Dr. Prabhat Kumar, currently serving as Horticulture Commissioner, will continue to hold the additional charge of Chief Executive Officer (Joint Secretary level), Coconut Development Board (CDB), for a further period of six months.
According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Saturday (July 12, 2025), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to extend his additional charge. The extension is effective from April 6, 2025, and will continue either until the appointment of a regular incumbent or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
The central deputation tenure of IAS officer Saket Kumar (IAS:2009:BH) as Joint Secretary in the Department of Commerce has been extended for two more years. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Saturday (July 12, 2025), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the extension beyond August 16, 2025, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Saket Kumar was appointed to the Department of Commerce on March 21, 2025. Prior to this, he served as Private Secretary to Union Home Minister Amit Shah from June 2019. Before that, he worked as Private Secretary to Minister of State Manoj Sinha starting in July 2018
In a significant development, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed the chargesheet filed by the Haryana Vigilance Bureau against HCS officer Jagdeep Dhanda, who was facing prosecution in connection with alleged irregularities in the 2001-batch HCS recruitment. This stay order has reopened the possibility of his promotion to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) under the state quota. The court also issued a notice to the Haryana government seeking its response on Dhanda’s plea to quash the criminal proceedings.
Jagdeep Dhanda argued before the court that he was falsely implicated in the case to keep him out of consideration for IAS promotion. His counsels cited the Advocate General’s opinion from November 24, 2023, stating that the FIR had no bearing on his promotion. Based on this, an integrity certificate was issued and forwarded to the UPSC. The High Court was informed that there was no evidence against him in the investigation to justify his prosecution.
However, the state government opposed the plea, asserting that since Jagdeep Dhandais still an accused in the chargesheet, he is not eligible for promotion. The High Court bench of Justice Tribhuvan Singh Dahiya has fixed August 22 as the next date of hearing. The court’s interim order could have broader implications for other similarly charge-sheeted officers from the same batch, including Sarita Malik, Kamlesh Kumar Bhadoo, Kuldhir Singh, and others.
The case stems from a chargesheet filed by the Haryana Vigilance Bureau (now ACB) against 29 individuals, including former HPSC officials and 2001-batch officers, alleging large-scale irregularities during the INLD regime.
In a significant development, the Union government has filed a review petition against theSupreme Court’s May 23 judgmentthat directed a progressive reduction in the deputation of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers to the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
The ruling, delivered by a Bench of Justices A.S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, mandated that IPS deputation posts up to the rank of Inspector General (in the Senior Administrative Grade) be reduced over a period of time — with a suggested outer limit of two years. The order was seen as a major victory for Group A officers of the CAPFs, who had been demanding a fair promotional structure within their cadre.
Justice A.S. Oka has since demitted office.
According to sources, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) submitted the review petition on July 11.
The judgment had recognised Group A officers of CAPFs as part of “Organised Services” for all purposes — affirming their demand for internal promotional avenues and reduced IPS interference in leadership roles.
The legal battle began in 2015 when Group A CAPF officers petitioned the Supreme Court seeking Non-Functional Financial Upgradation (NFFU), cadre restructuring, changes to recruitment rules, and a halt to IPS deputations that blocked internal promotions.
Currently, IPS officers occupy 20% of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) posts and 50% of Inspector General (IG) posts in CAPFs. If implemented, the May 23 ruling would significantly shift the power balance, limiting IPS dominance in leadership roles within the paramilitary forces.
The Supreme Court’s response to the review petition will now determine whether the May 23 ruling stands, or if the traditional deputation system continues.
In a key development, senior IPS officer and current Director General of the National Security Guard (NSG), Brighu Srinivasan (IPS:1992:BH), has emerged as the front-runner for the top post in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
According to sources familiar with the process, Brighu Srinivasan’s appointment is under active consideration as the incumbent CISF Director General, Rajwinder Singh Bhatti (IPS:1990:BH), is scheduled to retire on September 30, 2025.
Brighu Srinivasan was appointed as NSG DG on August 27, 2024, following the curtailment of the tenure of then-chief Nalin Prabhat (IPS:1992:AP). The move allowed Prabhat to shift on inter-cadre deputation from Andhra Pradesh to AGMUT and take over as Director General of Police, Jammu & Kashmir, succeeding RR Swain (IPS:1991:AGMUT) on October 1, 2024.
