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‘Idli-Dosa’ Mornings: Telangana IAS officers redefine bureaucratic bonding

By
LO Bureau
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Telangana

IAS officers posted in Telangana have found a very unique way to socialise among themselves before work. They are gathering in groups in the morning in Hyderabad, chatting while savouring some idlis, and then getting back to work.

The menu for the breakfast is arranged at the Dr. Marri Channa Reddy HRD Institute, a premier administrative training organisation located in the Hyderabad’s Jubilee Hills, and it includes dosa, paratha, bread-butter, etc. But the main purpose of the get-together is to enjoy the interaction with their head in the state, Chief Secretary (CS) K Ramakrishna Rao.

Informally referred to as ‘Idli with Insights’, the once-in-a-week, batch-wise huddle of Telangana IAS officers has become the talk of the town. The meetings originated from Rao’s idea to build a two-side rapport and understand each officer’s background, education, interests, skills, capabilities, and potential, as well as allow the Chief Secretary to play guide and mentor to the officers to steer them towards their best performance in public service.

Since he took over as the seventh Chief Secretary of Telangana on April 30, Rao- a 1991 batch officer, has met with nine batches of IAS officers from the Telangana cadre, beginning from the youngest batch of 2024, while the latest to have met Rao for the informal
conversation is the 2016 batch.

The Chief Secretary terms efficient human resource management in the government sector as his top priority. In Telangana, for a population of 3.5 crore as per the 2011 census, there are about 3.5 lakh government employees while the all-India service officers, including the IAS, IPS and IFS, are just about 350, which clearly denotes the enormous responsibility on these top officers in running the state.

Whenever such a meeting is scheduled, the Chief Secretary’s office informs the members of the particular IAS batch, typically two days in advance to give them enough time to plan and travel. The officers are expected to report back to their duties after the breakfast dialogue
of an hour or so. This new practice of idli aur dosa par charcha has clearly redefined administrative practices in the state this setting a new benchmark of fun at work.

Madras High Court directs IAS officers to do community service

By
LO Bureau
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Madras High Court

In an unusual judicial directive, the Madras High Court has asked five IAS officers, found guilty of contempt of court, to perform community service by visiting old age homes and orphanages and providing food to destitute individuals.

The directive was issued on July 22 by Justice Battu Devanand, who instructed IAS officers- Kumar Jayant, SK Prabakar, V Rajaraman, P Kumaravel Pandian, and D Baskara Pandian to give a written undertaking thereby expressing their willingness to visit any old age home, orphanage and serve food to the inmates.

The contempt petition was jointly filed by three temporary government drivers- C Chinnathambi, M Krishnamurthy, and P Anandhan, accusing the officers of disobeying an order passed by Justice C Saravanan on September 29, 2021, to regularise their services and absorb them into permanent posts.

However, the order was enforced three years later, resulting in a loss of wages during this period. As compensation for the loss of nearly Rs 6 lakhs in pay, Justice Battu Devanand asked the erring officers to pay Rs 1.25 lakh each from their personal funds.

But this was contested by Additional Advocate General (AAG) P Kumaresan, who submitted that it was a difficult task. Subsequently, the judge said that the officers could instead visit any old age home or orphanage, spend time with the inmates, and either buy lunch or dinner for them out of personal funds.

The AAG readily agreed to the proposition and said the contempt proceedings could be closed based on oral submissions by four out of the five IAS officers present in court. The judge, however, insisted that the officers should file a written undertaking.

Karnataka govt to reconsider IPS officer’s suspension

By
LO Bureau
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The Karnataka govt has decided to reconsider IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash (IPS:2004:KN) if he submits a fresh plea seeking revocation of his suspension and reinstatement. According to PS Rajagopal, senior advocate and special counsel representing the state govt., a similar process was followed to provide relief to four other suspended officers in relation to the M Chinnaswamy stadium stampede case.

Also Read: Bengaluru Stampede: CAT revokes suspension of IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash

Vikash has already submitted such a representation. The division bench of the court headed by Justice SG Pandit has said that it would not pass any orders on the petition filed by the govt until consideration of such a representation. The bench also stated that if the state govt does not pass any order on the plea by the next date of hearing, the court will pass an order in the petition pending before it.

Also Read: After stampede, cold war erupts between IAS officers and IPS officers in K’taka

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) had earlier on July 1, had quashed an order of suspension of Vikash with reference to the June 4 stampede incident outside the stadium in which 11 people had lost their lives. The state govt had challenged CAT’s decision and moved high court against it. Moreover RCB (Royal Challengers Bangalore) had also opposed CAT’s observation that RCB’s social media posts had led to a large gathering outside the stadium which had led to the tragic incident.

