A UN award-winning Tamil Nadu bureaucrat, Supriya Sahu (IAS:1991:TN), has been asked by the Madras High Court to appear before it on February 27 and explain the delay in releasing funds for maintenance of forest areas cleared of invasive species. Sahu, who won the “Champions of the Earth” award in 2025 from the United Nations for forest conservation, is currently posted as Additional Chief Secretary of the Environment, Climate Change, and Forests department of the Tamil Nadu government.
The bench of Justices N Sathish Kumar and D Bharatha Chakravarthy issued the direction recently. The cases relate to the removal of prosopis juliflora and other invasive species from forests. The direction was issued after the court was informed that Rs 81.78 crore was yet to be released for maintenance of forest areas where such species were rooted out.
The HC bench ruled that the maintenance work should be done periodically so that complete removal of the invasive species can be achieved.
The bench observed that if the maintenance is not done properly, the invasive species will come up again and defeat the purpose of the project that aims to remove them completely.
The court also noted in its order that unless the amount is released by the government forthwith, the very object of the exercise will get derailed. Hence, the court summoned the Additional Chief Secretary of the forest department to be present in the court on the next hearing scheduled for Feb 27.
The Jammu & Kashmir Government on Friday (February 20, 2026) ordered a major administrative reshuffle involving 20 IAS and 2 JKAS officers with immediate effect.
The transfers and postings are as follows:
Ashwani Kumar (IAS:1992:AGMUT), awaiting posting orders, has been posted as Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary), Power Development Department with additional charge of Administrative Secretary, Mining Department.
Dr Ashish Chandra Verma (IAS:1994:AGMUT), Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary), Tourism Department, has been given additional charge of Administrative Secretary, Agriculture Production Department.
Shailendra Kumar (IAS:1995:AGMUT), Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary), Agriculture Production Department, has been transferred and posted as Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary), Finance Department.
M Raju (IAS:2005:AGMUT), Commissioner/Secretary, General Administration Department, has been given additional charge of Administrative Secretary, Health & Medical Education Department.
R Alice Vaz (IAS:2005:AGMUT), awaiting posting orders, has been posted as Commissioner/Secretary, Planning, Development and Monitoring Department with additional charge of Administrative Secretary, Information Department.
Yasha Mudgal (IAS:2007:AGMUT), Commissioner/Secretary, Youth Services and Sports Department, has been transferred and posted as Commissioner/Secretary, Cooperatives Department.
Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary (IAS:2009:AGMUT), Commissioner/Secretary, Science and Technology Department, has been transferred and posted as Commissioner/Secretary, Youth Services and Sports Department.
Dr Piyush Singla (IAS:2012:AGMUT), Secretary, Information Technology Department, has been given additional charge of Administrative Secretary, Public Grievances Department.
Babila Rakwal (JKAS), Commissioner/Secretary, Cooperatives Department, has been transferred and posted as Commissioner/Secretary, Science and Technology Department.
Anjali Sehrawat (IAS:2013:AGMUT), awaiting posting orders, has been posted as Mission Director, Jal Jeevan Mission.
Nidhi Malik (IAS:2013:AGMUT), Deputy Commissioner, Reasi, has been transferred and posted as Inspector General of Registration, J&K.
Owais Ahmed (IAS:2014:AGMUT), Director, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Kashmir, has been transferred and posted as Director, Skill Development, J&K. He will continue to hold additional charge of Special Secretary, Planning, Development and Monitoring Department.
Dr Sagar D Dattatray (IAS:2014:AGMUT), awaiting posting orders, has been posted as Director, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Kashmir.
Athar Aamir Ul Shafi Khan (IAS:2016:RJ), Deputy Commissioner, Kulgam, has been transferred and posted as Deputy Commissioner, Budgam.
Kumar Abhishek (IAS:2016:AGMUT), awaiting posting orders, has been posted as Deputy Commissioner, Reasi.
Akriti Sagar (IAS:2016:AGMUT), awaiting posting orders, has been posted as Managing Director, National Health Mission, J&K with additional charge of Special Secretary, Health & Medical Education Department.
Dr Bilal Mohiud Din Bhat (IAS:2017:AGMUT), Deputy Commissioner, Budgam, has been transferred and posted as Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag.