The likely appointment of Srinivasan to CISF would mark another important leadership transition in India’s security architecture, especially given CISF’s crucial role in guarding critical infrastructure, airports, and industrial units.
In a major reshuffle, the Punjab government on Saturday (July 12, 2025) transferred and posted eight IPS officers, including several senior officers of DIG rank, with immediate effect.
The names of the officers and their postings are as follows;
Jagadale Nilambari Vijay (IPS:2008:PB), DIG, Ludhiana Range, Ludhiana, has been posted as DIG, Counter Intelligence, SAS Nagar.
Kuldeep Singh Chahal (IPS:2009:PB), DIG Technical Services, Chandigarh, will continue in the same post with additional charge of DIG Patiala Range, Patiala.
Satinder Singh (IPS:2010:PB), DIG Border Range, Amritsar, has been transferred as DIG, Ludhiana Range, Ludhiana.
Dr. Nanak Singh (IPS:2011:PB), who was available for posting, has been appointed DIG, Border Range, Amritsar.
Gurmit Singh Chauhan (IPS:2011:PB), who was available for posting, has been appointed DIG, AGTF, SAS Nagar.
Naveen Saini (IPS:2011:PB), who was available for posting, has been posted as DIG, Crime, Punjab, Chandigarh.
Dhruv Dahiya (IPS:2012:PB), on return from central deputation, has been posted as AIG, Counter Intelligence, Punjab, Chandigarh.
D. Sudarvizhi (IPS:2013:PB), on return from central deputation, has been posted as AIG, Internal Security, SAS Nagar.
In a key reshuffle, the Indian Railways has appointed new General Managers (GMs) for two major zones—Western Railway and South Central Railway.
Vivek Kumar Gupta(IRMS), a seasoned officer of the Indian Railways, has been appointed as the new General Manager of Western Railway. He replaces Ashok Kumar Mishra, who retired on June 30. Prior to this, Gupta was serving as the Managing Director of the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL). With a strong track record in various leadership roles, his appointment is expected to bring renewed momentum to the zone.
In another development, Sanjay Kumar Srivastava(IRSE), who was serving as General Manager of CORE (Central Organisation for Railway Electrification), Prayagraj, has been appointed as the General Manager of South Central Railway, headquartered in Secunderabad. His new posting is on a lateral shift basis.
In a significant development, the Madhya Pradesh government on Friday (July 11, 2025) made key appointments in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) by posting two IAS officers to crucial positions.
Vikas Mishra (IAS:2013:MP), currently serving as Deputy Secretary in the Department of Planning, Economics and Statistics, has been transferred and posted as Deputy Secretary to the Chief Minister.
Additionally, Alok Kumar Singh (IAS:2008:MP), who is presently the Managing Director of the MP State Cooperative Marketing Federation, has been assigned the additional charge of Secretary to the Chief Minister.
In a historic move, the Modi government on Friday (July 11, 2025) appointed senior IPS officer Sonali Mishra (IPS:1993:MP) as the new Director General of the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Railway Board. With this appointment, she becomes the first woman ever to lead the RPF, breaking a long-standing gender barrier in one of India’s critical central armed police forces.
Mishra will take over from incumbent DG Manoj Yadava (IPS:1988:HY), who is set to retire on July 31, 2025. She will serve as DG till her superannuation on October 31, 2026.
According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved her appointment at Level 16 of the pay matrix, effective from the date she assumes charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Sonali Mishra is currently serving as Special Director General in the Madhya Pradesh Police. With a career spanning more than three decades, she has held significant leadership roles in both state and central forces, including a notable stint as Additional Director General in the Border Security Force (BSF).
Manoj Yadava has been heading the RPF since August 1, 2023, following the retirement ofSanjay Chander (IPS:1987:WB).
The central deputation tenure of Anupam Mishra (IES:1995) as Joint Secretary in the Department of Consumer Affairs has been extended by one year.
According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Friday (July 11, 2025), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the extension of Mr. Mishra’s tenure beyond July 23, 2025, for a period of one year or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Mr. Mishra was first appointed as Joint Secretary in the Department of Consumer Affairs on July 20, 2020, for a five-year tenure. Notably, before this posting, he was appointed as Joint Secretary in the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), NITI Aayog, on May 29, 2020. However, the earlier appointment was later cancelled following his assignment to the Consumer Affairs department.
Get Latest Updates