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Three top Maha IAS vying for BMC’s Commissioner post; decision likely on Monday

By
LO Bureau
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BMC Commissioner's appointment

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Asia’s largest and richest civic body, is likely to get its next chief on Monday as the incumbent Commissioner, Bhushan Gagrani (IAS:1994:MH), is retiring on March 31 and is unlikely to get an extension. 

According to reliable sources, there are three senior-most IAS officers, Ashwini Bhide (IAS:1995:MH), Aseem Gupta (IAS:1994:MH), and Sanjay Mukherjee (IAS:1996:MH), who are vying for this coveted post. All these three, Bhide, Gupta, and Mukherjee, had earlier served in the BMC as additional municipal commissioners.

Bhide is said to be leading the race. She is currently posted as ACS in the CM’s Office (CMO) and is also MMRCL’s Managing Director. She has led major infrastructure projects, like Metro line 3. As additional municipal commissioner, she played a crucial role in executing the Coastal Road project.

Mukherjee, known as ‘infrastructure man,’ is currently MMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner. He is credited with having led key projects like Atal Setu, metro lines, several flyovers and bridges in MMR, and BMC projects, including critical water supply works, as additional municipal commissioner.

The importance of this post is highlighted by media reports of differences between Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde over who will be the next MBC chief. While CM Fadnavis has been batting for IAS officer Ashwini Bhide, Shinde is backing Asim Gupta. 

The main reason behind Gupta’s closeness with Shinde is said to be that he comes from Deputy CM Eknath Shinde’s home place and is currently posted as ACS to him, holding the charge of the Urban Development and Housing departments. Plus, he was earlier posted as the Thane Municipal Commissioner as well.

If Bhide is appointed as BMC chief, as the CM has to take a final call on it, she would become the first woman BMC Commissioner besides being able to get a full three-year term before her retirement in 2030.

It is often said that every IAS officer in the Maharashtra cadre aspires to become either the Chief Secretary of the state or Commissioner of the BMC, just as every IPS officer wants to be the DGP of the state or the Mumbai Police Commissioner. 

Young IAS rues being unable to contest Kerala polls; writes to PM Modi for release from job

By
LO Bureau
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Kannan Gopinathan IAS

A young bureaucrat, Kannan Gopinathan (IAS: 2012: AGMUT), rues being unable to contest Assembly elections in Kerala by accusing the central government of deliberately refusing to process his resignation for the last six and a half years. Gopinathan resigned from the elite service over denial of freedom of expression to the people of Kashmir in the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370, which accorded special status to J&K.

Gopinathan took to social media handle X to shoot off a letter directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, dubbing his plight “pure harassment.”

He has shared his plight in his post, saying, “Your government has refused to process my resignation for 6.5 years. No salary and no release. This has stopped me from professionally moving on. This is pure harassment and nothing else.”

Gopinathan joined the Congress Party in October last year.

He says that he refrained from raising the matter earlier as he was aware of the hardships millions of Indians face under the NDA government.

He made a pointed attack at the ongoing delay in his release from the service. He tells the PM that denying him his right to resign and take part in the democratic process is pathetic and petty and asks him to stop this pettiness. He accuses the Centre of being lethargic and urges him to direct his govt to process his resignation immediately.

Calcutta HC to pronounce verdict on transfers of bureaucrats in Bengal by EC after March 30

By
LO Bureau
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Calcutta HC dismisses PIL in Bengal transfers

The Calcutta High Court has reserved its verdict after completing hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed against large-scale transfers, replacements, and deputations of key bureaucrats in West Bengal by the Election Commission of India (ECI) after announcing elections.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen concluded the hearing on Friday by directing the Election Commission to submit all documents related to the transfers, replacements, and deputations of bureaucrats and police officers to the court on March 30.

The verdict will be pronounced after EC submits documents.

The ECI argued that such transfers, replacements, and deputations of bureaucrats were regular features and that similar measures had been undertaken in other poll-bound states as well.

The Commission also countered the allegations of the state govt that the scale of transfers in Bengal was disproportionately higher compared to other poll-bound states by saying that 48 officials were transferred in Bihar before the last Assembly elections there. Besides, a total of 61 officials were transferred in Maharashtra, 83 in Uttar Pradesh, and 49 in Madhya Pradesh before Assembly elections in those states.

The Commission added that only 23 IAS and police officers were transferred in West Bengal.

After hearing both sides, the bench decided to reserve its verdict.

But it did not stop Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from lashing out at the commission on Friday again over these transfers, saying such large-scale reshuffles were creating hurdles in the smooth administrative functioning of the state.

Parliamentary Panel asks SAIL to enhance profitability and market position

By
LO Bureau
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Panel recommendation for SAIL

A parliamentary panel has recommended that the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) should strengthen its sales network, improve revenue realisation and enhance market competitiveness. The suggestion came after the panel noted that several advanced and specialty steel grades are still missing from the company’s product portfolio.

These recommendations were presented in Parliament by the Standing Committee on Coal, Mines, and Steel for 2025–26, as part of the report titled ‘Organisational Structure and Performance of SAIL—A Review.’