Minga Sherpa (IAS:2017:AGMUT), Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla, has been transferred and posted as Deputy Commissioner, Udhampur.
Syed Fakhrudin Hamid (IAS:2017:AGMUT), Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag, has been transferred and posted as Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla.
Harvinder Singh (IAS:2019:AGMUT), Deputy Commissioner, Doda, has been transferred and posted as Director, Employment, J&K. He will also hold charge of Chief Executive Officer, Mission Youth and Mission Director, Mission YUVA.
Shahzad Alam (IAS:2019:AGMUT), Director, Employment, J&K, has been transferred and posted as Deputy Commissioner, Kulgam.
Krishan Lal (JKAS), Special Secretary, LG Secretariat, has been transferred as Deputy Commissioner, Doda.
Satyan Kumar is currently serving as Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of ONGC Green Limited, a subsidiary of ONGC. 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 post of Director (Strategy & Corporate Affairs) at ONGC will fall vacant on March 1, 2026, upon the superannuation of Arunangshu Sarkar, who is presently holding the position.
Earlier, on October 14, 2025, PESB had invited applications for the post, setting November 4, 2025 as the last date for submission. A total of 12 candidates were shortlisted and appeared before the Board for interview prior to the final recommendation.
A total of 12 candidates were considered for the post. These included;
Devendra Kumar, Director (Finance), Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Limited
Satyan Kumar, Executive Director, Chief Executive Officer- ONGC Green Limited, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC)
Sunil Kumar, Executive Director Asset Manager, Mehsana Asset, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC)
Ashok Kumar, Executive Director Chief Marketing – ONGC; Director (nominee) – Mangalore SEZ Ltd; Special Invitee – ONGC Green Limited Board, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC)
Sanjeev Kumar Janjua, Executive Director Asset Manager-Tripura, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC)
Bhaskar Chowdary Nettem, Executive Director E9, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC)
Narahari Rangisetti, Group General Manager Head Offshore Projects, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC)
Shankar Sharan, Group General Manager Head-Refinery & Petrochemicals, Joint Ventures & Business Development, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC)
Kishore Kumar Das, Executive Director (S&CA) Corporarte Office Noida, Oil India Limited
Manoj Kumar Sharma, Executive Director and Regional Head, Indian Oil Corporation Limited
Dr Ajit Kumar Thakur, Executive Director (Alternate Energy), Indian Oil Corporation Limited
Sanjay Kumar Sinha, Executive Director Head – International Trade, Indian Oil Corporation Limited
Harsimran Singh (IRSE-Civil:2001), presently serving as Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL), Kolkata, has been assigned additional charge of CVO, Geological Survey of India (GSI), Kolkata.
According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Thursday (February 19, 2026), the competent authority has approved the proposal to entrust him with the additional responsibility for a period of three months from the date of assumption of charge, or until the appointment of a regular CVO in GSI, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Harsimran Singh will continue to hold his existing position as CVO of Hindustan Copper Limited while discharging the additional responsibilities at GSI.
Prajakta L Verma (IAS:2001:MH), currently serving as Joint Secretary in the Department of Atomic Energy, has been prematurely repatriated to her parent cadre Maharashtra.
According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Thursday (February 19, 2026), the competent authority has approved the proposal of the Department of Atomic Energy to repatriate her to enable her to avail the benefit of promotion in her parent cadre.
Notably, Prajakta L Verma was appointed as Joint Secretary in the Department of Atomic Energy in March 2025 for an overall tenure of five years up to March 23, 2027. She had initially joined central deputation in March 2022 as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Textiles for a five-year tenure, before being shifted to the Department of Atomic Energy in March 2025.
She is now being repatriated to Maharashtra cadre nearly 13 months ahead of the scheduled completion of her tenure.
Ashok Kumar Sharma (IDES:1994), serving as Director in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), has been prematurely repatriated to his parent cadre.
According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Friday (February 20, 2026), the competent authority has approved the proposal of the Ministry of MSME to relieve him in order to enable him to avail the benefit of promotion in his parent cadre.
Notably, Sharma was appointed as Director in the MSME Ministry in December 2023 for a period of five years. His tenure was originally scheduled to run until the end of 2028. However, he is being repatriated ahead of schedule to take up his promotional assignment.
