Senior IAS officer Nidhi Chhibber (IAS:1994:CG), currently serving as Director General, Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), NITI Aayog, has been assigned additional charge of Chief Executive Officer (CEO), NITI Aayog.
According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Tuesday (February 24, 2026), the competent authority has approved the assignment of the additional charge to Chhibber as the incumbent, BVR Subrahmanyam (Retd. IAS:1987:CG), completes his three-year tenure today (February 24, 2026).
Nidhi Chhibber will hold the additional charge until the appointment of a regular incumbent or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
The legal battle between IPS officer D. Roopa Moudgil (IPS:2000:KN) and IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri (IAS:2009:KN) acquired a new twist with the Karnataka High Court dismissing Sindhuri’s plea to quash the defamation case filed against her by Roopa.
It means Sindhuri will now have to face the criminal defamation proceedings pending before an Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Bengaluru, which had earlier taken cognisance of the complaint and issued notice.
The matter dates back to 2023, when D. Roopa filed a defamation suit before the court alleging that Rohini Sindhuri had made derogatory remarks about her during a media interaction, which were later circulated on social media, leading to her reputational damage and mental distress.
Rohini Sindhuri moved the High Court seeking to quash the defamation case, arguing that the proceedings should not be allowed to continue.
With the High Court now dismissing her plea, the lower court will continue its proceedings in the case.
It all started with a statement made by Rohini Sindhuri to the media on 19 February 2023, which was subsequently shared on the social media platform ‘X.’ Roopa alleged that the statement contained defamatory content that led to her humiliation and affected her professional reputation in addition to causing emotional trauma.
With the High Court now declining to cancel the proceedings, the Bengaluru Magistrate Court will now continue to examine the allegations.
The case is expected to be heard in the coming weeks.
The Union Government has increased the Gujarat’s authorized cadre strength of IAS officers from the present 313 to 328—an increase of only 15, while the state government is said to have proposed an increase of at least 30 new positions.
A notification was issued to this effect by the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), modifying the Indian Administrative Service (Fixation of Cadre Strength) Regulations, 1955, in consultation with the Gujarat government.
As per the notification, the total number of Senior Duty Posts under the Gujarat govt has been fixed at 178. These include key positions such as Chief Secretary (one), Additional Chief Secretary (five), Principal Secretaries (nine), Secretaries to govt (17), District Collectors (33), District Development Officers (33), and Municipal Commissioners across major cities, including Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, and Gandhinagar, among others.
The Central Deputation Reserve has been fixed at 71 posts (not exceeding 40% of senior duty posts), while the State Deputation Reserve stands at 44 posts.
Similarly, the Training Reserve has been set at six posts, and the Leave Reserve and Junior Posts Reserve at 29 posts.
Further, according to the DoPT’s notification, 99 posts are to be filled by promotion under the IAS (Recruitment) Rules, 1954, while 229 posts will be filled through direct recruitment.
The sources indicate that the enhancement of cadre strength is aimed at strengthening administrative capacity in Gujarat, considering the state’s expanding governance requirements, growing urbanisation, and increasing developmental activities. The situation is further exacerbated due to vacancies, promotions, and administrative restructuring.
The sanctioned strength of the Gujarat IAS cadre was raised to 313 officers in 2018, but the state was operating with significant vacancies, with around 56 IAS posts lying vacant in the state and 14 officers on central deputation.
The increase in cadre strength was necessitated after the state government carried out promotions and reshuffles, with several senior officers elevated to Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary ranks in the recent past. It was in addition to periodic transfers and postings of IAS officers across districts and departments.
The Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday (February 22, 2026) extended the suspension of senior IPS officer PV Sunil Kumar. The suspension will continue till the criminal cases against him are completed or till June 30, the date of his retirement, whichever comes first.
The government said the charges against the 1993-batch officer are serious. These include alleged misuse of Agrigold funds, claims of custodial torture and foreign visits without prior approval. The investigations are still pending.
