The Central government on Wednesday (July 16, 2025) appointed senior IAS officer Puneet Kumar Goel (IAS:1991:AGMUT) as the new Chief Secretary of Manipur.
He replaces Prashant Kumar Singh (IAS:1993:MN), who was relieved and appointed Secretary of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST).
Singh had been serving as Manipur’s Chief Secretary since January 2025, following his deputation from the Centre where he previously held the post of Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
In a key development, Manipur Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh (IAS:1993:MN) has been appointed as Secretary of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), marking his return to a central posting just six months after being deputed to the state.
According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Tuesday (July 15, 2025), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Prashant Kumar Singh’s appointment to the post in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India.
Singh replaces senior IAS officer Puneet Kumar Goel (IAS:1991:AGMUT) in the role.
Prior to his assignment as Chief Secretary of Manipur in January 2025, Singh was serving as Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. He was deputed to the state following the appointment of Vineet Joshi (IAS:1992:MN) as Union Higher Education Secretary in December 2024.
Also Read: Soon after repatriation, PK Singh appointed Manipur CS
Also Read: MoNRE Secretary PK Singh repatriated to Manipur, likely to be Chief Secretary
In a key development, senior IPS officer Shyam Bhagat Negi (IPS:1990:HP) is now almost certain to be appointed as the next full-time Director General of Police (DGP) of Himachal Pradesh. On Tuesday (July 15, 2025), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved his repatriation to his parent cadre from the Cabinet Secretariat, where he is currently serving as Special Secretary (SR).
Negi’s name had been under active consideration for the post for some time. As www.legendofficers.com reported earlier on May 25, 2025, he was leading the race for the state’s top police post, with Ashok Tiwari (IPS:1993:HP) also in contention. With the Centre’s clearance for repatriation, an official announcement is now expected soon.
At present, Ashok Tiwari is holding the charge of acting DGP in the state. After the retirement of former DGP Dr. Atul Verma (IPS:1991:HP) on May 31, 2025, Tiwari was given additional charge of the DGP post along with his existing role as Director General, State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau. Notably, Dr. Verma was placed on forced leave just four days before his retirement in connection with the Chief Engineer Vimal Negi case.
Shyam Bhagat Negi tops the seniority list among Himachal cadre officers and is scheduled to retire on March 31, 2026. He is followed in seniority by Anurag Garg (IPS:1993:HP), currently serving as Director General of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB); Ashok Tiwari, currently officiating as state DGP; Rithwik Rudra (IPS:1993:HP), Special Director in the Intelligence Bureau; and Rakesh Aggarwal (IPS:1994:HP), Additional Director General in the NIA. Except for Ashok Tiwari, all others are currently on central deputation.
With his repatriation now cleared, Negi’s formal appointment is expected shortly, putting an end to weeks of speculation.
In a key reshuffle, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Director General (DG) on Monday (July 14, 2025) issued transfer and posting orders for several senior officers, including Inspectors General (IGs), Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs), and Senior Commandants.
As per the official order:
The Uttar Pradesh government has written to the Centre requesting an extension in service for Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh (IAS:1988:UP), who is scheduled to retire on July 31, 2025. Singh was appointed as the state’s top bureaucrat on June 30, 2024, following the retirement of Durga Shankar Mishra (IAS:1984:UP), who had received a two-and-a-half-year extension.
Sources said the Yogi Adityanath-led government has cited Singh’s pivotal role in infrastructure and industrial development, as well as his contribution toward the state’s goal of becoming a one trillion-dollar economy. The state has also highlighted major upcoming events, including the Global Investors Summit and Ground Breaking Ceremony slated for later this year.
Currently, Singh holds several critical responsibilities such as Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner, Chairman of PICUP, CEO of UPEIDA and UPSHA, and Project Director of UP DASP.
If the Centre does not grant an extension, officers from the 1989 batch may emerge as potential successors. Among the likely contenders are SP Goyal, who serves as Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, and Devesh Chaturvedi, currently Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Deepak Kumar, a 1990-batch officer and the present Agriculture Production Commissioner, is also considered a strong candidate for the post.
Also Read: UP: CS MK Singh nears retirement; will he get an extension or be replaced?
