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Delhi HC orders DoPT to act on complaints against ex-Telangana IAS within three months

By
LO Bureau
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Case against Rajat Kumar IAS

In an important development, the Delhi High Court has given three months’ time to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to take a final decision on a complaint against retired Telangana cadre IAS officer Rajat Kumar (IAS:1991:TG). The complaint filed by one Gavinolla Srinivas leveled serious allegations of corruption against Kumar.

The complainant had earlier lodged a complaint with the DoPT on January 28, 2022, accusing the senior bureaucrat of engaging in corrupt practices, including allegedly accepting benefits from a private infrastructure company involved in major irrigation projects in Telangana.

The HC issued these orders while disposing of a writ petition in which the petitioner alleged that the company had reportedly borne expenses incurred during Kumar’s daughter’s marriage function and that the private infrastructure company had been awarded contract works for mega irrigation projects in lieu.

The petitioner alleged that the DoPT, instead of taking an action, forwarded the complaint to the state Chief Secretary, which he says was insufficient and contrary to legal obligations, especially in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling in ‘Vineet Narain vs. Union of India,’ which emphasised timely and independent decision-making in corruption matters involving public officials.

The High Court held that merely forwarding the complaint to the state government did not absolve the DoPT of its responsibility and that it should have acted even if a report from the state was pending.

Bihar transfers four IAS officers, RL Chongthu moved to Minority Welfare

By
LO Bureau
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Bihar Map

The Bihar Government on Sunday (April 26, 2026) carried out a bureaucratic reshuffle, issuing transfer and posting orders for four IAS officers.

The names of the officers and their postings are as follows;

  1. Robert L. Chongthu (IAS:1997:BH), who was serving as Principal Secretary in the Governor Secretariat, has been moved and posted as Principal Secretary, Minority Welfare.
  2. Gopal Meena (IAS:2007:BH), Secretary, Revenue and Land Reforms, has been transferred and appointed as Secretary to the Governor. He has also been given additional charge of Enquiry Commissioner in the General Administration Department.
  3. Mohammad Sohail (IAS:2007:BH), Secretary, Minority Welfare, has been shifted to the General Administration Department as Secretary. He will continue to hold the additional charge of Enquiry Commissioner, GAD.
  4. Shailendra Kumar (IAS:2013:BH), Special Secretary in the Agriculture Department, has been posted as District Magistrate of Lakhisarai.

AB Venkateswara Rao serves legal notices to former DGPs, officials seeking ₹1 crore damages

By
LO Bureau
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Retired IPS officer and former Andhra Pradesh Intelligence Chief AB Venkateswara Rao (Retd.IPS:1989:AP) has sent legal notices to former DGPs D Gautam Sawang and RP Thakur, along with several serving and retired IPS officers and officials.

Those named include Ravi Shankar Ayyanar, PV Sunil Kumar, PSR Anjaneyulu and K Raghurami Reddy. Others named are retired Additional SP (CID) R Vijay Paul, retired Chief Accounts Officer in the DGP office C Govinda Rajan, ACB Additional SP S Sai Krishna and former CPRO to the Chief Minister Pudi Srihari.

The State of Andhra Pradesh has also been made a party through its Chief Secretary.

The notices have been sent under Section 80 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908. Rao has sought damages of Rs 1 crore. He has accused them of malicious prosecution, illegal suspension, fabrication of records, defamation and violation of his rights under Article 21 of the Constitution.

AB Venkateswara Rao said he was falsely named in a case linked to the purchase of security equipment. This included an aerostat and unmanned aerial vehicles. The equipment was bought through the State Trading Corporation of India for use in anti-extremist operations and security work.

He said that the alleged conspiracy began in 2018 when he was serving as Additional DGP Intelligence. At that time, he was handling surveillance systems related to national security, anti-terror work, crime control and law and order.

Rao also said the High Court had quashed the FIR filed by the ACB and the charge sheet. He said this showed that the case against him was baseless.

He has said all those named are jointly responsible for paying damages. He has also sought 12 percent interest from February 8, 2020, which he called the date of the first cause of action.

Ashok Lahiri appointed NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman; panel reconstituted

By
LO Bureau
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The Centre on Saturday appointed eminent economist and West Bengal MLA Ashok Kumar Lahiri as the Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog.