Also Read: Bengaluru Stampede: 2 Senior IAS Officers’ Role Under Probe

S Krishnan elected President of IAS Central Association’s new Executive Committee

By
LO Bureau
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The IAS Central Association has unveiled its newly elected 18-member Executive Committee, following its General Body Meeting in New Delhi on Saturday (July 26, 2025). Upholding tradition, the President of the association is unanimously chosen from among the senior most serving Union Secretaries (excluding the Cabinet Secretary), with S. Krishnan (IAS:1989:TN) selected to lead this term.

Supporting the President, Sriram Taranikanti (IAS:1992:TR) and A. Anbarasu (IAS:1996:AGMUT) were elected as Vice Presidents. Kunal (IAS:2005:AGMUT) has been appointed Secretary, and Aditi Singh (IAS:2009:UP) continues as Treasurer. Also part of the leadership team are Chinmay Gotmare (IAS:2009:AM), Joint Secretary 1 and Shelesh Nawal (IAS:2020:MH), Joint Secretary 2.

The broader Committee includes notable members such as Sanjay Bandhopadhyaya (IAS:1988:MP) and Sanjay Bhoosreddy (IAS:1989:UP) from retired ranks, and serving members D. Thara (IAS:1995:GJ), Rahul Singh (IAS:1996:BH), Prasanna R (IAS:2004:CG), Nitin Khade (IAS:2004:AM), Dinesh Kumar (IAS:2004:NL), Rohan Chand Thakur (IAS:2008:HP), Manasi Sahay Thakur (IAS:2009:HP), Shah Faesal (IAS:2009:AGMUT), and Naveen Aggarwal (IAS:2013:AGMUT).

In his first address as President, Krishnan emphasized that the IAS must uphold professionalism, ethics, and public service orientation. He called for greater peer support, active mentoring of younger officers, and stronger community engagement through digital platforms to reinforce public trust in governance.

UP: 22 PCS officers promoted to IAS, Two given immediate postings

By
LO Bureau
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UP PCS officers' promotion to IAS

In a major administrative development, 22 senior Provincial Civil Service (PCS) officers in Uttar Pradesh have been promoted to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) issued a formal notification confirming the promotions, based on the selection lists of 2023 and 2024. These officers have been allotted IAS batches for the years 2019, 2020, and 2021.

Among the 22 officers promoted, two have already been assigned new responsibilities. Balram Singh has been appointed as the Chief Development Officer (CDO) of Siddharthnagar, while Vinod Kumar Gaur will serve as the CDO of Farrukhabad. The posting of the remaining 20 officers is expected soon, and an official order in this regard may be issued by the Uttar Pradesh government in the coming days.

As per the batch allocations, Bhanu Pratap Yadav has been placed in the 2019 batch. The 2020 batch includes Vidhan Jaiswal, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Balram Singh, Shailendra Kumar Bhatia, Devi Prasad Pal, Anju Lata, Jai Nath Yadav, Gulab Chandra, Ram Suresh Verma, Ran Vijay Singh, Dayanand Prasad, and Vinod Kumar Gaur. Meanwhile, the 2021 batch includes Sachin Kumar Singh, Vivek Kumar Srivastava, Basant Agrawal, Vandita Srivastava, Mahendra Kumar Singh, Vinay Kumar Singh, Rajesh Kumar, Yogendra Kumar, and Neelam.

Commenting on the development, Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh said, “This promotion will infuse new energy into the state’s administrative setup. These officers bring valuable experience from their years in PCS and will play a crucial role in governance and service delivery.”

The promotion of PCS officers to IAS is a significant step by the state government aimed at strengthening the bureaucratic framework and rewarding administrative talent. Once all officers are deployed, the move is expected to provide greater momentum to developmental initiatives across the state.

UP govt assigns regular field roles to 22 IPS trainees

By
LO Bureau
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Indian Police Service

In a key administrative development, the Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday (July 26, 2025) issued posting orders for 22 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers belonging to the 2021, 2022, and 2023 batches.

Until now, these officers were serving in different districts and commissionerates as probationers during their training phase. With this order, they have been assigned regular postings as Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASP) or Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACP), marking their formal induction into independent field responsibilities.

