Arunachal Pradesh IAS officer Vishakha Yadav has brought accolades for entire bureaucracy of the state by bagging the esteemed ‘Best Preventive State’ award from the State Election Commission (SEC). This is in recognition of her outstanding contributions in ensuring law and order during the electoral process in the sensitive district, located near the Indo-China border. Vishakha is currently Deputy Commissioner of Kurung Kumey district.
A 2020-batch IAS officer, Vishakha is known for her bold leadership that played a significant role in conducting peaceful and fair elections. But more than this, it was her efforts to prevent electoral malpractices that have earned widespread praise.
Apart from her electoral management, Vishakha’s exceptional leadership came to the fore with the launch of the “Digi Kaksha” project. This initiative introduced smart classrooms in government schools across Kurung Kumey and Tirap districts, significantly improving educational access in remote areas.
An engineering graduate from Delhi Technological University (DTU), she transitioned from being a software developer to pursuing a career in the civil services.
The Ministry of Home Affairs seems to have made up its mind to strictly deal with the issue of rising shortage of IPS officers at various ranks in central agencies and forces. That is why it has admonished all states to make “a conscious attempt” to send names of IPS officers for central deputation.
This is not a new phenomenon. The ministry invites nominations of IPS officers from states for central deputation every year to fill up the vacancies for ranks ranging from Superintendent of Police (SP) to Director General (DG). But, unfortunately, some of the states/cadres do not send sufficient number of names for central deputation.
This issue was highlighted by the ministry in its letter sent to all states recently. It rued that many a time, the state governments send more names of Senior IPS officers, but they do not propose the names for appointment to the posts of SP to IG. That is the reason why it wants a conscious attempt to be made by the state governments to forward the names of officers for deputation in such a manner that officers of different levels/ranks are adequately and proportionately represented as well as every eligible officer gets an opportunity to serve at the Centre.
A similar request was made by the MHA in June last year. But there has been a lukewarm response from the states.
It has resulted in the number of vacancies rising steadily over the years. According to the vacancy statement of MHA as of December 18, 2024, posts of 114 SPs, 77 DIGs, 40 IGs (Inspector Generals), two ADGs (Additional Director General) and one SDG (Special Director General) are lying vacant in various central agencies and forces, including the CBI, CRPF, NIA, ITBP, CISF, BSF, NSG, SSB and others.
Even Union Minister for Personnel Jitendra Singh had informed the Parliament last month that there were 586 posts of IPS vacant as on January 1, 2024. There were 4,469 IPS officers working across the country against their sanctioned strength of 5,055.
According to a highly-placed source, IPS officers at SP and DIG level are particularly not deputed to the Centre because there are vacancies at those ranks in the states’ as well, and then there are retirements and resignations. The issue has become so problematic that the MHA has tried to take strict action against the officers who fail to join even after their names having been cleared for central deputation.
In order to strictly deal with this attitude, the ministry has adopted a policy of debarring officers from central deputation for five years if an officer, on being selected, does not join within one month of issue of his/her appointment order, either on account of personal disinclination or on refusal by concerned state government to relieve the officer.
Under the IPS (cadre) rules, 40% of senior duty posts in each cadre are earmarked as Central Deputation Reserve (CDR).
In a significant late night administrative shake-up on Thursday, the Uttar Pradesh government transferred 31 IAS officers, including four Divisional Commissioners and 14 District Magistrates.
As part of the reshuffle, Lucknow District Magistrate (DM) Surya Pal Gangwar and Kanpur Nagar DM Rakesh Kumar Singh have been appointed as Secretaries to the Chief Minister. Aligarh DM Visakh G. has been named the new District Magistrate of Lucknow.
Additionally, new Divisional Commissioners have been appointed in Meerut, Agra, and Aligarh, marking a major overhaul in the state’s administrative structure.
Ashok Chandra has been appointed as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Punjab National Bank (PNB) for a tenure of three years. PNB announced the appointment through a communication to the stock exchange on Thursday.
The Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) had recommended Chandra for the MD & CEO role on October 10, 2024.
Prior to this, Chandra served as the Executive Director of Canara Bank, where he held the position from November 21, 2022, to January 15, 2025. During his tenure at Canara Bank, he oversaw multiple verticals, including digital banking and information technology, strategy and planning, marketing and public relations, financial inclusion, MSME, retail assets, agriculture, priority sectors, gold loans, liability management, and general administration.
Chandra also served as a director on the boards of Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company Limited, PSB Alliance Ltd, and Canara Venture Capital Fund Ltd. He was a member of the IBA Standing Committee for HR.
Before his role at Canara Bank, Chandra was the Chief General Manager at Union Bank of India. He served as a director on the board of The Union Trustee Company Private Limited and The National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited (NARCL).
With over 33 years of diverse experience in the banking sector, Chandra brings a wealth of expertise to his new role. He holds a Master’s Degree in Economics and is a Certified Associate of the Indian Institute of Bankers. Additionally, he participated in a leadership programme organized by the Banks Board Bureau and conducted by IIM Bangalore during 2019–2020.
Binod Kumar has assumed the role of Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Indian Bank on Thursday. He succeeds Shanti Lal Jain, who retired on December 31, 2024, upon superannuation.
The central government, through a notification dated January 16, 2025, appointed Kumar to the position for a three-year tenure, as informed by Indian Bank in a communication to the stock exchange.
The Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) had recommended Kumar for the MD & CEO role on November 24, 2024.