Lahiri, a former Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India, replaces Suman Bery, who had been holding the post since May 2022.

The government also reconstituted the policy body with economist K V Raju, Director of AIIMS M Srinivas, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology Abhay Karandikar, noted scientist Gobardhan Das, and former Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba as full-time members.

Gauba was also part of the outgoing panel. Other members of the earlier panel included Vijay Kumar Saraswat, Ramesh Chand, Vinod Kumar Paul and Arvind Virmani.

Announcing the new leadership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his best wishes to Lahiri and the newly appointed members, expressing confidence in their ability to contribute to policy-making and reforms.

He said NITI Aayog has emerged as a vital pillar in India’s policy-making architecture, fostering cooperative federalism, furthering reforms and boosting ease of living. He described it as a dynamic platform for innovation and long-term strategic thinking across sectors.

Lahiri later met the Prime Minister and thanked him for the appointment. Modi noted that Lahiri’s rich experience in economics and public policy would strengthen India’s reform journey and its goal of becoming a developed nation, adding that his contribution would further energise policymaking in the country.

Famous Rajasthan IAS Arti Dogra gets relief; HC stays ACB investigation against her

By
LO Bureau
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Arti Dogra IAS

In a relief to famous Rajasthan cadre IAS officer and Discom Chairperson Arti Dogra (IAS:2006:RJ), the Division Bench of the High Court has stayed the order of an ACB investigation against her. The ACB investigation had been ordered by the single-judge bench of the High Court.

The Discom Chairperson has got relief within 24 hours of the investigation order.

The Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice Shubha Mehta held that this was not a corruption case and three investigations are pending against the petitioner on which decisions will be taken soon.

The single-judge bench of Justice Ravi Chirania had ordered an ACB investigation against the IAS officer while hearing the petition of a superintendent engineer, RK Meena. Meena had alleged that the Discom Chairperson withheld a decision on his file, due to which he was deprived of a promotion.

The High Court had remarked that the Discom Chairperson had deliberately withheld the decision on the investigation against the petitioner for several months, holding it to provide sufficient grounds to suspect corruption in this matter.

The court had even directed the ACB to submit its investigation report within three months.

Prashant Kumar Mishra appointed PS to Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil

By
LO Bureau
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Prashant Kumar Mishra IAS

IAS officer Prashant Kumar Mishra (IAS:2014:KN) has been appointed as Private Secretary to the Union Minister for Jal Shakti, CR Patil. His appointment has been made in the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Wednesday (April 22, 2026), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved Mishra’s appointment to the post at the level of Deputy Secretary.

Prashant will serve in the position for a period upto March 15, 2031 (i.e. total tenure of 5 years as PS/OSD) from the date of assuming charge of the post. However, the tenure will be on a co-terminus basis with the minister or until he ceases to function as OSD to the minister, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

To enable him join this assignment, his current assignment as OSD to same minister in the same department has been curtailed. Notably, he assumed charge of OSD post on March 15, 2026.

Ashok Lahiri set to be NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman, Gobardhan Das likely Member

By
LO Bureau
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Renowned economist Ashok Lahiri and scientist Gobardhan Das, both from West Bengal, have been named Vice-Chairman and Member of NITI Aayog, respectively, according to government sources.

Lahiri, who is currently a BJP MLA in West Bengal, is a former Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India and has also served as a member of the 15th Finance Commission. He is not contesting the ongoing Assembly elections in the state. He will replace Suman Bery, who assumed the role in May 2022.

Lahiri was appointed Chief Economic Adviser in December 2002 by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Prime Minister. He continued in the role until June 2007, serving a significant part of his tenure under the Congress-led UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh.

Das is currently serving as Director of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal. Before this, he was a professor and Chair at the Special Centre for Molecular Medicine at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

IPS CV Anand to take over Telangana Police Force as its new chief in first week of May

By
LO Bureau
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CV Anand IPS

After a long legal see-saw and reprimands from the Supreme Court, Telangana is finally set to have a regular DGP, with senior IPS officer CV Anand (IPS:1991:TG) almost certain to be appointed to the post.

The stage for the next DGP was set with the incumbent DGP, Shivadhar Reddy (IPS:1994:TG), reaching superannuation on April 30. Official sources point out that Anand is slated to assume his new responsibilities in the first week of May.

