REC Limited, through its CSR arm, REC Foundation, has signed a Memorandum of Association (MoA) with Sankara Eye Hospital, Pammal, Chennai wherein REC committed Rs 6 Crore for the project ‘Eye Care for All’ – an initiative to provide support to 8,000 beneficiaries for cataract surgery.
The MoA was formalized on February 17, 2025, between Smt. Thara Ramesh, Chief Program Manager (CPM), REC Regional Office Chennai, and Wg Cdr V. Shankar (Retd), Trustee, Sankara Eye Hospital, in the presence of Shri Narayanan Thirupathy, Director (Independent), REC Limited, along with other officials from REC’s Regional Office in Chennai and Sankara Eye Hospital.
This initiative aims to restore vision and enhance the quality of life for 8,000 economically disadvantaged individuals in and around Chennai. Through this collaboration, patients will receive free-of-cost cataract surgeries, ensuring vital eye care services for those in need.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Narayanan Thirupathy, Director (Independent), REC Limited, said, “REC Foundation is committed to empowering communities through impactful CSR initiatives. Our partnership with Sankara Eye Hospital is a significant step towards eliminating avoidable blindness and improving lives.”
NTPC Ltd. paid the Second Interim dividend of Rs. 2,424 crore on 18th February 2025, being 25% of the paid-up equity share capital of the Company.
This is in addition to the First Interim dividend of Rs. 2,424 crore paid in November 2024.
The total dividend paid during the financial year 2024-25 is Rs. 8,000 crore, which includes Final Dividend for the financial year 2023-24 of Rs 3,152 crore paid in September 2024.
This is the 32nd consecutive year that NTPC Ltd. has paid dividend.
NTPC Ltd. is India’s largest integrated power utility, contributing one-fourth of the India’s power requirements and has an installed capacity of over 77 GW, with an additional capacity of 29.5 GW under construction, including 9.6 GW of renewable energy capacity. The company is committed to achieving 60 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2032.
With a diverse portfolio of thermal, hydro, solar, and wind power plants, NTPC is dedicated to delivering reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity to the nation. The company is committed to adopting best practices, fostering innovation, and embracing clean energy technologies for a greener future.
Along with power generation, NTPC has ventured into various new business areas, including e-mobility, battery storage, pumped hydro storage, waste-to-energy, nuclear power, and green hydrogen solutions.
The Rajasthan government has demoted IPS officer Pankaj Choudhary (IPS:2009:RJ) for three years following an inquiry into allegations that he solemnized his second marriage without ending his first. This marks the first time an IPS officer in the state has faced such action.
According to an order issued on February 12 by the Department of Personnel, Choudhary has been demoted from Senior Pay Scale (Level 11 in Pay Matrix) to Junior Pay Scale (Level 10) for a period of three years, effective from December 18, 2024.
The investigation wing of the Department of Personnel recommended his demotion after conducting an inquiry on December 18, 2024.
Choudhary was previously dismissed from service in March 2019 for “grave personal misconduct” related to the same allegations. However, he was reinstated in May 2021 after receiving favorable orders from the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), the Delhi High Court, and the Supreme Court.
He is currently serving as Superintendent of Police, Community Policing, at the Police Headquarters in Jaipur.
In a significant administrative development, the Union Territory of Ladakh has appointed its first Chief Secretary following the re-designation of the post of Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor. Dr. Pawan Kotwal (IAS:1994:AGMUT) will now assume the role of Chief Secretary of Ladakh, with no change in his existing duties and responsibilities.
The decision was formalized through an Office Memorandum issued by the General Administration Department of Ladakh, in accordance with a notification dated January 3, 2025, from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Government of India. The move has been approved by the Competent Authority in the Ministry of Home Affairs. All official correspondence that was previously addressed to the Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor will now be directed to the Chief Secretary of Ladakh.
A highly respected civil servant, Kotwal was born in Jammu & Kashmir in 1965 and holds an MBBS degree. Over the course of his career, he has held several key positions across J&K and Ladakh, including Divisional Commissioner of Jammu, Deputy Commissioner in multiple districts of J&K, and Principal Secretary in several departments. He has also served as Financial Commissioner in the Revenue Department, Inspector General of Registration, andSecretary to the Chief Minister of J&K.
The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday appointed senior IAS officer Alok Kumar as the new Chairman of the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA).
Alok Kumar, a 1993 batch IAS officer of the UP cadre, is known for his sincerity and integrity.
