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ECI pulls up Bengal CS and several other officials for non-cooperation over SIR

By
LO Bureau
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Election Commission of India

The confrontation between the Bengal government and the Election Commission of India (ECI) ceases to abate despite the Supreme Court’s interventions to streamline Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.

Tensions between the two took a new turn after Bengal Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty was summoned by the ECI on Friday and pulled up for non-cooperation. According to sources, the Chief Secretary appeared before the full bench of the EC to explain why the poll panel’s directives could not be implemented so far. The ECI issued a warning to the Chief Secretary regarding compliance with orders on issues like voter list discrepancies.

The ECI also said that political interference with Booth Level Officers will not be tolerated.  Also, the EC appointed retired IPS officer N.K. Mishra as the special observer for the SIR on Friday.

The tension arises from the ECI’s push to sanitize voter lists ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, which the Mamata Banerjee-led government alleges is being done in a way that improperly excludes voters. 

The poll panel raised several issues of non-compliance, like it had asked the state government to lodge FIRs against four officers—former EROs and AEROs—of the Baruipur Purba and Moyna Assembly segments for enrolling fictitious voters.

The EC had also asked the state to initiate departmental proceedings and lodge an FIR against the BDO of Basirhat II for appointing 11 additional AEROs to conduct hearings without the EC’s approval.

Similarly, the state govt had also been directed to cancel transfer orders of three IAS officers—Smita Pandey, Randhir Kumar, and Ashwini Kumar Yadav—after they were appointed as district electoral roll observers.

An official pointed out that the Chief Secretary was asked to implement the orders immediately during an hour-long meeting at Nirvachan Sadan.

Besides CS Nandini Chakraborty, the poll body also pulled up District Magistrates, who are also District Election Officers (DEOs), during a video conference for allegedly verifying bogus documents, including newspaper cuttings, blank pages, and unclear images, in addition to testimonials outside the specified list, during the SIR drive.

Sources present at the video conference said top EC officials raised several questions over the activities of the DEOs during the SIR after many anomalies had been detected in the uploading and verification of documents submitted by voters during hearings.

The EC went on to direct the DMs to clean up all fictitious documents from the system by 5pm on February 16.

The EC also warned the DEOs, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) and asked them to ensure that no foreigner or ineligible voter was enrolled.

The poll body also warned the officers, saying that documents, which would be verified and on the basis of which the EROs or AEROs would enroll voters, would stay in the system for years, and if any anomaly was detected even after five years, the officers would be prosecuted.

NK Mishra appointed Special Observer for West Bengal Assembly Polls 2026

By
LO Bureau
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Retired IPS officer NK Singh

The Election Commission of India on Friday (February 14, 2025) appointed retired IPS officer NK Mishra (Retd.IPS:1988:SK) as Special Observer for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections.

The Commission said the appointment was made under Article 324 of the Constitution. Mishra will oversee the revision of voter lists and review election preparedness in the state before the 2026 Assembly polls.

As Special Observer, he will visit West Bengal from time to time. He will monitor election-related work and send reports to the Commission for action where needed. His appointment has also been issued under Section 13CC of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. He will work under the control and supervision of the Commission.

The Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal has been asked to provide him with full logistical and protocol support during his visits.

The Commission has also made it clear that the Special Observer will not issue appreciation letters or commendations to any election officials. If any officer deserves recognition, a detailed proposal must be sent to the Commission for consideration.

Deepak Gupta appointed Chairman and Managing Director of GAIL (India) Ltd

By
LO Bureau
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Deepak Gupta

In a significant leadership change, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Deepak Gupta as Chairman and Managing Director of GAIL (India) Ltd. He will assume charge on or after March 1, 2026, as disclosed in a regulatory filing by the company.

Deepak Gupta will succeed incumbent CMD Sandeep Kumar Gupta, who is set to retire at the end of February 2026 after serving in the role since October 3, 2022.

Currently serving as Director (Projects) in the company, Deepak Gupta will hold the top position until his superannuation on February 28, 2029, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

His name was recommended for the post by the Public Enterprises Selection Board on November 6, 2025, following interviews with 12 candidates. Of these, nine applicants were from GAIL, while the remaining candidates represented Engineers India Limited, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, and the Ministry of Railways.

During his tenure as Director (Projects), he has led key pipeline expansion, infrastructure creation, and energy development initiatives, building extensive operational and project management expertise in the oil and gas sector. His elevation to CMD is expected to provide leadership continuity as the company navigates changing market dynamics and evolving sector priorities.

TN govt initiates process to appoint regular DGP after SC orders

By
LO Bureau
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TN DGP appointment

The process of appointing a regular DGP has been initiated by the Tamil Nadu government after the Supreme Court gave it a week’s time on Thursday to replace the acting DGP with a superior officer to represent it in the UPSC empanelment committee. According to the apex court orders, the entire process has to be completed within three weeks.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has been given two weeks’ time to complete the process of empanelment after receiving the list of eligible officers from the state govt in a week.

It has led senior bureaucrats of the state to return to the negotiation table and finalise a fresh panel of eligible officers to be forwarded to the UPSC for empanelment.

The top court’s Thursday orders came on a contempt petition contending that the Tamil Nadu govt had violated the apex court’s guidelines in the appointment of DGP.

After receiving the panel of DGP-rank officers from the Tamil Nadu govt., the UPSC will shortlist three names and forward it to the state to appoint one of them as DGP/HoPF. The new DGP will have a minimum tenure of two years, irrespective of the date of superannuation, in accordance with the Supreme Court’s guidelines laid down in the Prakash Singh case.