Also Read: UP: Manoj Kumar Singh appointed new Chief Secretary
Also Read: Legend Officers’ April report on APC appointment comes true; Deepak Kumar gets additional charge
The Union government on Monday (July 14, 2025) notified the transfer and repatriation of 18 High Court judges to various High Courts across the country. This move follows the recommendations made by the Supreme Court Collegium on May 26, 2025.
The Judges that have been transferred are:
Mahesh Kumar Sharma has been selected for the post of Director (Finance), NHPC Limited by the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB). The selection was made following interviews conducted by PESB on July 15, 2025.
He is currently serving as General Manager (Finance)- Head of Associate Finance Commercial, NHPC Limited
Following the selection, the PESB has recommended his name to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) for final approval. His formal appointment will be subject to the receipt of necessary vigilance clearances and the ACC’s nod.
The following 13 applicants were interviewed in the selection meeting:
The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) on Tuesday (July 15, 2025) issued an advertisement inviting applications for the post of Director (Research & Development) in Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL).
According to the official notification, eligible and experienced professionals from both the public and private sectors may apply for the post by August 11, 2025.
The vacancy will arise in April 2026 following the retirement of the incumbent, Alok Sharma, on March 31, 2026. He has been serving as Director (R&D) since January 16, 2024.
In a significant development, the Punjab government on Monday (July 14, 2025) promoted eight IPS officers of the 1994 batch, serving as Additional Director Generals of Police (ADGPs), to the rank of Director General of Police (DGP).
The officers — Dr Naresh Kumar, Ram Singh, SS Srivastava, V Neerja, Amardeep Singh Rai, Parveen Kumar Sinha, B Chandra Sekhar, and Anita Punj — had been eligible for promotion since January 2024, but the process was delayed by over 18 months.
The Home Department had initiated the promotion process in November 2023, but it was stalled after Chief Secretary KAP Sinha (IAS:1992:PB) objected to the creation of additional DGP posts, citing concerns about top-level saturation in the Punjab Police.
With this round of promotions, Punjab, despite having only 23 districts, now has 20 officers holding the rank of DGP — the highest number for any state in the country. According to the IPS gradation list available on the Punjab Police website, 12 officers were already at the DGP rank before this decision. These officers include Sanjiv Kalra (IPS:1989:PB), Parag Jain (IPS:1989:PB), SS Chauhan (IPS:1992:PB), Harpreet Singh Sidhu (IPS:1992:PB), Gaurav Yadav (IPS:1992:PB), who is currently the officiating DGP of the state, Kuldip Singh (IPS:1992:PB), Gurpreet Kaur Deo (IPS:1993:PB), Varinder Kumar (IPS:1993:PB), Ishwar Singh (IPS:1993:PB), Jitendra Kumar Jain (IPS:1993:PB), Shashi Prabha Dwivedi (IPS:1993:PB), and Arpit Shukla (IPS:1993:PB).
Notably, Parag Jain is on central deputation as the head of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), while Harpreet Singh Sidhu is serving in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) as Additional Director General.
As per Government of India norms, Punjab officially has two sanctioned DGP posts. However, the IPS Cadre Rules allow state governments to temporarily create additional DGP posts for up to two years. Under current DoPT guidelines, IPS officers become eligible for promotion to IG, ADGP, and DGP ranks after completing 18, 25, and 30 years of service, respectively.
The central government on Monday (July 14, 2025) appointed R Doraiswamy as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director (CEO & MD) of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). According to an order issued by the Ministry of Finance, he will serve for a period of three years from the date of assuming charge, or until he attains the age of 62 years (i.e. August 28, 2028), or until further orders — whichever is earlier.
R Doraiswamy is currently serving as Managing Director at LIC, a role he has held since September 2023. With this elevation, he succeeds Siddhartha Mohanty, whose term ended on June 7, 2025. Following Mohanty’s exit, LIC MD Sat Pal Bhanoo had been functioning as interim CEO.
The appointment follows the June 11 recommendation of the Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB), which interviewed four LIC executives for the top post — R Doraiswamy, Sat Pal Bhanoo, Dinesh Pant, and Ratnakar Patnaik.
The top management structure of LIC includes a CEO & MD and four Managing Directors. Currently, the MDs are Sat Pal Bhanoo, M Jagannath, and Tablesh Pandey.
Also Read: FSIB recommends R Doraiswamy as LIC CEO & MD
Get Latest Updates