Currently, he is serving as the Principal Secretary, MSME & Export Promotion, as well as Principal Secretary, Infrastructure & Industrial Development & NRI Department.
Gyanesh Kumar (IAS:1988:KL) took charge as the 26th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on Wednesday, while Dr. Vivek Joshi (IAS:1989:HY) assumed office as an Election Commissioner.
Kumar, who had been serving as an Election Commissioner since March 15, 2024, was elevated to the top post, replacing Rajiv Kumar (IAS:1984:JH), who demitted office on Tuesday. The other Election Commissioner, SS Sandhu (IAS:1989:UK), was appointed to the poll panel along with Kumar on March 14, 2024.
In his message to voters after assuming charge, Mr. Kumar said, “First step for nation-building is voting. Therefore, every citizen of India who has completed 18 years of age should become an elector and should always vote.” Mr. Kumar asserted that the “Election Commission was, is and will always be with the voters”.
Before joining the Election Commission, Kumar held key positions in the Government of India, including Secretary in the Ministry of Cooperation, Secretary in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, and senior roles in the Ministries of Home Affairs and Defence. He also served in the Government of Kerala as District Collector of Ernakulam, MD of Kerala State Cooperative Bank, and Resident Commissioner of Kerala House in New Delhi, among other roles.
Dr. Vivek Joshi, who has now taken over as an Election Commissioner, has vast experience in governance at both the central and state levels. Before this role, he served as Chief Secretary of Haryana, Secretary in the Department of Personnel & Training, and Secretary in the Department of Financial Services. He was also Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India and Member Secretary of the Fifth State Finance Commission of Haryana.
With Gyanesh Kumar as CEC and SS Sandhu and Vivek Joshi as Election Commissioners, the Election Commission is now fully constituted.
The Jharkhand government on Tuesday (18.02.2025) enacted bureaucratic reshuffle by assigning fresh responsibilities to 15 IAS officers.
The most notable appointment is that of Pooja Singhal, who has been posted as Secretary, Information Technology & e-Governance Department, with an additional charge as CEO, Jharkhand Communication Network Limited.
Her appointment comes amid controversy, as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a petition before the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court, seeking an order to prevent her from being assigned any post. Singhal is currently facing trial in connection with the MGNREGA scam and a money laundering case. The court is expected to deliver its verdict on the ED’s petition on February 21, 2025.
The names of the officers and their postings are as follows;
Mast Ram Meena (IAS:1996:JH), Principal Secretary, Planning & Development Department with additional charge of Principal Secretary, Drinking Water & Sanitation Department and In-charge Member, Revenue Board, has been transferred and posted as Principal Secretary, Drinking Water & Sanitation Department with additional charge of In-charge Member, Revenue Board.
Pooja Singhal (IAS:2000:JH), awaiting posting orders, has been posted as Secretary, Information Technology & e-Governance Department with additional charge of CEO, Jharkhand Communication Network Limited.
Kripanand Jha (IAS:2005:JH), Secretary, Transport Department with additional charge of Transport Commissioner and Secretary, Department of Scheduled Tribe, Scheduled Caste, Minority and Backward Class Welfare, has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Department of Scheduled Tribe, Scheduled Caste, Minority and Backward Class Welfare.
Vipra Bhal (IAS:2006:JH), Secretary, Information Technology & e-Governance Department with additional charge of CEO, Jharkhand Communication Network Limited, has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Transport Department with additional charge of Transport Commissioner.
Arava Rajkamal (IAS:2008:JH), Secretary, Building Construction Department with additional charge of MD, Jharkhand State Building Construction Corporation Limited and Resident Commissioner, Jharkhand Bhawan, New Delhi, has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Mines & Geology Department with additional charge of Secretary, Industries Department and Chairman, Jharkhand States Mineral Development Corporation Limited.
Jitendra Kumar Singh (IAS:2008:JH), Secretary, Mines & Geology Department with additional charge of Secretary, Industries Department and Chairman, Jharkhand States Mineral Development Corporation Limited, has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Labour, Employment, Training & Skill Development Department.
Mukesh Kumar (IAS:2008:JH), Secretary, Labour, Employment, Training & Skill Development Department, has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Planning & Development Department.
Rajeshwari B (IAS:2011:JH), awaiting posting orders, has been posted as Special Secretary, Finance Department.
