Senior diplomat Ashish Sinha (IFS: 2005) was on Tuesday (04.03.2025) appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Estonia. Currently, he is serving as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs and is expected to take up the assignment shortly.
In a statement, the MEA said, “Shri Ashish Sinha (IFS: 2005), presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Estonia.”
“He is expected to take up the assignment shortly,” the statement added.
The Union government on Tuesday (04.03.2025) notified the appointment of three Additional Judges of the Bombay High Court as Permanent Judges of that High Court with effect from the date they assume charge of their respective offices.
These judges are ;
Justice Shailesh Pramod Brahme
Justice Firdosh Phiroze Pooniwalla
Justice Jitendra Shantilal Jain
The Supreme Court Collegium had approved the proposal for appointing the three Additional Judges of Bombay High Court as Permanent Judges of the Court vide notification dated February 20, 2025.
In a separate notification issued on Tuesday, the term of Justice Manjusha Ajay Deshpande as Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court, has been extended for one year w.e.f. August 12, 2025.
The Union government on Tuesday (04.03.2025) notified the appointment of four Additional Judges of the Madras High Court as Permanent Judges of that High Court with effect from the date they assume charge of their respective offices.
These judges are ;
Justice Ramasamy Sakthivel
Justice P Dhanabal
Justice Chinnasamy Kumarappa
Kandasamy Rajasekar
The Supreme Court Collegium had approved the proposal for appointing the four Additional Judges of Madras High Court as Permanent Judges of the Court vide notification dated February 20, 2025.
Will Karnataka DGP Alok Mohan (IPS:1987:KN) get a four-month extension? Chances seem high as the state government has recommended the extension to the Union Home Ministry. If approved, it would mark the first time a DG-IGP’s tenure has been extended in the state police department.
Mohan is scheduled to retire on April 30, but he has sought an extension, citing a Supreme Court ruling that mandates a minimum two-year tenure for a state DGP. Appointed on May 23, 2023, after Praveen Sood (IPS:1986:KN) left to become CBI Director, Mohan initially served as acting DGP before being formally confirmed four months later. He now wants his two-year tenure to be counted from his permanent appointment rather than his acting period. Mohan has requested the state government, which appears positive about his plea, and has recommended to the Centre that his tenure be extended by four months.
If the extension is granted, it will delay the promotion of several IPS officers, sparking dissatisfaction among senior officials in the department. Reports suggest that some officers have strongly opposed the move.
The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday (04.03.2025) issued transfer and posting orders for eight IPS officers across the state.
The names of the officers and their postings are as follows;
Dr K Ejilearassane (IPS:2010:UP), Joint Commissioner of Police, Police Commissionerate, Varanasi, has been transferred and posted as IG, UP-112, Lucknow.
Manoj Kumar Sonkar (IPS-SPS:2010), DIG, ATS, Lucknow, has been transferred and posted as DIG, PAC Branch, Varanasi.
Shogun Gautam (IPS:2010:UP), SP, Vigilance, has been transferred and posted as SP, APTC, Sitapur.
Rajesh Kumar Singh (IPS-SPS:2010), DIG/DCP, Police Commissionerate, Kanpur City, has been transferred and posted as Joint Commissioner of Police, Police Commissionerate, Varanasi.
Dev Ranjan Verma (IPS:2011:UP), DIG, Awaiting posting order in DGP Hqrs, Lucknow, has been transferred and posted as DIG, Rules, Lucknow.
Ashish Srivastava (IPS:2013:UP), DCP, Police Commissionerate, Kanpur City, has been transferred and posted as DCP, Police Commissionerate, Lucknow.
Aparna Gupta (IPS:2015:UP), DCP, Police Commissionerate, Lucknow, has been transferred and posted as SP, Hqrs, Lucknow.
Suraj Kumar Rai (IPS:2018:UP), DCP, Police Commissionerate, Agra, has been transferred and posted as Commandant, 6th Battalion PAC, Meerut.
The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Monday (03.03.2025) dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the reinstatement of IPS officer Ilma Afroz (IPS:2018:HP) as Superintendent of Police (SP) of Baddi in Solan district.
A division bench of Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice Sushil Kukreja rejected the plea filed by agriculturist Sucha Ram from Dholowal village, who claimed that Afroz was pressured into taking leave while serving as Baddi SP and that law and order had deteriorated after her transfer. The court, while dismissing the petition, ruled that it is the government’s prerogative to decide the posting and deployment of officers.
The bench also revoked the stay on Afroz’s transfer, which had been in place since September 9, 2024, when the High Court had directed that she should not be transferred without its permission due to pending investigations in a sexual harassment case in Nalagarh.