Here is the complete list of officers and their fresh assignments:

  1. Vinayak Gopal (IPS:2022:UP) – Posted as ASP, Sitapur. Earlier served as ACP, Agra Commissionerate.
  2. Rajesh Gunawat (IPS:2021:UP) – Posted as ASP, Firozabad. Earlier served in Muzaffarnagar.
  3. Areeba Nomaan (IPS:2022:UP) – Transferred from Aligarh and posted as ASP, Jhansi.
  4. Kritika Shukla (IPS:2022:UP) – Appointed as ACP, Prayagraj Commissionerate. She was earlier posted in Gautam Buddh Nagar.
  5. Devesh Chaturvedi (IPS:2022:UP) – Transferred from Meerut and posted as ASP, Ayodhya.
  6. Vivek Tiwari (IPS:2022:UP) – Transferred from Saharanpur and posted as ASP, Khiri.
  7. Alok Raj Narayan (IPS:2022:UP) – Moved from Agra Commissionerate to take charge as ASP, Hardoi.
  8. Mavis Tak (IPS:2022:UP) – Earlier serving in Bareilly, now posted as ASP, Banda.
  9. Gautam Rai (IPS:2022:UP) – Transferred from Ghaziabad Commissionerate to Bijnor as ASP.
  10. Mahadik Akshay Sanjay (IPS:2022:UP) – Appointed as regular ACP, Agra Commissionerate.
  11. Prashant Raj (IPS:2023:UP) – Moved from Azamgarh to Pratapgarh as ASP.
  12. Siddharth K Mishra (IPS:2023:UP) – Earlier posted in Lucknow Commissionerate, now posted as ASP, Muzaffarnagar.
  13. Aashna Chaudhary (IPS:2023:UP) – Transferred from Gorakhpur and posted as ASP, Mathura.
  14. Vishwajeet Souryan (IPS:2023:UP) – Moved from Prayagraj Commissionerate and posted as ASP, Siddharthnagar.
  15. Shivam Ashutosh (IPS:2023:UP) – Transferred from Jhansi to Bareilly as ASP.
  16. Abhinav Dwivedi (IPS:2023:UP) – Posted as ASP, Moradabad. He was earlier in Ayodhya.
  17. Sonal Mishra (IPS:2023:UP) – Posted as ASP, Gorakhpur. She was earlier in Moradabad.
  18. Natasha Goyal (IPS:2023:UP) – Appointed as ASP, Pilibhit. Previously served in Varanasi Commissionerate.
  19. Goldy Gupta (IPS:2023:UP) – Moved from Mathura to Jaunpur as ASP.
  20. Arun Kumar S (IPS:2023:UP) – Transferred from Kanpur Commissionerate and posted as ASP, Fatehgarh.
  21. Deepak Yadav (IPS:2023:UP) – Posted as ASP, Unnao. He was previously ACP in Kanpur Commissionerate.
  22. Abhishek Dawachya (IPS:2023:UP) – Posted as ASP, Gonda. He earlier served as ACP, Lucknow Commissionerate.

Amit Sinha appointed first VC of Uttarakhand Sports University

By
LO Bureau
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In a significant move ahead of the foundation ceremony for Uttarakhand Sports University, the state government has appointed senior IPS officer Amit Sinha (IPS:1997:UK) as its first Vice Chancellor. Currently serving as ADG and Special Principal Secretary (Sports), Sinha’s appointment, however, comes with a curious caveat—he will hold the post on an interim basis for one year or until a permanent VC is appointed, whichever is earlier.

Set to be inaugurated on National Sports Day (August 29), the university’s groundwork is progressing swiftly. In preparation, the Uttarakhand government has also named interim appointees to two other pivotal roles—Registrar and Finance Controller.

Sports Director Ashish Chauhan will act as Registrar, while VN Pandey, currently Finance Officer in the Sports Directorate, will serve as Finance Controller. Like the Vice Chancellor’s post, both appointments are valid for one year or until regular appointments are made.

These posts were officially created following the enactment of the Uttarakhand State Sports University Bill, 2025. An order issued by the state government confirms that these ex-officio roles are aimed at expediting the university’s operational setup.

Sports Minister Rekha Arya emphasized the urgency of fast-tracking administrative preparations and directed the appointed officials to ensure all tasks related to the university’s establishment are completed without delay.

PIL filed in Madras HC against appointment of IAS officers as TN govt spokespersons

By
LO Bureau
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A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Madras High Court challenging the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to appoint four senior IAS officers as official spokespersons of the state. The petition, filed by M. Sathya Kumar, contends that the appointments lack statutory backing and blur the line between government communication and political messaging.

According to the petitioner, the move violates constitutional mandates governing bureaucratic neutrality and the separation of administrative duties from political influence. He argues that there is no Government Order (GO), statutory rule, or legislative framework permitting the appointment of civil servants to such roles. The appointments were made via a press release, which the petitioner deems legally insufficient and administratively arbitrary.

The IAS Officers Appointed as Spokespersons:

  1. J. Radhakrishnan (IAS:1992:TN) – CMD, TANGEDCO; spokesperson for Energy, Health, Transport, Education, and NRI Welfare.
  2. Gagandeep Singh Bedi (IAS:1993:TN) – Secretary, Rural Development; spokesperson for Municipal Administration, Agriculture, Water Resources, MSMEs, and Environment.
  3. Dheeraj Kumar (IAS:1993:TN) – Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Prohibition & Excise; spokesperson for the Home department.
  4. P. Amudha (IAS:1994:TN) – ACS, Revenue & Disaster Management; spokesperson for Disaster Management, Tourism, Social and Tribal Welfare.

