Our team has gathered insights suggesting a significant upcoming appointment within the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) in Haryana. Senior IAS officer Apoorva Kumar Singh (IAS:1991:HY) is likely to join the CMO as Additional Chief Secretary (ACS). Currently serving as the ACS for the Public Health Department, with additional charge over Energy, Singh is known to have the support of central BJP leadership. Should this appointment be confirmed, it would signal an increasing central influence over Haryana’s bureaucratic appointments, particularly in the early stages of the current administration.
Additionally, recent repatriation of Vivek Joshi (IAS:1989:HY) to Haryana to assume the position of Chief Secretary, although yet to be officially announced, underscores this shift. Singh’s potential placement in the CMO would mark him as the second senior officer with central backing to join the state’s top administrative team.
The Madhya Pradesh government has approved the names of retired IAS officer SN Singh Shrivastava Chouhan as Chairman of the State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and Rakesh Kumar Shrivastava as chairman of State Level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC). These two bodies give green nod for setting up industries.
Their names will be sent to the Union Environment Ministry for final approval and official notification. Chouhan has been closely connected to the BJP as well as the RSS. He was a member of the BJP’s manifesto committee set up for the assembly election and is currently the state in-charge of the BJP’s FPO.
Rakesh Shrivastava, whose name has been recommended for SEAC chairmanship, is considered close to Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla. He has served as the Shukla’s OSD.
The central government is facing a tough task ahead as it has to make four key appointments in the next four months. All these positions are high profile and contribute immensely to the performance of Modi government in the economic sphere. Finding replacement for people occupying crucial positions in the democratic set up may prove tricky as scheme of things may go haywire for the Modi government if one decision goes wrong. The four appointments to be made include Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor, Chief Economic Adviser and Sebi chairperson.
First of all, the government has to find a replacement for G S Murmu as his term as CAG is coming to end in November. This position requires a trusted pro-government bureaucrat as the incumbent has to keep a watch over the Centre’s spending and accounts.
After CAG, the Modi government has to decide the fate of RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, whose tenure is ending in December. The government may decide to give another term to him or look for a replacement. A former civil servant, Das was given a three-year term in December 2018 after Urjit Patel’s resignation following a standoff with the government. He got another three year term in 2021, which is coming to an end in December. Das is credited to have managed the financial sector well and has had a smooth relationship with the Centre, something which his predecessor failed to do.
The central government is faced with the similar situation as to whether to continue with Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran or not. This position acquires added significance at this juncture as the incumbent provides crucial technical inputs for the budget and also authors with others the Economic Survey in the finance ministry’s economic division. The fact that the budget exercise kicks off in the next few weeks, government has to decide earlier whether to retain its top economist with a fresh term or look for a fresh hand.
But the biggest dilemma for the government is posed by the fourth position, that of the Sebi chief, given the controversy around Madhabi Puri Buch, the first woman chief of the regulatory body. Puri Buch, who happens to be the first from the private sector to head this body, has faced allegations of impropriety and conflict of interest. These charges may lead the government to decide that civil servants are best suited to take up such regulatory assignments.
The Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday (27.10.2024) issued posting orders for three IAS officers recently repatriated from Telangana following directions of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). Former Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Commissioner Amrapali Kata (IAS:2010:AP) has been appointed as Vice Chairperson & Managing Director (VC & MD) of the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department. She has also been given full additional charge of the post of CEO, AP Tourism Authority.
In other appointments, Vakati Karuna (IAS:2004:AP) has been named Commissioner of Family Welfare and Health with full additional charge of Mission Director, National Health Mission, while Vani Prasad (IAS:1995:AP) has been appointed as Principal Secretary of the Labour, Factories, Boilers & Insurance Medical Services Department. Another officer, Ronald Rose (IAS:2006:AP), who has also repatriated to the AP cadre, is yet to receive a posting.
Additionally, G Vani Mohan (IAS:1996:AP), Commissioner, Archeology & Museums, has been transferred and posted as Principal Secretary, General Administration Department.
In a bizarre administrative mix-up, both the Kerala government and the central government issued orders on the same day appointing Kerala cadre IAS officer Pranabjyoti Nath (IAS:2005:KL) to two different posts. While the Kerala government appointed him as Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the state, the central government assigned him the role of Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) at NALCO in Bhubaneswar. However, Nath has taken charge as CEO of Kerala.
This curious situation unfolded as follows: With upcoming by-elections for the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency and the Palakkad and Chelakkara Assembly constituencies in November, the CEO post had been vacant since August 5 after Sanjay M Kaul (IAS:2005:KL) left on central deputation. The Kerala government initially sent a panel of three IAS officers to the Election Commission of India (ECI), but the commission rejected this list, requesting a new one. The revised list included Nath’s name, and on Thursday, the ECI selected him for the CEO role, prompting the Kerala government to issue his appointment order on Friday (25.10.2024).
