In a significant administrative move, the Punjab government on Monday (March 3, 2025) issued transfer and posting orders for 36 IAS officers and 7 PCS officers. The large-scale reshuffle is aimed at streamlining governance and optimizing administrative efficiency across the state.
In a landmark ruling, the Rajasthan High Court has barred the state government from placing officers and staff on Awaiting Posting Order (APO) status without prior notice or written justification. The decision came from a single bench of Justice Arun Monga, granting relief to Dr. Dilip Singh Chaudhary, Ganraj Vishnoi, Mangilal Soni, Lakshminarayan Kumhar, and 56 other petitioners.
The court directed the Chief Secretary to issue new administrative guidelines, clarifying that the duration of APO cannot exceed 30 days and cannot be used as a tool for transfers or punitive measures. Going forward, APO orders will only be issued under the specific conditions outlined in the Rajasthan Service Rules.
Impact on Six IAS Officers in Rajasthan
This ruling is expected to pave the way for the reassignment of six IAS officers who have been on APO since January 24, 2025, following the BJP government’s decision to scrap nine of the 17 districts created by the previous Congress government before its ouster in December 2023. The abolished districts were merged back into their original administrative divisions, while eight new districts were retained.
As a result, IAS officers posted in the abolished districts of Shahpura, Sanchore, Neem Ka Thana, Gangapur City, Kekri, and Anoopgarh have remained without posting. The affected officers include Rajendra Singh Shekhawat, Shakti Singh Rathore, Sharad Mehra, Gaurav Saini, Shweta Chauhan, and Avdhesh Meena.
How the Case Unfolded
The case was triggered by the petition of Dr. Dilip Singh Chaudhary, a Block Chief Medical Officer (BCMO) in Bhopalgarh. After serving as a medical officer since 2015, he was promoted to BCMO in a senior role. However, on February 19, 2024, he was abruptly placed on APO without explanation, and his position was given to a junior doctor with only three years of experience.
Dr. Chaudhary challenged the order in court on February 21, 2024, while similar petitions were filed earlier by Dr. Mangilal Soni (July 31, 2023) and Lakshminarayan Kumhar (February 1, 2023). The High Court initially stayed all APO orders and sought the government’s response.
The state government defended its decision, citing Rajasthan Service Rule 25A, claiming that the APO orders were issued for administrative reasons and public interest.
Final Judgment
After a detailed examination of the Rajasthan Service Rules, 1951, and previous judicial precedents, the High Court quashed all APO orders and ruled that no officer or employee can be placed on APO without written justification. This ruling is expected to set a precedent, preventing the misuse of APO as a tool for side lining officers without due process.
In a significant development, the Madhya Pradesh government has approved the voluntary retirement (VRS) of Mohammed Suleman (IAS: 1989: MP). With this decision, Suleman will retire on March 13, 2025, four months ahead of his scheduled retirement in July 2025.
Post-retirement, he plans to pursue a PhD from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in Delhi. Suleman, a seasoned bureaucrat, was considered a trusted officer of former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and also maintained close ties with former Chief Minister Kamal Nath.
Presently, he is serving as Agriculture Production Commissioner with additional charge of Chairman of MP Employees Selection Board.
Vineet Sharma has been selected for appointment as Director (Human Resources), Yantra India Limited at a Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) meeting held on March 3, 2025. Presently, he is serving as Executive Director, Indian Ordnance Factories Service.
He will be appointed to the post of Director (Human Resources) after receiving vigilance clearances and approval from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
The following 9 applicants were interviewed in the selection meeting:
Madan Kumar Ghildiyal (YOA:2007) was on Monday (03.03.2025) appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. He is currently serving as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs and expected to take up the assignment shortly.
In a statement, the MEA said,” Shri Madan Kumar Ghildiyal (YOA: 2007), presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.”
“He is expected to take up the assignment shortly,” the statement added.
Dr. Piyush Singh (IFS: 2007) has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Paraguay. He is currently serving as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs and expected to take up the assignment shortly.
In a statement, the MEA said,” Dr. Piyush Singh (IFS: 2007), presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Paraguay.”
“He is expected to take up the assignment shortly,” the statement added.
Venkataraman Vajapayajula (YOA: 2005) has been concurrently accredited as the Ambassador of India to the Central African Republic. Presently, he is serving as Ambassador of India to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and will continue to discharge his new responsibilities with residence in Kinshasa. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly.
In a statement, the MEA said,” Shri Venkataraman Vajapayajula (YOA: 2005), presently Ambassador of India to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has been concurrently accredited as the Ambassador of India to the Central African Republic, with residence in Kinshasa.”
“He is expected to take up the assignment shortly,” the statement added.
Senior IAS officer Devesh Chaturvedi (IAS:1989:UP), currently serving as Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, has been given additional charge of Secretary of Department of Agricultural Research and Education. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Monday (03.03.2025), the competent authority has approved the assignment of additional charge of the post to Mr. Chaturvedi with immediate effect till the appointment of a regular incumbent or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
IPS officer Himanshu Gupta (IPS:2010:UP) has been appointed as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) for five years. According to an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday (03.03.2025), the competent authority has approved the appointment of Mr Gupta to the for a period of five years from the date of assumption of the charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
The Bihar government on Saturday (01.03.2025) issued transfer and posting orders for two IAS officers.
The names of the officers and their postings are as follows;
Join Us on WhatsApp