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.
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:
Jyoti Prakash Dash, Chief General Manager, Indian Ordnance Factories Service
Ajay Kumar Yerpude, Executive Director, Indian Ordnance Factories Service
Vineet Sharma, Executive Director, Indian Ordnance Factories Service
Santosh Kumar Singh, General Manager/HR, Indian Ordnance Factories Service
Rajesh Kumar, Chief General Manager (Law), Bokaro Steel Plant, Steel Authority Of India Limited (SAIL)
Prabir Kumar Biswas, General Manager GM (HR), NGEL, Ntpc Limited
Tapankumar G Kanekar, General Manager I/c (Town Services & Sports), Steel Authority Of India Limited (SAIL)
Vijaya Lakshmi Muralidharan, Additional General Manager (HR), NTPC Limited
Saurabh Sharma, Additional General Manager AGM (HR), NTPC Limited
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.
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