The General Administration Department said a high-level committee reviewed the cases on February 18. The committee looked at the status of different proceedings. It felt that lifting the suspension now could affect the investigation. There could be a risk of tampering with evidence or influencing witnesses.
Sunil Kumar was first suspended on March 2 last year under Rule 3(1) of the All India Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1969. Later, charges were framed against him under Rule 8 of the same rules. The Ministry of Home Affairs also confirmed the suspension.
His suspension has been extended from time to time. It was last extended till February 24. Now, the government has ordered that it will continue till the criminal cases end or till his retirement, whichever happens earlier.
The state has also asked the Director General of Police to take further action as required.
In a significant late-night administrative exercise, the Government of Rajasthan on Monday (February 23, 2026) carried out a major reshuffle in the state police administration, transferring 21 IPS officers.
The transfers were effected following a series of promotions and administrative requirements across commissionerates, ranges, specialised units and the police headquarters. The reshuffle is being seen as one of the most extensive in recent months.
Key Changes at the Top
Among the most notable appointments, Vipin Kumar Pandey (IPS:1998:RJ) has been posted as ADG, Crime Branch, Jaipur, replacing Hawa Singh Ghumaria (IPS:1997:RJ), who has been moved as ADG, Headquarters, Jaipur. Pandey will also hold additional charge of ADG, Police Recruitment and Promotion Board.
S Parimala (IPS:2004:RJ) has been appointed as the new IG, ACB, Jaipur, while Sharat Kaviraj (IPS:2004:RJ) has been named the new Police Commissioner of Jodhpur.
Major Postings and Promotions
Praful Kumar (IPS:2001:RJ) and H G Raghavendra Suwasa (IPS:2001:RJ) have been promoted to ADG rank and posted as ADG, Intelligence and ADG, Training, respectively.
Several DIG-rank officers of the 2008 batch have been promoted to IG rank and assigned key responsibilities. These include Dr Priti Chandra as IG, Law & Order; Harendra Kumar Mahawar as IG, CID-CB; Rahul Kotoki as IG, Personnel; Om Prakash-II as IG, Bikaner Range; Rajesh Singh as IG, ATS; Rajendra Prasad Goyal as IG, Kota Range; and Kalu Ram Rawat as IG, Civil Rights & Anti Human Trafficking.
Other significant transfers include:
Satyendra Singh (IPS:2005:RJ) as IG, Jodhpur Range
Rahul Prakash (IPS:2006:RJ) as IG, Jaipur Range
Hemant Kumar Sharma (IPS:2006:RJ) as IG, SCRB
Ajay Pal Lamba (IPS:2005:RJ) as IG, SOG
Rajesh Meena (IPS:2002:RJ) as IG, Home Guard
Om Prakash-I (IAS:2004:RJ), who was serving as Police Commissioner of Jodhpur, has been transferred as Special Commissioner (Operations), Jaipur Police Commissionerate.
Focus on Jaipur and Jodhpur
The reshuffle brings significant changes in Jaipur and Jodhpur, particularly in crime, intelligence, anti-corruption, and commissionerate structures. With multiple promotions to IG and ADG ranks, the state government has reshaped the leadership framework across key policing verticals.
After creating a flutter in state bureaucracy by arresting senior Bihar cadre IPS officer Sunil Kumar Nayak (IPS:2005:BH), the Andhra Pradesh Police had to bite the dust when they tried to shift him to AP on transit remand. The jurisdictional court in Patna denied the transit remand when Nayak was produced in the court for it while expressing displeasure over the manner in which he was arrested.
The IPS officer was arrested by a team of AP police, led by Superintendent of Police (SP) AR Damodar, from his residence at Rajabanshi Nagar in Patna on Monday in connection with the alleged custodial torture case of former Narsapuram MP and current Deputy Speaker of the AP assembly K Raghu Rama Krishna Raju.