This marks the first time in Tamil Nadu’s history that bureaucrats have been officially designated as media spokespersons.

Political Overtones and Timing

The announcement comes just 10 months before the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, leading many to question the timing and intent behind the move. Critics suggest this could be an attempt by the ruling government to consolidate message control by using high-ranking IAS officers rather than relying on the traditional Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR).

Experts have raised red flags over the erosion of bureaucratic neutrality, especially during a politically sensitive year. “The role of spokesperson is inherently political,” one retired civil servant noted. “Assigning such a task to career bureaucrats is risky and may set a dangerous precedent.”

Awaiting Court Scrutiny

The Madras High Court is yet to fix a hearing date, but the PIL seeks the quashing of these appointments and a directive to restrict such designations unless backed by formal statutory provisions or legislation. The outcome may set a precedent for how far state governments can stretch administrative discretion, especially when it involves the civil services.

Also Read: Tamil Nadu appoints four senior IAS officers as official spokespersons

Kerala govt forms two-member panel to probe charges against suspended IAS officer N Prasanth

By
LO Bureau
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N Prasanth IAS

The Kerala government has ordered an inquiry by a two-member panel of IAS officers into the charges levelled against IAS officer N Prasanth (IAS:2007:KL), who is currently under suspension. The probe is being led by Dr Rajan N Khobragade (IAS:1994:KL), Additional Chief Secretary of Health & Family Welfare, with Tinku Biswal (IAS:1997:KL), Principal Secretary, Revenue & Disaster Management Department, serving as presenting officer. The panel has been asked to submit its findings within three months under Rule 8(6)(a) of the All India Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules.

Prasanth was placed under suspension on November 11, 2024, after he publicly denounced Dr A Jayathilak (IAS:1991:KL), then Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue Department, now Chief Secretary. In social media posts, he accused Jayathilak and others of criminal conspiracy, document forging, and undermining careers of subordinates, labeling Jayathilak a “psychopath” and “mentally ill”.

Also Read: Kerala bureaucracy abuzz as N Prasanth’s suspension extension sparks row

In response, Prasanth submitted written defenses at intervals in January 2025, which were considered unsatisfactory by the government. The government also formalized charges alleging that his posts had tarnished the administrative machinery’s image.

Although departmental norms require an inquiry to be completed within six months of suspension, official action was delayed. Prasanth’s suspension was extended three times, and the inquiry was initiated nearly nine months later—raising issues over procedural fairness under AIS rules.

Also Read: Kerala IAS officer N Prasanth’s suspension extended again

Critics have questioned whether the state obtained central concurrence, which is mandatory for suspensions extending beyond six months. No fresh charges were indicated to justify restarting the suspension clock, as previously seen in other cases.

Known widely as “Collector Bro” for his popular social media presence during his tenure as Kozhikode District Collector, Prasanth gained acclaim for initiatives like Operation Sulaimani, Yo Apoopa, and active citizen engagement through posted updates and campaign-led governance.

Also Read: Is Kerala IAS officer N Prasanth waging unending battle?

However, his outspoken nature and digital activism eventually put him at odds with senior officials. He made public claims against A Jayathilak and K Gopalakrishnan (IAS:2013:KL) (Industry Department) and even challenged the integrity of a media leak related to missing files from the Unnathi initiative, meant for SC/ST empowerment.

Prasanth has publicly framed the disciplinary action as political targeting, arguing that the allegations were built on questionable digital evidence and administrative concealment.

Also Read: Kerala IAS officer N Prasanth launches fresh attack on CS

UP: Alok Kumar-II and Veena Kumari promoted to ACS rank

By
LO Bureau
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The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday promoted two senior IAS officers of the 1993 batch—Alok Kumar-II and Veena Kumari—to the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) rank, the Apex Scale (Level-17) of the Pay Matrix.

The promotion places both officers in the top echelons of the state bureaucracy, recognizing their longstanding service and contributions across key departments.

Prior to their promotion:

  • Alok Kumar-II (IAS:1993:UP) was serving as Principal Secretary, MSME & Export Promotion, Infrastructure & Industrial Development, and NRI Department.
  • Veena Kumari (IAS:1993:UP) was posted as Principal Secretary, Sugar Industries & Cane Development, and Excise Department.

The promotions are part of a periodic seniority-based advancement to Apex Scale, which represents the highest pay and responsibility bracket in the Indian Administrative Service at the state level.

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