Senior IPS officer Utkal Ranjan Sahu (IPS:1988:RJ) assumed the role of acting Director General of Police of Rajasthan at the police headquarters on Saturday. The government order stated, “Utkal Ranjan Sahoo, IPS, Director General and Commandant General, Home Guards, Rajasthan, Jaipur will hold the charge of the post of Director General of Police, Rajasthan, Jaipur, in addition to his duties until further orders.”
Currently serving as the Director General of Home Guards, Sahu took on the additional charge following the voluntary retirement of Director General of Police Umesh Mishra (IPS:1989:RJ) on Saturday.
Having been promoted to the DG rank in 2022, Sahu has been in the role of Director General (DG) Home Guard for three and a half years.
Senior IAS officer Nitin Kareer (IAS:1988:MH), serving as Additional Chief Secretary (Finance), assumed the role of Chief Secretary of the state on Sunday, succeeding the outgoing Chief Secretary Manoj Saunik (IAS:1987:MH), who was denied an extension by the Centre.
In an interesting turn, Sujata Saunik (IAS:1987:MH), Additional Chief Secretary (Administrative Reforms) and wife of Manoj Saunik, was once again overlooked for the Chief Secretary’s position. Previously, she was superseded by her husband when he assumed the role on April 29, succeeding Manu Kumar Srivastava (IAS:1986:MH). Although both husband and wife were contenders, Manoj Saunik secured the position, having previously headed the public works department for over five years.
This time, Nitin Kareer secured the position, bypassing Sujata Saunik. Bureaucratic sources revealed that Kareer’s candidacy received backing from Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
The central government, on Sunday (31.12.2023), appointed former Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya as the Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission. Ritvik Ranjanam Pandey (IAS:1998:KN), Joint Secretary in the Finance Ministry, has been appointed as the Secretary to the Commission, according to a government notification.
“The President is pleased to constitute a Finance Commission with Dr Arvind Panagariya, former Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog, and Professor, Columbia University, as the Chairman. Members of the Commission will be notified separately,” the notification stated.
The commission has been tasked with submitting its report for the five years from 2026-27 to 2030-31 to the President by October 31, 2025.
In the previous month, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the 16th Finance Commission. The commission’s role includes suggesting tax devolution between the Centre and states, proposing revenue augmentation measures, and reviewing the existing arrangements for financing disaster management initiatives concerning the funds constituted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
The Finance Commission is a constitutional body responsible for providing recommendations on centre-state financial relations.
Senior IPS officer Rashmi Shukla (IPS:1988:RJ) has been appointed as the new Director General of Police (DGP) in Maharashtra following the retirement of the incumbent DGP Rajnish Seth (IPS:1988:MH) on December 31. Prior to this appointment, she served as the Director General (DG) of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and had previously held the position of Additional Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
Rashmi Shukla has an extensive career in the police service and has held key positions in Maharashtra, including serving as the Pune Police Commissioner and Director of the State Intelligence Wing. The decision to appoint her as the DGP comes more than three months after the Bombay High Court quashed two phone-tapping cases registered against her.
Shukla had faced charges in the first FIR in Mumbai for allegedly tapping the phones of Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and NCP leader Eknath Khadse. In the second FIR in Pune, she was alleged to have tapped the phones of Congress leader Nana Patole. The Bombay High Court’s decision in favor of Shukla contributed to her appointment as the top police official in Maharashtra.
She has also been accused of leaking a classified report that exposed a nexus between some police officers and middlemen who offered transfers and postings for money. Shukla denies any wrongdoing and asserts that her actions were in the interest of national security and public service.
Senior IAS officer Sudhansh Pant (IAS:1991:RJ) has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary of Rajasthan. Currently serving as the Secretary of Health and Family Welfare in the central government, Pant brings a wealth of experience to the role, having previously served as the Shipping Secretary. The incumbent Chief Secretary Usha Sharma (IAS:1985:RJ) retired on Sunday (31.12.2023). Pant is eighth on the order of seniority among IAS officers of the Rajasthan Cadre. He superseded six IAS officers to become the Chief Secretary,
It is important to note that the government of India on Saturday repatriated Sudhansh Pant to his parent cadre on the request of the Government of Rajasthan.
With a distinguished 30-year career, Pant has held crucial appointments at both the state and central levels. Notably, he successfully managed the extensive Covid medical relief operations in the Health Ministry, showcasing effective leadership as the Joint Secretary.