Among the top three contenders, according to seniority, are Seema Agrawal (IPS:1990:TN), Rajeev Kumar (IPS:1992:TN), and Sandeep Rai Rathore (IPS:1992:TN). These three had also been earlier shortlisted by the UPSC when the state govt sent its list in October 2025.

But the state govt did not select any of them and allowed G. Venkatraman (IPS:1994:TN) to continue as DGP in charge, stating that the three names shortlisted by the UPSC were not acceptable to it. The Tamil Nadu govt accused the Union Government of attempting to appoint an officer of its choice as DGP.

Official sources believe there should be no change in the eligibility status of the top three officers. Despite the fact that a minimum residual service of six months is generally required for consideration for the post of DGP/HoPF, Seema Agrawal, who has about four months of service remaining, may still qualify because the residual service is calculated from the date the vacancy arose, which is September 1, 2025.

Other DGP-rank officers currently working in the state, in order of seniority, include K. Vanniaperumal, Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, G. Venkatraman, Vinit Dev Wankhede, Sanjay Mathur, S. Davidson Devasirvatham, Sandeep Mittal, and Bala Naga Devi.

Uttarakhand reshuffles 14 IPS and 6 PPS officers, SSPs/SPs of eight districts changed

By
LO Bureau
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Uttarakhand Government

In a significant move aimed at strengthening law and order, the Uttarakhand government on Friday (February 13, 2026) ordered the transfer of 14 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers and six Provincial Police Service (PPS) officers across the state.


IRAS officer Krishna VR appointed Director in 8th Central Pay Commission

By
LO Bureau
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8th Central Pay Commission

In a key administrative development, IRAS officer Krishna VR (IRAS:2009) has been appointed as Director in the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC) under the Department of Expenditure. His appointment has been made on a lateral shift basis from the Department of Revenue, where he was serving as Director.

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Thursday (February 12, 2026), the competent authority has approved the appointment on a co-terminus basis with the 8th CPC. The tenure is extendable up to September 17, 2029, representing the balance period of the admissible five-year tenure under the central staffing scheme, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Krishna VR had joined the Department of Revenue as Director on September 17, 2024, for a five-year tenure before being moved to the 8th Central Pay Commission through the present order.

ACC extends tenure of Navjot Khosa as DCO/DCR Punjab & Chandigarh

By
LO Bureau
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Navjot Khosa IAS

IAS Officer Navjot Khosa (IAS:2012:KL) will continue on central deputation as Director of Census Operations (DCO) and Director of Citizen Registration (DCR), Punjab & Chandigarh, following approval for an extended tenure.

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Thursday (February 12, 2026), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the proposal to extend the deputation tenure beyond March 31, 2026 and up to December 31, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Navjot Khosa had assumed charge of the post on December 19, 2022. Her tenure was originally scheduled to conclude on December 31, 2025, but was extended on December 12, 2025 for a short period of three months up to March 31, 2026. With the latest approval, her tenure will now continue till the end of December 2027.

ACC extends additional charge of Secretary, Spices Board, for six months

By
LO Bureau
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P Hemalatha IAS

Senior IAS officer P Hemalatha (IAS:2000:KN), Development Commissioner, Cochin SEZ, will continue to hold the additional charge of Secretary (JS level), Spices Board, for another six months.

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Thursday (February 12, 2026), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the proposal of the Department of Commerce to extend the entrustment of the additional charge for the period from January 21, 2026 to July 23, 2026, or until the appointment of a regular incumbent, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

P Hemalatha was initially given the additional charge of Secretary (JS level), Spices Board, on January 7, 2025, with retrospective effect from October 24, 2024 for six months. The tenure was first extended for six months up to October 23, 2025, followed by a second extension of three months till January 2026. This marks the third extension of her additional charge.

P Bala Kiran gets one-year extension as Secretary-cum-Controller of Examination, NRA

By
LO Bureau
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P Bala Kiran IAS

IAS officer P Bala Kiran (IAS:2008:KL), currently serving as Joint Secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), will continue to hold the additional charge of Secretary-cum-Controller of Examination (Joint Secretary level) in the National Recruitment Agency for another year.

According to an order issued on Thursday (February 12, 2026), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved DoPT’s proposal to extend the entrustment of this additional charge to Bala Kiran for a period of one year beyond January 21, 2026, or until a regular incumbent is appointed, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

P Bala Kiran has been holding the additional charge since January 21, 2025. The latest decision grants him a one-year extension in the role.

First day: PM Modi clears key welfare decisions at Seva Teerth complex

By
LO Bureau
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Seva Teerth Complex

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (February 13, 2026) cleared several decisions soon after starting work from the newly inaugurated Seva Teerth complex. The files he signed focus on farmers, women, youth and vulnerable groups.

The decisions cover healthcare, agriculture, startups and women’s welfare. Officials said the steps are aimed at strengthening public services.

One of the key approvals is the PM RAHAT scheme. Under this, accident victims will get cashless treatment of up to Rs 1.5 lakh. The goal is to make sure people get immediate medical care without worrying about money.

In the farm sector, the government has increased the loan target of the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund from Rs 1 lakh crore to Rs 2 lakh crore. This is expected to help improve storage, processing and other parts of the agriculture system.

The Prime Minister also approved Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 with a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore. The fund will support deep-tech startups, early-stage companies, advanced manufacturing and new technologies.

The government has set a new target of creating 6 crore Lakhpati Didis by March 2029. Earlier, the milestone of 3 crore beneficiaries was achieved more than a year before the March 2027 deadline.

The Seva Teerth complex, inaugurated the same day, now houses the Prime Minister’s Office, the National Security Council Secretariat and the Cabinet Secretariat.

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