The Punjab Government on Friday (February 20, 2026) carried out a major bureaucratic reshuffle, issuing transfer and posting orders for eight IAS officers and 88 PCS officers across the state.
As part of the administrative overhaul, several young IAS officers have been reassigned to key district and departmental positions.
The details of IAS officers transferred are as follows:
Rajdeep Singh Brar (IAS:2020:PB), Additional Deputy Commissioner (General), Tarn Taran, has been transferred and posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner (Urban Development), Bathinda. He will also hold additional charge as Additional Chief Administrator, Bathinda Development Authority, Bathinda.
Rubinderjit Singh Brar (IAS:2020:PB) has been posted as Additional Chief Executive Officer, Punjab Bureau of Investment Promotion, with additional charge of Additional Secretary, NRI Affairs.
Divya P (IAS:2022:PB), Sub Divisional Magistrate, Kharar, has been transferred and posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner (Rural Development), Jalandhar.
Vivek Kumar Modi (IAS:2022:PB), Sub Divisional Magistrate, Adampur, has been appointed as Additional Deputy Commissioner (General), Barnala.
Krishna Pal Rajpoot (IAS:2022:PB), Sub Divisional Magistrate, Abohar, has been transferred as Additional Deputy Commissioner (Rural Development), Ferozepur.
Davy Goyal (IAS:2022:PB), Sub Divisional Magistrate, Bhulath, has been posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner (General), Sri Muktsar Sahib.
Kritika Goyal (IAS:2023:PB), Sub Divisional Magistrate, Balachaur, has been transferred as Sub Divisional Magistrate, Mehal Kalan.
Rakesh Kumar Meena (IAS:2023:PB), Sub Divisional Magistrate, Pathankot, has been placed at the disposal of the Department of Local Government for posting as Joint Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Bathinda.
The reorganisation of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) into three separate municipal corporations has come to run into a legal tangle after a petition was filed in the Telangana High Court seeking an interim stay on it. The three distinct municipal corporations formed after GHMC’s restructuring are Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC-restructured), Cyberabad Municipal Corporation (CMC), and Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation (MMC).
While hearing the petition filed by one Daram Guruva Reddy, a resident of Uppal in Hyderabad, the High Court on Thursday directed the state government and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to file counter-affidavits by March 25. The direction was issued by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice Ghouse Meera Mohiuddin.
The petitioner wants an interim stay on the operation of G.O.Ms. No. 55, dated 11 February 2026, issued by the Telangana government, through which the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation was trifurcated into three different municipal corporations.
The petition also seeks restoration of the GHMC’s jurisdictional boundaries as they existed on 31 December 2025.
The bench directed Advocate General A. Sudershan Reddy, on behalf of the Telangana Government, and the Additional Solicitor General of India, representing the Union Home Ministry, to obtain instructions in the matter.
The court adjourned the matter for further hearing to 25 March 2026.
When Shashi Prakash Goyal IAS took charge as the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh on August 1, 2025, it was not just another routine administrative appointment. It was the crowning moment of a career that spans more than three decades of quiet, consistent and result-driven service to the people of Uttar Pradesh. Known across state circles simply as SPG, Goyal became the 56th Chief Secretary of India’s most populous state, and his journey to the top is one worth knowing in full detail.
Shashi Prakash Goyal IAS: Who Is He
Shashi Prakash Goyal belongs to the 1989 batch of the Indian Administrative Service and is a proud son of the Uttar Pradesh cadre. What makes his story even more impressive is the fact that he topped the Civil Services Examination in 1989, clearing it in his very first attempt with exceptional merit. He was formally appointed to the IAS on August 21, 1989.
He is a local lad from Lucknow, which makes his rise to the top position in UP’s bureaucracy feel especially meaningful for those who know him personally.
SP Goyal IAS Posting Details
Shashi Prakash Goyal (IAS:1989:UP) is currently serving as the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh, the senior-most bureaucratic position in the state. He assumed charge on August 1, 2025, following the retirement of Manoj Kumar Singh (IAS:1988:UP).
He is regarded as one of the most trusted lieutenants of Yogi Adityanath, having worked closely with the Chief Minister for nearly eight years in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
Shashi Prakash Education
Shashi Prakash Goyal is a graduate in Mathematics and holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Applications from IGNOU, New Delhi. His academic background in mathematics and technology has complemented his administrative approach, particularly in governance reforms and digital administration.
