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Controversial J’khand IAS officer Pooja Singhal back in action

By
LO Bureau
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Controversial IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre, Pooja Singhal (IAS:2000:JH), is back in action. She was relieved of suspension on Tuesday after more than two years. She had been suspended and put behind bars after her name came up in the MNREGA scam (MGNREGA). She was arrested and suspended on 11 May 2022 on charges of money laundering. That time she was the Mines Secretary. Pooja walked out of jail last month.

Her suspension was revoked on Tuesday after a committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, recommended it. Pooja has now been instructed to report to the personnel department for duties.

She has served as Secretary of many departments. Before her suspension, she was Industries Secretary, Mines and Geology Department Secretary and Managing Director of Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation Limited.

Pooja was a meritorious student all through her academic career. Hailing originally from Dehradun, she had cleared the UPSC examination in the very first attempt in 1999 and became an IAS at the age of just 21 years.

But, unfortunately, her professional career got blemished after her name came up in the MNREGA scam and her house was raided. She was later suspended and arrested on 11 May 2022 in the course of the investigation. Since then, Pooja Singhal was in jail.

Fortunately, Section 479 of the new law BNS (Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita) came to her rescue. Under this Act, an accused that has committed the first offence and has spent one-third of the maximum punishment under that section in jail, is entitled to bail.

Amandeep Garg gets addl. charge of Chairman, CPCB

By
LO Bureau
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Amandeep Garg (IAS:1999:HP), currently serving as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC), has been given additional charge of Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Wednesday (22.01.2025), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the assignment of additional charge of the post to Mr Garg till appointment of regular incumbent or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

SC recommends appointing ad-hoc judges in High Courts to clear backlog

By
LO Bureau
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SC pulls up UP IAS

In an attempt to deal with the huge pendency of criminal appeals, the Supreme Court has recommended the appointment of ad-hoc judges in High Courts. But it also clarified that no ad-hoc judge should be appointed in a High Court if it was functioning with 80% sanctioned strength of judges.

A special bench, comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justices BR Gavai and Surya Kant, went to the extent of saying that it could partly modify the 2021 judgement to ensure ad-hoc judges were appointed to decide criminal appeals by division benches presided over by sitting high court judges.

During the hearing, the CJI shared his feelings by saying; he listed the case keeping in mind the “acute pendency of criminal appeals in some high courts”. The apex court referred to the data on pendency of criminal cases in several high courts.

The CJI said in the Jharkhand High court the figure stood at 13,000, and similarly 20,000, 21,000, 8,000 and 21,000 criminal cases were pending in high courts at Karnataka, Patna, Rajasthan and the Punjab and Haryana respectively.

While hearing a 2019 case known as Lok Prahari v. Union of India, the apex court had passed a crucial verdict on April 20, 2021, directing retired High Court judges to be appointed as ad-hoc ones for a period of two to three years to clear the backlog of cases.

The Article 224A of the Constitution deals with the appointment of ad-hoc judges in High Courts.

The top court also laid down guidelines to regulate the appointments of ad-hoc judges.

SSB DG Amrit Mohan Prasad gets addl. charge of DG, BCAS

By
LO Bureau
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SSB DG Amrit Mohan Prasad gets addl. charge of DG, BCAS for six months

Senior IPS officer Amrit Mohan Prasad (IPS:1989:OR), currently serving as Director General (DG) of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), has been given additional charge of Director General of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Tuesday (22.01.2025), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of Ministry of Civil Aviation for ex-post facto approval for entrustment of additional charge of DG, BCAS to Mr. Prasad for a period of six months w.e.f 01.11.2024 or till joining of the regular incumbent or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Notably, BCAS DG Zulfiqar Hasan retired on October 31, 2024, and on the same day, the DoPT issued a notification assigning Mr. Prasad the additional charge of the post. However, the initial notification did not specify the duration for which Mr. Prasad would hold the position. The current notification clarifies that his tenure will extend for six months starting November 1, 2024, or until the regular incumbent joins the post or further directives are issued.

13 IRS-C&IT officers promoted to Principal Commissioner grade

By
LO Bureau
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The central government on Tuesday (21.01.2025) approved the empanelment of 13 officers of 1995 batch for promotion to the grade of Principal Commissioner of Customs and Indirect Taxes in the Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes). These officers will now serve in Level 15 of the Pay Matrix (HAG).

They are;

  1. Neerav Kumar Mallick
  2. Anice Joseph
  3. Ravi Pratap Singh
  4. D Venkateswara Reddy
  5. Ataur Rahman
  6. Vijay Mohan Jain
  7. Samir Subhash Bajaj
  8. Sudha Koka
  9. Manish Saxena
  10. Sanjiv Gautam
  11. Rajeev Agarwal
  12. Ajay Kumar Pandey
  13. N Padmasri

Minhaj Alam gets extension as Additional Secretary in M/o Food Processing Industries

By
LO Bureau
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The central deputation tenure of Minhaj Alam (IAS:1996:KL) as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries has been extended for three months. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Tuesday (21.01.2025), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved extension in central deputation tenure of Mr Alam for a period of three years beyond March 31, 2025 i.e. upto June 30, 2025 or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

P&NG Minister HS Puri’s PS Rasaal Dwivedi re-designated as Director

By
LO Bureau
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Rasaal Dwivedi IRS

Rasaal Dwivedi (IRS-C&CE:2011), currently serving as the Private Secretary to Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri at the Deputy Secretary level, has been re-designated as Director.

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Monday (20.01.2025), the competent authority has approved the proposal to re-designate Mr. Dwivedi’s post to Director level with effect from the date of assumption of charge of re-designated post and for a period upto March 15, 2026 or on co-terminus basis with the Minister or till he ceases to function as Private Secretary to the Minister or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

It is noteworthy that Rasaal Dwivedi began his central deputation tenure on March 16, 2021.

MoS Finance Pankaj Chaudhary’s PS Rishirendra Kumar re-designated as Director

By
LO Bureau
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Rishirendra Kumar (IAS:2011:UP), currently serving as the Private Secretary to Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary at the Deputy Secretary level, has been re-designated as Director.

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Monday (20.01.2025), the competent authority has approved the proposal to re-designate Mr. Kumar’s post to Director level with effect from the date of assumption of charge of re-designated post and for a period upto August 11, 2029 or on co-terminus basis with the Minister or till he ceases to function as Private Secretary to the Minister or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

It is noteworthy that Rishirendra Kumar began his central deputation tenure on August 12, 2024.

Pulkesh Kumar re-designated as Director in M/o Health & Family Welfare

By
LO Bureau
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Pulkesh Kumar (IRPS:2011), currently serving as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, has been re-designated as Director. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Monday (20.01.2025), the competent authority has approved the proposal to re-designate Kumar’s post to Director level with effect from the date of assumption of charge of the re-designated post, and for a period up to December 21, 2025 i.e. total tenure of five years under the central staffing scheme.

It is noteworthy that Pulkesh Kumar began his central deputation tenure on December 22, 2020.

Monika Gaur re-designated as Director in D/o Commerce

By
LO Bureau
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Department of Commerce

Monika Gaur (IA&AS:2011), currently serving as Deputy Secretary in the Department of Commerce, has been re-designated as Director. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Monday (20.01.2025), the competent authority has approved the proposal to re-designate Gaur’s post to Director level with effect from the date of assumption of charge of the re-designated post, and for a period up to June 26, 2029 i.e. total tenure of five years under the central staffing scheme.

It is noteworthy that Monika Gaur began her central deputation tenure on June 27, 2024.

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