The court lashed out at the AP Police for not following the inter-state arrest procedure by not producing the arrest warrant and submitting the petition in the Telugu language without translating the documents into Hindi or English.
Not only this, but the court also reportedly directed the Andhra Police not to arrest the IPS officer for 30 days.
Nayak is currently posted as Inspector General (IG) of Bihar Fire Services.
It has been alleged that the AP Police carried out the operation in Patna without giving intimation to the local Shastri Nagar police, which expressed concern over the behaviour of the Andhra Police, as few of the police personnel allegedly came in plain clothes and did not mention their identity. The advocates also alleged that the A.P. Police detained the IPS officer’s mother in a room during the time of the arrest. They alleged that Nayak’s arrest was politically motivated.
According to sources, the AP Police questioned the IPS officer for several hours in connection with the case linked to a 2021 incident in Narsapuram in Guntur district, when the then YSR Congress MP, K Raghu Rama Krishna Raju, was arrested.
Nayak had gone to Andhra Pradesh on inter-state deputation in 2019 and was serving as DIG in the Crime Investigation Department (CID) there when it was alleged that the MP’s arrest was carried out at his behest and that Raju was subjected to physical assault while in custody.
Subsequently, Raju filed a complaint accusing then CID DIG Sunil Nayak of custodial torture, leading to Nayak being booked under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code.
Nayak returned to his home cadre, Bihar, in 2024, after the formation of the Chandrababu Naidu government in AP.
Andhra Police reportedly issued multiple summons to Nayak to record his statement, but he did not respond following which the AP Police team reached Patna to arrest him on Monday after his bail was cancelled.
The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has recommended Harishankar Chaturvedi for appointment as Director (Projects) at Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Limited (MRVC). The recommendation was made following interviews conducted by the Board on February 23, 2026.
Harishankar Chaturvedi is currently serving as Chief Project Manager at MRVC. His name will now be forwarded to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) for final approval, subject to vigilance clearance and completion of other prescribed formalities.
The vacancy is scheduled to arise on April 1, 2026, upon the superannuation of the incumbent Director (Projects), Rajeev Kumar Srivastava.
The Board had shortlisted 10 candidates for interview. Those interviewed were:
Nandkumar, Group General Manager, Mumbai, RITES Limited
Arun Venkatesh Vernekar, Chief General Manager (Business Development), Ircon International Limited
Naveen Babu, Executive Director (J&K & High Speed), Ministry of Railways
In a significant development, the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has once again invited applications for the post of Director (Domestic Division) at Container Corporation of India Limited (CONCOR).
The vacancy notification was issued on February 20, 2026, and the last date for submission of applications through the PESB portal is March 13, 2026.
The post will fall vacant on March 1, 2026, following the superannuation of the incumbent, Mohammad Azhar Shams, on February 28, 2026. Shams has been serving as Director (Domestic Division) since January 2023.
Notably, PESB had earlier invited applications for the same post on October 21, 2025, with November 11, 2025 fixed as the last date for submission. The fresh advertisement indicates that the position is being reopened for selection.
Smriti Sharan (IPoS:1993), currently serving as Joint Secretary in the Department of Rural Development, has been prematurely repatriated to her parent cadre on personal grounds.
According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Monday (February 23, 2026), the competent authority has approved the proposal of the Department of Rural Development to repatriate her with effect from March 31, 2026.
Sharan was appointed as Joint Secretary on February 23, 2022, for a five-year tenure. Her central deputation was originally scheduled to conclude in 2027. However, she is being repatriated before completion of her tenure on personal grounds.
The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has invited applications for the post of Director (Finance) at The Cotton Corporation of India Limited (CCI). The vacancy notification was issued on February 20, 2026, and the last date for submission of applications through the PESB portal is March 13, 2026.
The post will fall vacant on January 1, 2027, following the retirement of the incumbent Rajendra Kumar Gupta on December 31, 2026. He has been serving as Director (Finance) since February 2024.
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