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary (Labour Welfare), Mukesh Ch. Sahu, IAS, Principal Secretary (Women & Child Development), and Dr. P. Ashok Babu, IAS, Commissioner and Secretary (Health & Family Welfare).
In his summary of the departmental input, Surendra Kumar, IPS, Additional DGP, and Convenor of the Assam Police Sishu Mitra programme, underlined Assam Police’s dedication to promoting long-lasting, practical transformation on the ground. Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan Mission, State Legal Services Authority, Judicial Officers, Special Judges of POCSO Courts, Assam Police, Welfare of SC & BC and Social Justice & Empowerment Directorate, Special Public Prosecutors, Social Justice & Empowerment, DLSA, CWC and JJB officials, Childline and One Stop Center staff, and other important stakeholders from throughout the state participated in the dialogue.
The state-level multi-stakeholder conversation would be formalised as a regular platform to foster collaboration and convergence for a better child-friendly and rights-based protection system in the state, the Assam police officially stated.
The Union government on Friday (August 01, 2025) notified appointment of Advocate Tuhin Kumar Gedela as a Additional Judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court for a period of two years, effective from the date he assumes office.
The Union government on Friday (August 01, 2025) notified appointment of Advocate Ajit Kumar as a Judge of the Patna High Court, effective from the date he assumes office. The decision follows the Supreme Court Collegium’s recommendation made on July 2, 2025.
Also Read: SC Collegium recommends elevation of 2 Advocates as Judges of Patna High Court
The Union government on Friday (August 01, 2025) notified the appointment of ten Judicial Officers as Additional Judges of the Punjab & Haryana High Court.
They are ;
Virinder Aggarwal
Mandeep Palm
Amarinder Singh Grewal
Parmod Goyal
Rupindeijit Chahal
Shalini Singh Nagpal
Subhas Mehla
Surya Partap Singh
Aaradhna Sawhney
Yashvir Singh Rathor
The Supreme Court collegium on July 2 approved the proposal to elevate ten Judicial Officers as Judges of the Punjab & Haryana High Court and sent the recommendations to the President.
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