On the same day, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) issued an order stating that the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet had approved Nath’s appointment as CVO of NALCO for a three-year period. Notably, Nath had previously applied for deputation to his home state and completed all required formalities.
Amid this confusion, Nath assumed charge as Kerala CEO on Saturday. Reports indicate that the CEO office plans to raise the matter with the Union government. Given the administrative urgency of the by-elections and the standard six-week joining period for such appointments, Nath may join NALCO as CVO after the elections are completed.
IPS officer C Venkata Subba Reddy (IPS:2007:AM) has been appointed as Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for five years. According to an order issued on Friday (25.10.2024) the competent authority has approved the induction of Mr. Reddy as DIG in CBI for a period of five years from the date of assumption of charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on Friday (25.10.2024) approved the appointment of Chief Vigilance Officers (CVOs) in various Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
The appointed individuals and their respective assignments are as follows:
Nilabhra Sengupta (IRSSE:1997) has been appointed as Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of Bharat Electronics Limited, Bengaluru for three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Sushil Kumar Daila (IFoS:2000:AM) has been appointed as Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of Food Corporation of India for a period upto 03.07.2027 (i.e. combined tenure of 7 years in both CSS and Non-CSS posts put together) or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Sajid Farid Shapoo (IPS:1998:MP) has been appointed as Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. (MENL), Bengaluru for three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Pranabjyoti Nath (IAS:2005:KL) has been appointed as Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of National Aluminium Company (NALCO), Bhubaneswar for a period of three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier. Note-(The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) order was uploaded on Friday, shortly after the Kerala government issued its own order appointing Pranabjyoti Nath, with the approval of the Election Commission of India (ECI), as the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Kerala. Nath assumed charge of the post on Saturday. Regarding his name appearing in two separate appointment orders, the office of the CEO has stated that it will take up the issue with the Union government, as reported.)
Deepti Patel (IRSSE:2010) has been appointed as Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECI), Sanctoria for three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Senior IAS officer Vumlunmang Vualnam (IAS:1992:MN) is likely to be appointed as next Chief Secretary of Mizoram, awaiting approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Friday met with Home Minister Amit Shah to propose Vualnam as the successor to current Chief Secretary Renu Sharma (IAS:1988:AGMUT), who is set to retire of October 31. She took charge of the CS post on November 2, 2021.
Vualnam, a Manipur cadre IAS officer, is on central deputation and currently serving as Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation since August 2023.
The Chief Minister requested Shah that if Vualnam’s appointment is not feasible then shortlist senior IAS officers from the Arunachal Pradesh – Goa – Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre, allowing the state to select an alternative candidate.
Vualnam has held numerous prominent roles within the Union government, including Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, and Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Company Affairs.
In addition to his central government roles, Vualnam has served in various key positions in the Manipur government.
Jayant Kumar Jha has been selected for appointment as Director (Commercial), MECON Limited at a Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) meeting held on October 26, 2024. Presently, he is serving as Chief General Manager (Civil Architecture, PPM and Projects), MECON Limited.
He will be appointed to the post of Director (Commercial) after receiving vigilance clearances and approval from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
The following 11 applicants were interviewed in the selection meeting:
Barun Kumar Bera, Chief General Manager, MECON Limited
Jayant Kumar Jha, Chief General Manager (Civil Architecture, PPM and Projects), MECON Limited
The central government on Saturday (26.10.2024) appointed Haryana cadre IAS officer Nishant Kumar Yadav (IAS:2013:HY) as the new Deputy Commissioner of Chandigarh. Presently, he is serving as the Deputy Commissioner of Gurugram.
Yadav will replace Vinay Pratap Singh (IAS:2011:HY), who has been serving as Chandigarh DC since 2021 and will complete his tenure in November.
According to the Department of Personnel and Training order, “The appointments committee of the cabinet approved the proposal of the Union home ministry for the appointment of Nishant Kumar Yadav to the post of deputy commissioner, Chandigarh, on inter-cadre deputation from Haryana cadre to AGMUT cadre for a period of three years or until further orders, whichever is earliest.”
The Haryana government had sent a panel of three IAS officers for the post of Chandigarh DC. Besides Yadav, the names of Ajay Kumar (IAS:2013:HY) and Manoj Kumar (IAS:2014:HY) were recommended. Ajay Kumar and Manoj Kumar are currently serving as Deputy Commissioners of Rohtak and Sonepat, respectively.
Yadav was appointed Gurugram DC in February 2022, and he succeeded Yash Garg (IAS:2009:HY). Yadav has held the posts of Karnal DC, Additional DC and Municipal Commissioner of Karnal, and Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Sonepat. He has also held the post of secretary, Haryana Public Service Commission.
Join Us on WhatsApp