SP Goyal Career and District Administration
He began his administrative journey as Assistant Magistrate, Etawah, in August 1990. Over the years, he gained extensive district-level experience and served as District Magistrate & Collector in Deoria, Mathura, Etawah, Allahabad and Aligarh.
These assignments provided him with deep exposure to revenue administration, law and order management, and developmental governance.
IAS SP Goyal with Yogi Adityanath
IAS SP Goyal Central Deputation
From October 2014 to May 2017, he served on central deputation as Joint Secretary in the Department of Higher Education under the then Ministry of Human Resource Development (now Ministry of Education). He returned to Uttar Pradesh in May 2017, coinciding with Yogi Adityanath’s first swearing-in as Chief Minister.
Key Role in Chief Minister’s Office
Immediately after his return from central deputation, he was appointed Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister. Since then, he remained in the Chief Minister’s Office, handling key portfolios and assignments involving direct oversight from the Chief Minister.
He was subsequently elevated to the rank of Additional Chief Secretary in the CMO, further consolidating his role in high-level policy coordination and implementation.
Appointment as Chief Secretary
On August 1, 2025, he took charge as Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh. Known for his high integrity, performance-oriented approach, and team leadership, he is often referred to as “SPG” within the cadre. Officers working under him describe him as a protective and decisive leader, reflecting his reputation as a strong team man.
Except for about two and a half years on central deputation, he has spent his entire career in the Uttar Pradesh cadre, giving him extensive grassroots and secretariat-level experience across departments a factor widely seen as contributing to the current government’s strong confidence in him.
SP Goyal Family Details
Category
Details
Full Name
Shashi Prakash Goyal
Service
Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
Batch
1989 Batch
Cadre
Uttar Pradesh
Father’s Name
Not Publicly Disclosed
Mother’s Name
Not Publicly Disclosed
Spouse
Not Publicly Disclosed
Children
Not Publicly Disclosed
Family Background
Comes from Uttar Pradesh; detailed personal family information is kept private
Public Image
Known more for administrative roles than personal life details
Shashi Prakash Goyal IAS Contact Number
It is important to clarify here that the personal or direct contact number of Shashi Prakash Goyal IAS is not publicly available, nor is it appropriate to publish the private contact details of a serving constitutional authority. Anyone wishing to connect with the Office of the Chief Secretary, Uttar Pradesh, can reach out through the official government portal of the UP government at up.gov.in or through the official Chief Secretary’s office in Lucknow.
A day after a Look Out Circular (LOC) was filed against him by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), retired Rajasthan IAS officer Subodh Agarwal (IAS:1988:RJ) moved the High Court on Thursday, seeking quashing of the FIR registered against him. The FIR relates to an alleged Rs 900-crore scam in Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) tenders. The petition says that the FIR was lodged without a detailed preliminary inquiry and ignored crucial facts.
The petition says that the preliminary inquiry was not conducted before lodging the FIR, which is a must. Agarwal’s counsel, Deepak Chauhan, argues that the alleged irregularities relating to JJM tenders occurred prior to Agarwal’s tenure in the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) that began on April 18, 2022.
It has been claimed in the petition that two firms—Ganpati Tubewell and Shyam Tubewell—secured tenders worth hundreds of crores by submitting forged certificates purportedly issued by IRCON International, even before Agarwal assumed charge.
According to the petition, the tenders linked to the Rs 900-crore scam mentioned in the FIR, approvals during Agarwal’s tenure accounted for less than 10% of the total value, and not a single payment was released to Ganpati Tubewell or Shyam Tubewell under the tenders approved by the Finance Committee chaired by Agarwal.
Agarwal has claimed in the petition that before the financial bids of both the accused firms were placed before him, bids worth approximately Rs 605 crores had already been approved by the Finance Commission headed by Sudhansh Pant (ACS, PHED from Jan 15, 2021 to April 18, 2022).
The petition alleges mala fides of the investigation agency by exonerating Pant or the officers under him from the scope of investigation.
The petition claims that Agarwal promptly constituted a high-level committee after receiving an email from IRCON International raising concerns about forged documents. As claimed in the petition, following the report, all tenders awarded to the 2 firms were cancelled, they were blacklisted as per rules, and their earnest money deposits were forfeited.
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