Prior to this appointment, Kumar served as the Executive Director of Punjab National Bank (PNB), where he managed critical portfolios including Corporate Banking, Treasury, International Banking, Finance, and Data Analytics.
Starting his banking career with PNB in 1994, Kumar climbed the ranks to become its Executive Director in November 2022. Over three decades in the banking sector, he has held several prominent roles, such as Chief General Manager (Corporate Credit), Zonal Manager, and CEO of PNB’s Dubai International Finance Centre operations.
Kumar also represented PNB as a nominee director on the boards of PNB Housing Finance and India SME Asset Reconstruction Company.
A science graduate, Kumar is certified in Financial Risk Management (FRM), CAIIB, and holds a diploma in Treasury Investment. He has also earned a Post Graduate Diploma in Banking and Finance from NIBM and completed a leadership program at IIM Bangalore.
Senior IPS officer Sunil Kumar Jha (IPS:1993:BH) was on Wednesday (15.01.2025) appointed as Special Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Wednesday (15.01.2025), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs for appointment of Mr Jha to the post in Level-16 of the pay matrix from the date of joining the post and up to January 31, 2027 i.e. date of his superannuation or till further orders, whichever is earlier.
Vishvajit Sahay (IDAS:1990), currently serving as Additional Secretary & Financial Advisor (AS&FA) in the Department of Science & Technology, has been repatriated to his parent cadre. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Thursday (16.01.2025), the competent authority has approved the repatriation of Mr. Sahay to his parent cadre for availing the benefit of promotion.
Senior Kerala IAS officer B Ashok (IAS:1998:KL) has now shot off a letter to the Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan (IAS:1990:KL) objecting to his appointment as the Local Self-Government Reforms Commission Chairman. Ashok has expressed his inability to accept his transfer order, alleging that it violates the rules.
Ashok, who holds the rank of Principal Secretary, was recently transferred from the Agriculture department to the LSG Reform Commission without his consent. It created a furor as the legality of the government action came to be seriously questioned. A large number of bureaucrats are siding with Ashok in openly criticizing the government’s decision.
Ashok, in the letter, has pointed out that the Supreme Court mandates prior consent from the officer when appointing outside the IAS cadre, a requirement that was not followed in his case.
His letter also emphasized that transferring an officer from a cadre post to a non-cadre position breaches service rules. It is important to mention here that the position of Chairperson of the independent Local Self-Government Reforms Commission falls outside the IAS cadre.
Further, his appointment was made without obtaining approval from the Central Government. According to the Civil Service rules, prior approval from the Union Ministry of Personnel is required to appoint civil service officers at commissions or tribunals.
Ashok is said to be contemplating to approach the Central Administrative Tribunal and the High Court citing that this appointment is contrary to the rules.
The process for appointing a new RBI Deputy Governor is gathering momentum with the interviews being conducted by a selection panel headed by Cabinet secretary TV Somanathan. Two rounds of interviews to find a suitable replacement of Michael Patra, who retired from the post on Jan 15, have already taken place.
A six-member selection panel — which includes RBI governor Sanjay Malhotra and Somanathan — held the first round of interviews on January 13 in New Delhi and held another on Wednesday.
Interestingly, Chief economic adviser (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran and 16th Finance Commission secretary Ritvik Pandey were among the high-profile candidates interviewed on Wednesday by the selection panel.
According to insiders, what bears significance is the fact that Nageswaran was called for the interview by the panel, though he is understood to have not applied for the post. This development is considered crucial.
According to sources, apart from others, those being considered include Poonam Gupta, a former World Bank economist and part-time member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council; Chetan Ghate, former external member on the RBI’s monetary policy committee; Prachi Mishra, director and head of the Isaac Centre for Public Policy at Ashoka University; economist Ajit Ranade; and NR Bhanumurthy, director at Madras School of Economics.
Two IAS officers from Uttar Pradesh, Additional Chief Secretary Anurag Srivastava (IAS:1992:UP) and Bahraich District Magistrate Monika Rani (IAS:2010:UP), have been selected for the prestigious Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2023.
Srivastava has been selected in the “innovation-state” category for his ground breaking use of solar power in Jal Jeevan Mission projects in Uttar Pradesh while Rani is be honoured in the ‘Holistic Development of Districts’ category for her exemplary work in Bahraich.
The Prime Minister’s award for excellence in public administration is given for exceptional work by IAS officers across India. Srivastava is currently serving as Additional Chief Secretary of the Namami Gange and rural water supply department. He is credited with spearheading the integration of solar energy in the state’s water supply schemes under the Jal Jeevan Mission. The central government specifically acknowledged Srivastava’s role in the successful implementation of solar-powered water schemes, a key element of the National Jal Jeevan Mission. This initiative has enhanced the sustainability and efficiency of rural water systems.
Srivastava will be honoured with the award on April 10.
Bahraich DM Monika Rani has been recognized for her dynamic leadership in achieving holistic development in Bahraich, an aspirational district. Initiatives like the ‘Seva Se Santriptikaran Abhiyan’ (saturation through service campaign) and the ‘Developed Bharat Sankalp Yatra’ under her administration addressed key development metrics.
These programs focused on delivering welfare schemes to underserved people, time-bound grievance redressal, and promoting women’s empowerment through community participation.
The result is Bahraich is the only district from Uttar Pradesh among 10 districts nationwide to be honoured with this award. Rani will be presented with the award on Civil Services Day, April 21.