Saurabh Kumar Bhuwania (IAS:2019:JH), Joint Secretary, Finance Department, has been given additional charge of MD, Jharkhand Exploration and Mining Corporation Limited
Kanchan Singh (IAS), has been posted as CEO of Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society.
Dhananjaya Kumar Singh (IAS) has been posted as Joint Secretary, Finance Department.
Sita Pushpa (IAS) has been posted as Joint Secretary, School Education & Literacy Department.
Vijay Kumar Sinha (IAS) has been posted as Excise Commissioner.
Preeti Rani (IAS) has been posted as Joint Secretary, Industries Department.
Rajesh Prasad (IAS) has been posted as Director, Secondary Education.
With Haryana Chief Secretary Vivek Joshi (IAS:1989:HY) appointed as Election Commissioner on Monday, the state government has begun the search for his successor.
The new Chief Secretary is expected to be chosen from among five 1990-batch IAS officers—Sudhir Rajpal, Sumita Misra, Anurag Rastogi, Anand Mohan Sharan, and Raja Sekhar Vundru. According to sources, Rastogi is the frontrunner for the position, despite being set to retire on June 30, 2025.
Currently, all five officers serve as Additional Chief Secretaries in different departments—Rajpal in Health, Misra in Home, Rastogi in Finance, Sharan in Environment, and Vundru in Agriculture. In terms of seniority, Rajpal ranks highest, followed by Misra.
Rajpal is due to retire on November 30, 2026, Misra on January 31, 2027, Sharan on August 31, 2025, and Vundru on July 31, 2026.
Joshi had been serving as Haryana’s Chief Secretary since November 2024, following the retirement of TVSN Prasad (IAS:1988:HY) on October 31. He was repatriated to Haryana on October 26, 2024, at the request of the state government, and subsequently appointed to the post.
Mrithinjai Srikanthan (IRS-C&IT:2013), who was recommended for central deputation by the Department of Revenue, has been selected for appointment as Deputy Secretary in the Department of Expenditure, Delhi, for four years. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Tuesday (18.02.2025), Mr. Srikanthan will serve in the post under the central staffing scheme for a period of four years from the date of taking over charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
With Vivek Joshi (IAS:1989:HY) being appointed as the new Election Commissioner, the Haryana government will soon name his replacement as Chief Secretary. However, before making the appointment, the government must address certain technicalities related to the gradation list of IAS officers.
Traditionally, the Chief Secretary position is given to the senior-most IAS officer in the cadre. As per the Haryana IAS list on the official website of the Chief Secretary’s office, the current seniority order among 1990-batch IAS officers places Sudhir Rajpal at the top, followed by Sumita Misra, Anurag Rastogi, Anand Mohan Saran, and Raja Sekhar Vundru.
However, a seniority dispute has emerged as three IAS officers from the 1990 batch—Ankur Gupta, Anurag Rastogi, and Raja Sekhar Vundru—have challenged the current gradation list. Although Ankur Gupta has already retired, the issue raised by them could impact the appointment of the new Chief Secretary. In March 2024, these officers sought a revision in the cadre’s seniority list, arguing that Sudhir Rajpal was transferred from Himachal Pradesh to Haryana in 1994. They also raised concerns over Sumita Misra’s original cadre allocation, claiming she was initially allotted to the Jammu and Kashmir cadre, though there is no explicit indication of a cadre change on the official website.
Citing the Indian Administrative Service (Regulation of Seniority) Rules, they contended that an IAS officer transferred from one cadre to another at their request should be placed below all officers of the same category with the same year of allotment. Based on this rule, they argued that since they originally belonged to the Haryana cadre, they should be placed above Sudhir Rajpal and Sumita Misra in the gradation list. The officers had submitted a representation on the matter to then-Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal.
Determining IAS officers’ seniority falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Government of India, rather than the Haryana government. The Haryana government and DoPT have already discussed the matter, and the DoPT had earlier written to the state government instructing it to resolve the inter-se seniority issue among 1990-batch IAS officers by considering Rules 5 and 6 of the IAS (Regulation of Seniority) Rules, 1987.
In response, the Haryana Chief Secretary’s office wrote back to the DoPT, requesting a copy of the CAT (Chandigarh Bench) judgment concerning the allotment of Haryana cadre and seniority of IAS Sudhir Rajpal. The state government also sought clarification on Sumita Misra’s original cadre and whether she was initially allocated to another state before joining Haryana, requesting relevant documents for verification.
With the seniority dispute unresolved, the Haryana government must address the issue before appointing the next Chief Secretary.
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