The panel report says that SAIL must accelerate structural reforms to remain competitive in an increasingly demanding steel market.

The panel has suggested the need for improving SAIL’s sales and marketing system to ensure smoother movement of raw materials and efficient distribution of finished steel products.

The committee also flagged delays in expansion projects despite board approvals for projects at IISCO, Durgapur, and Bokaro Steel Plant.

According to panel recommendations, the SAIL needs to strengthen digital sales mechanisms and improve customer-focused sales models.

With an aim to enhance both profitability and market position, some of the panel’s specific recommendations include expanding digital sales platforms, deepening key account management, increasing share of value-added products, and focusing on high-margin steel grades.

The committee has recommended extra deep drawing (EDD) steel, interstitial-free (IF) steel, cold-rolled grain-oriented electrical steel, advanced alloy steels, and specialty steel grades currently imported. These recommendations are based on its observation that although SAIL has developed several high-grade steel categories, important products still remain outside its portfolio.

The committee also urged SAIL to place greater emphasis on research and development to develop new steel grades and reduce import dependence, besides ensuring raw material security through coking coal blocks. The aim is to reduce dependence on imported coking coal.

SAIL has made a major capacity expansion plan, like 35 million tonnes per annum by 2030-31 and 50 million tonnes per annum by 2047.

Besides, the panel has also asked SAIL to prepare a phase-wise modernisation roadmap after noting that 6 of SAIL’s 11 plants recorded losses in the last financial year. The panel also stressed the need for plant-specific turnaround plans with measurable targets.

Controversial Jal Board’s bungalow allotted to Chief Secretary Rajeev Verma

By
LO Bureau
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Delhi CS Rajeev Verma

The controversial bungalow of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has reportedly been allotted to Chief Secretary Rajeev Verma (IAS:1992:AGMUT). This government accommodation is located in the Jal Vihar area of south Delhi.

According to media reports, Verma has already moved into it and has been residing there for about a month.

Verma was appointed Delhi’s Chief Secretary in last October and had not been staying in a government-allotted accommodation due to its non-availability.

The bungalow came into controversy in 2023 when former DJB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Udit Prakash Rai (IAS:2007:AGMUT) was handed a show-cause notice by the vigilance department over allegations of getting this 15th-century protected monument demolished to make way for the residence.

The bungalow, said to have been constructed at a cost of nearly Rs 4 crore, was built on a site measuring 700 sqm on a plot of 5,500 sqm.

According to Delhi govt officials, the Public Works Department (PWD) is the nodal agency for allotting houses to officers of the Delhi government, including the Chief Minister and other ministers. But bureaucrats are required to apply to the PWD for allotment of official accommodations.

Governance in North India reels under acute shortage of IAS, IPS with Himachal at top

By
LO Bureau
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Govt.'s capacity-building exercise

A significant disclosure made in Parliament two days ago indicates that the governance in Northern Indian states is reeling under an acute shortage of IAS and IPS officers, with Kerala leading the country in vacancy rates.

According to the data submitted by Union Minister for Personnel and Training Jitendra Prasad in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, 482 posts of IAS and IPS are lying vacant in Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and the AGMUT cadre (which includes Delhi also) against a combined sanctioned strength of 2,010. It is about 24 percent of their combined sanctioned strength.

As per data, the average shortage of these officers in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab has been recorded to be 18.6 percent for the IAS and 15.59 percent for the IPS officers, though there is no backlog in the reserved category posts across the two services in the country.

The Union Govt has attributed these vacancies to retirements, expanding governance needs, and cadre restructuring across states.

According to the data, Kerala, AGMUT, and Himachal Pradesh are the top three regions in the country with the highest vacancy rate for IAS officers.

Kerala has the highest vacancy rate of IAS officers, amounting to 32 percent, with 74 IAS posts lying vacant against the sanctioned strength of 231.

Similarly, the AGMUT cadre ranks second, with 136 vacancies against 542 sanctioned posts (25.1 percent), while HP is third, with 36 of 153 IAS posts lying vacant (23.5 percent).

Himachal Pradesh is virtually the worst-affected among all northern states, which has only 117 IAS officers working against a sanctioned strength of 153 and 84 IPS officers working against the sanctioned strength of 96.

This translates into an IAS vacancy rate of 23.5 percent and an IPS vacancy rate of 12.5 percent for Himachal. Overall, the state has reported 48 vacancies against 249 sanctioned positions, leading to a 19.3 percent vacancy rate.

In Haryana, there are 172 IAS officers against a sanctioned strength of 215, with 43 vacancies (20 percent), and 127 IPS officers against 144 sanctioned posts, leaving 17 posts lying vacant (11.8 percent). Overall, 60 of the 359 sanctioned posts are lying vacant in Haryana, translating to a combined vacancy of 16.7 percent.