Anand is known as an upright police officer, currently serving as the Special Chief Secretary of the state Home Department. Before it he was DG of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and has also served as Hyderabad Police Commissioner.

Recent administrative shifts also signaled Anand’s choice for the top slot of the state police force. It became crystal clear after the state government issued orders appointing Shikha Goel (IPS:1994:TG) to succeed Anand in the Home Department role, effectively clearing the decks for his elevation to the state’s highest policing office. Goel is currently posted as Principal Secretary in the Home Department.  

The process for appointing a regular DGP for Telangana began after the Supreme Court rapped the state govt for continuing to have an acting DGP and gave four weeks to the UPSC to complete the process of empanelment of officers for the appointment of Telangana DGP on February 5. Following it, the state govt submitted the list of six top-ranking IPS officers to the UPSC for shortlisting three names.

Consequently, the UPSC’s Empanelment Committee meeting was held in Delhi on March 11 for the purpose. The Empanelment Committee comprised the UPSC Chairperson, the Union Home Secretary, the State Chief Secretary, and a nominee from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The Committee shortlisted three names based on a review of their service records, seniority, and length of remaining service tenure.

After shortlisting three officers eligible for the post, the UPSC forwarded the panel to the state govt to choose one of them as the next DGP.

The three officers shortlisted by the UPSC are CV Anand (IPS:1991:TG), Vinayak Prabhakar Apte (IPS:1994:TG), and Soumya Mishra (IPS:1994:TG). While Anand is currently serving as Special Chief Secretary (Home), Apte is posted as Special Director in the Intelligence Bureau (IB), and Mishra is serving as Director General of Prisons.

After that, the ball was in the state govt’s court to pick one of them as the next DGP, and it seems to have decided on the senior-most officer—CV Anand—for the post of the state police chief.

Telangana government transfers 7 senior IPS officer; Shikha Goel is new Home Secretary

By
LO Bureau
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Shikha Goel IPS

The Telangana government on Friday (April 24, 2026) issued orders of transfers and postings of several senior police officers, which comes into effect from May 1, 2026. The most notable appointment is that of Shikha Goel as Principal Secretary, Home Department.

The names of the officers and their postings are as follows;

  1. Shikha Goel (IPS:1994:TG), Director General (Vigilance & Enforcement) & Ex-Officio Principal Secretary, General Administration Department, has been transferred and posted as Principal Secretary to Government, Home Department. She will also hold full additional charge of Director, Telangana Cyber Security Bureau and Director, Telangana Forensic Science Laboratory.
  2. Devendra Singh Chauhan (IPS:1997:TG), Additional Director General of Police (Personnel), has been transferred and posted as Director General (Vigilance & Enforcement) & Ex-Officio Principal Secretary, General Administration Department.
  3. Shahnawaz Qasim (IPS:2003:TG), Director General, Drugs Control Administration, has been transferred and posted as IGP, Multi Zone-II, Telangana, Hyderabad. He will also hold full additional charge of Inspector General of Police (Personnel), Telangana.
  4. Tarun Joshi (IPS:2004:TG), Director, Anti-Corruption Bureau, has been transferred and posted as Commissioner of Police, Future City.
  5. Avinash Mohanty (IPS:2005:TG), Commissioner of Police, Malakajgiri, has been transferred and posted as Director General, Drugs Control Administration and Director, Prohibition & Excise. He will also hold full additional charge of Director, ACB, Telangana.
  6. B Samthi (IPS:2006:TG), IGP, SIB Intelligence, has been transferred and posted as Commissioner of Police, Malakajgiri.
  7. Kartikeya (IPS:2006:TG), Inspector General of Police, Intelligence, has been placed in full additional charge of IGP, SIB Intelligence, Telangana.

PESB invites applications for Director (Projects) post at POWERGRID

By
LO Bureau
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Power Grid Corporation of India

The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has invited applications for the post of Director (Projects) at Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID).

The vacancy notification was issued on April 23, 2026, and the last date for submission of applications through the PESB portal is May 13, 2026.

The post fell vacant on April 1, 2026, after Burra Vamsi Rama Mohan assumed charge as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of POWERGRID following the retirement of Ravindra Kumar Tyagi on March 31, 2026.

Notably, PESB had recommended Vamsi Rama Mohan’s name for the CMD post to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on December 14 after interviewing nine candidates.

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