His extensive experience and strategic planning skills, particularly in the health sector, make him well-suited for the responsibilities of the Chief Secretary role. Pant played a crucial role in controlling the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak and demonstrated strong leadership during the challenging times of the pandemic.
Over the last five years, Pant has actively contributed to drafting several important bills, addressing critical issues such as the reduction of medicine and medical device prices. Many of these bills have since evolved into significant policies.
Once again, legendofficers.com has proven its reliability as a source for bureaucratic news. The Union Government has officially granted a third extension to Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra (IAS:1984:UP). In line with our prediction on December 28, the decision was confirmed just two days later at a meeting of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC). This development follows the recent Conference of Chief Secretaries in Delhi, presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Originally scheduled to retire on December 31, Mishra’s tenure has now been extended for an additional six months until June 2024.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), responsible for securing Delhi Metro and airports nationwide, has witnessed a historic moment with the appointment of its first female chief, IPS Officer Nina Singh (IPS:1989:RJ). Breaking a 54-year tradition, she has assumed command of the CISF Security Force. The force, established in 1969, was previously led exclusively by male officers. Joining CISF in 2021, Singh, who is set to retire on July 31, 2024, has been entrusted with this significant responsibility.
Initially appointed as ADGP in CISF on June 25, 2021, until her retirement, Singh assumed additional charge as DG after the retirement of DG CISF Sheel Vardhan Singh (IPS:1986:BH) on August 31, 2023.
A native of Patna, Bihar, Singh studied at Women’s College, Patna, before pursuing education at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi and Harvard University in America. She collaborated on research papers with Nobel Prize winners Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo and worked on a project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 2005-2006 to enhance the accessibility of police stations.
A trailblazer, Singh became the first woman officer to serve as DG in the Rajasthan Police. She held the position of Member Secretary of the Rajasthan Women Commission in 2000, leading an outreach campaign for women. During her tenure with the CBI as Joint Director from 2013 to 2018, Singh contributed to investigations involving bank fraud, corruption, economic crimes, and high-profile cases, earning her the Ati Utkrisht Seva Medal in 2020.
Her husband, Rohit Kumar (IAS:1989:RJ), is also an IAS officer from the Rajasthan cadre, previously serving as the Principal Secretary (Health) in Rajasthan in 2020-21 and currently serving at the Centre as Secretary in the Department of Consumer Affairs.
The Uttar Pradesh government has announced the promotion of senior IPS officer Prashant Kumar (IPS:1990:UP) to the rank of Director General, effective from January 1, 2024. While the promotion is deemed routine, speculations are rife in Lucknow’s power corridors that Kumar may be the next Director General of Police (DGP). The current officiating DGP, Vijay Kumar (IPS:1988:UP), is set to retire on January 31, 2024.
Prashant Kumar, presently serving as ADGP, Law and Order, has earned praise for effectively managing the state’s law and order situation, a key concern for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s administration. Rumors suggest that Kumar is the favored police officer of the CM, and his potential appointment as DGP could be a strategic move ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Under his leadership, issues related to law and order and women’s empowerment have been efficiently addressed. Given the CM’s direct control over police administration, Prashant Kumar’s proactive approach aligns with the government’s expectations, making him a strong contender for the position of DGP.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the empanelment of a total of twelve IRS officers for promotion to the grade of Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (Level 17 of Pay Matrix) for the panel year 2023.
The list includes seven officers:
Jayanthi Krishnan
Mridula Bajpai
Ravinder Sai
Debendra Narayan Kar
Manoranjan Panigrahy
Avdesh Kumar Mishra
Bijayananda Pruseth
Additionally, an extended panel of five officers has been approved to be operated in lieu of officers included in the regular/extended panel for promotion and retiring during the vacancy year 2023:
The West Bengal government on Thursday (28.12.2023) appointed B.P. Gopalika (IPS:1989:WB), the current Home Secretary, as the new Chief Secretary of the state. He is set to succeed the incumbent Chief Secretary, H.K. Dwivedi (IAS:1988:WB), who is scheduled to retire on December 31.
Gopalika’s term as Chief Secretary will extend until May 31, 2024, unless he receives a similar extension like Dwivedi, who was granted a six-month extension in June.
As a result of this appointment, speculation has arisen regarding the position of Bengal Home Secretary. The names of Vivek Kumar (IAS:1990:WB), and Manoj Pant (IAS:1991:WB) are circulating. However, there is also speculation about the possibility of a surprise appointment to the post, according to sources.
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