Ilma Afroz is currently posted at the State Police Headquarters in Shimla. She was appointed as Baddi SP on January 27, 2024, but went on a 15-day earned leave on November 7, reportedly following differences with Congress MLA from Doon, Ram Kumar Chaudhary. Her leave was later extended, and she returned to duty on December 16, 2024. Meanwhile, the charge of Baddi SP was handed over to HPPS officer Vinod Kumar Dhiman on November 14. MLA Ram Kumar Chaudhary, however, denied any involvement in her leave.
The PIL alleged that law and order in Baddi worsened after Afroz’s transfer and accused the police of colluding with local politicians who operate 43 illegal crusher units near the Punjab-Haryana border in Solan district. It claimed that these “mafias” ignored directives from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the High Court, while the police turned a blind eye.
The central government on Monday (03.03.2025) granted Navratna status to two railway public sector undertakings (PSUs), Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC).
With this, IRCTC has become the 25th and IRFC the 26th Navratna among Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs).
IRCTC, a CPSE under the Ministry of Railways, was established in 1999and reported an annual turnover of ₹4,270.18 crore, a profit after tax of ₹1,111.26 crore, and a net worth of ₹3,229.97 crore in FY 2023-24. The company handles online ticket booking, catering, and tourism services for Indian Railways.
Similarly, IRFC, another CPSE under the Ministry of Railways, reported an annual turnover of ₹26,644 crore, a profit after tax of ₹6,412 crore, and a net worth of ₹49,178 crore in FY 2023-24. Established in 1986, IRFC is responsible for raising funds for Indian Railways’ expansion and modernisation projects by borrowing from domestic and international markets.
With Navratna status, both companies will now have greater financial autonomy, enabling them to invest up to ₹1,000 crore without requiring government approval. This move is expected to help them make quicker business decisions and enhance efficiency.
In a significant development, the central government on Monday (03.03.2025) approved the premature repatriation of IPS officer Susanta Kumar Nath (IPS:1993:OR) to his parent cadre, Odisha. Nath, who is currently serving as Inspector General (IG) of the Border Security Force (BSF), had joined the Union Government on deputation in 2020.
According to an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the competent authority has approved his premature repatriation with immediate effect at his own request. Nath is returning six months before completing his five-year central deputation.
With Nath being a DG grade officer in Odisha, speculation has begun regarding his possible assignment in the state. Two DGP rank officers are set to retire soon—DG Prisons Arun K Ray (IPS:1988:OR) on April 30, 2025, and SM Narvane (IPS:1989:OR), Special DG, OHRC, on June 30, 2025.
Given the vacancy, Susanta Nath could be appointed as DG Prisons, unless the state government decides on a broader reshuffle of DGP rank officers.
The Rajasthan government on Monday (03.03.2025) promoted two IPS officers of 1994 batch from the rank of Additional Director-General of Police (ADGP) to Director-General of Police (DGP).
They are;
Rajesh Arya
Anil Paliwal
Rajesh Arya, who is on central deputation and currently serving as Chairman of the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) since January 1, 2025, has been given a proforma promotion. Anil Paliwal, who is currently serving in the cadre as ADG of Technical Services (Telecommunication & Technical) and Traffic, will continue in the same post after his promotion.
Meanwhile, two more ADG-rank officers from the 1994 batch, Anand Srivastava and Ashok Kumar Rathore, are likely to be promoted to the DG rank after the retirement of Dr. Ravi Prakash Meharda (IPS:1990:RJ), DG of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), and Hemant Priyadarshy (IPS:1992:RJ), DG of State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) and Cyber Crime. While Meharda is scheduled to retire in June this year, Priyadarshy will retire in May.
In a significant development, the Karnataka government on Monday (March 3, 2025) issued transfer orders for IPS officer Vartika Katiyar (IPS:2010:KN). She has been reassigned as Deputy Inspector General of Police & Additional Commandant General, Home Guards, and Ex-officio Additional Director, Civil Defence, Bengaluru. Prior to this, she served as DIG, Internal Security Division (ISD), Bengaluru.
Katiyar’s transfer comes just a day after she accused her reporting officer, D Roopa Moudgil (IPS:2000:KN), IGP, ISD, of orchestrating the “planting” of files in her office. In a written complaint filed with Karnataka Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh on February 20, Katiyar alleged misconduct by Roopa. The matter came to light on March 2, when Katiyar’s complaint letter was leaked to the media.
The timing of the transfer has sparked speculation, though the government has not officially linked the move to the controversy.
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