The story is no different for Punjab, where 33 of 231 IAS posts are vacant (14.3 percent) while 34 of 172 IPS posts are lying vacant (19.8 percent). In this way, Punjab has a total shortfall of 67 officers against a sanctioned strength of 403, amounting to a 16.6 percent vacancy rate.

The minister ruled out any backlog vacancies in the reserved IAS or IPS posts, saying recruitment was done strictly as per reservation guidelines of the UPSC.

Chhattisgarh govt suspends senior IPS Ratanlal Dangi

By
LO Bureau
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Ratanlal Dangi IPS

The Chhattisgarh government suspended senior IPS officer Ratanlal Dangi (IPS:2003:CG) on Thursday for misusing his official position. Dangi was serving as Inspector General (IG) in the state police. The suspension of such a high-ranking IPS officer has created ripples in the state police and administration.

Dangi has been attached to a designated headquarters and has been barred from leaving it without prior permission from the competent authority. Further departmental action will be initiated after the completion of the ongoing inquiry against him.

The suspension order was issued after serious allegations were leveled against him, which gained wide publicity. Though nothing specific has been mentioned about the allegations, the suspension order simply states that the officer exhibited immoral conduct by misusing his position, which is unbecoming of his high position and rank. And the state govt placed him under suspension with immediate effect in order to ensure a fair and impartial investigation.

The case against Dangi originated from a written complaint filed by a woman in November last year. The complainant, reportedly the wife of a sub-inspector in the Chhattisgarh Police, made serious allegations against Dangi, which went viral on social media, generating wide public attention.

It was when the departmental inquiry was initiated into the matter.

Though the senior IPS officer strongly denied all the allegations, terming them baseless and false, the govt was unrelenting and proceeded with his suspension.

SC refuses to stay disciplinary proceedings against IRS Sameer Wankhede

By
LO Bureau
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Sameer Wankhede IRS

In yet another twist in Mumbai’s Cordelia cruise drug seizure case involving 2008-batch IRS officer Sameer Wankhede, the Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to overturn the Delhi High Court’s order that permitted the Centre and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) to move forward with disciplinary proceedings against Wankhede.

The IRS officer was posted as Zonal Director of the Mumbai Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) when the Cordelia cruise drug seizure case took place in 2021.  

The Supreme Court bench comprising Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe allowed Wankhede to file his response within two weeks and also directed the authorities to reconsider the appointment of the inquiry officers after taking his reply into account. Wankhede had argued that the inquiry officer was appointed without giving him sufficient time to represent his case.

The justices, while refusing to interfere with the High Court’s order, noted that the appointment of the inquiry officer as well as the presenting officer on March 7, 2026, was made without giving sufficient opportunity to the petitioner to file a reply to the chargesheet. The bench permitted two weeks’ time to the petitioner to represent himself and file a reply.

It should be recalled that the Delhi High Court had overturned a Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT)’s order quashing disciplinary proceedings against Wankhede on February 27.

A bench of Delhi HC Justices Anil Kshetarpal and Amit Mahajan had held that the CAT should not have interfered at the stage when only a charge memorandum had been issued.

The disciplinary action against Wankhede was initiated in the 2021 Cordelia cruise drug seizure case that had led to the arrest of noted actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan.

Odisha DGP pulls up 36 IPS for being absent from police functions

By
LO Bureau
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Odisha DGP pulls up IPS

Odisha DGP Y B Khurania (IPS:1990:OD) is reportedly piqued with several IPS officers posted in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack for their frequent absence from official functions of the state police organized in the twin cities.

It came to light after the state police headquarters dispatched a letter to 36 IPS officers on Monday directing them to attend all police-organized events.

The letter signed by Additional Director General (Headquarters) Prateek Mohanty (IPS:2000:OD) says that the DGP has observed that many senior officers have not been attending official functions organised by different verticals of Odisha police. The letter asks them to attend the said official functions without fail.

This directive has excluded those officers who are posted in the vigilance department, fire and emergency services, and prisons directorate, as these wings are not under the administrative control of state police.

The order further directs these officers to essentially seek specific exemption from the DGP if they are unable to attend these functions due to unavoidable official commitments.

According to police sources, this action was taken after DGP Khurania took serious note of IPS officers’ absence during a felicitation ceremony at Police Bhawan on Monday. The event had been organized to honour sports personnel in the state police who brought laurels to the force by their performances in national and state-level competitions.

A police official said that the DGP virtually wants to ensure discipline and collective representation at official gatherings. He, however, also added that the order should not be treated as a diktat but as an attempt to ensure their active participation on such occasions.



Periasamy Kumaran appointed India’s High Commissioner to UK

By
LO Bureau
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Periasamy Kumaran IFS

Senior diplomat Periasamy Kumaran (IFS:1992) has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom. Kumaran is currently serving as Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, a position he has held since April 1, 2025.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said that he is expected to take up the assignment shortly.

On March 25, Rudrendra Tandon (IFS:1994) was appointed as Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs in place of Kumaran, indicating that his next assignment was imminent.

He will succeed Vikram K Doraiswami (IFS:1992), who has been serving as India’s High Commissioner to the UK since August 2022.

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