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With Bihar CM moving to Rajya Sabha, several bureaucrats likely to move on central deputation

By
LO Bureau
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Bihar govt suspends two IAS

The change of guard often leads to a realignment in the bureaucratic structure of a state. This is exactly what is happening in Bihar. With Chief Minister Nitish Kumar poised to shift to Delhi after being elected to the Rajya Sabha, there is a flurry of activity in Bihar’s administrative circles as well.

Amidst the prevailing political turmoil, there are also signs of changes within the administrative structure in the state, with sources indicating that several senior IAS and IFS officers may soon be moving on the central deputation.

It is being reported that consensus has been reached on a few names at the state government level, and final approval from the central government is now awaited. As soon as the central government gives its nod, some bureaucrats may also depart for Delhi on deputation.

According to sources, the names of bureaucrats being prominently discussed for the central deputation include IAS officer Anupam Kumar (IAS:2003:BH), currently serving as Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO); B. Rajendra (IAS:1995:BH), posted as Additional Chief Secretary of the Education Department; IFS officer Gopal Singh (IFS:2003:BH), serving as OSD to the Chief Minister; and senior IAS officer Pratima S. Verma (IAS:2002:BH), currently posted as the Secretary of the Science and Technology Department.

Though the state government has yet to officially confirm it, discussions are rife within the IAS lobby about their moving to Delhi on the central deputation.

Administrative sources point out that the state government has given its consent for the central deputation of these officers, and the ball is now in the court of the central government. Once the central govt approves it, the process will be completed.

In such cases, officers assume new responsibilities only after receiving central approval. Therefore, a major decision on this matter is likely in the coming days.

Atanu Chakraborty resigns as HDFC Bank Chairman over ‘ethical’ concerns

By
LO Bureau
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Former HDFC chairman Atanu Chakraborty

Atanu Chakraborty (Retd IAS:1985:GJ) has resigned as Part-time Chairman and Independent Director of HDFC Bank.

The bank shared this in a stock exchange filing on Wednesday. Chakraborty said he was not comfortable with some internal practices. He mentioned that certain developments in the past two years did not match his personal values and ethics. The bank said no other reasons were given.

He was appointed Chairman in May 2021 for three years. In 2024, his term was extended till May 2027. During his time, HDFC Limited merged with HDFC Bank in July 2023. He also said that the full benefits of the merger are still to come.

After his resignation, Keki Mistry has been made interim Chairman from March 19. The Reserve Bank of India has approved the appointment.

Chakraborty is a former IAS officer. He has held key posts in the Government of India. He served as Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs and also in the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management, where he played an important role in economic policymaking and disinvestment initiatives.

EC cancels Bengal govt postings, sends 15 IPS officers out as poll observers

By
LO Bureau
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Election Commission of India

In a late-night development on Wednesday (March 18, 2026), the Election Commission of India (ECI) cancelled the rehabilitation of several Indian Police Service (IPS) officers in West Bengal who had been given alternative postings by the state government after being removed from their earlier posts and barred from election-related duties.

The Commission issued a fresh notification cancelling the alternative postings of 15 such officers and decided to shift them out of the state by deputing them as police observers to other poll-bound states to ensure they do not influence the electoral process.

The officers affected by the decision include Akash Magharia (IPS:2009:WB), Alok Rajoria (IPS:2009:WB), Amandeep (IPS:2014:WB), Abhijit Banerjee (IPS-SPS:2013), Bhaskar Mukherjee (IPS:2009:WB), C Sudhakar (IPS:2006:WB), Dhritiman Sarkar (IPS:2004:WB), Indira Mukherjee (IPS:2013:WB), Murli Dhar (IPS:2005:WB), Mukesh (IPS:2006:WB), Praveen Kumar Tripathi (IPS:2004:WB), Priyabrata Roy (IPS:2017:WB), Sandeep Karra (IPS:2016:WB), Rashid Munir Khan (IPS:2008:WB), and Syed Waqar Raja (IPS:2007:WB).

Among them, Murli Dhar was serving as Police Commissioner of Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate, while Syed Waqar Raja was Police Commissioner of Siliguri Metropolitan Police.

West Bengal is set to go to polls in two phases, scheduled for April 23 and April 29. Polling will be held for 152 Assembly constituencies in the first phase and 142 constituencies in the second phase

Aryaka Akhoury appointed Deputy Secretary in DoPT

By
LO Bureau
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Aryaka Akhouri IAS

IAS officer Aryaka Akhoury (IAS:2013:UP) has been appointed as Deputy Secretary in the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Delhi, for four years. She is currently serving as Special Secretary in the Medical Health and Family Welfare Department of the Uttar Pradesh government.

According to an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Wednesday (March 18, 2026), the Competent Authority has approved her appointment under the Central Staffing Scheme for a period of four years from the date of assumption of charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Also Read: UP govt grants NOC to Pankaj Kumar, Aryaka Akhouri for central deputation

Esha Srivastava gets one-month extension as Petroleum Ministry JS

By
LO Bureau
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Esha Srivastava IFS

The central deputation tenure of Esha Srivastava (IFS:2004) as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has been extended for one month.

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Wednesday (March 18, 2026), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to extend her tenure for a period of one month beyond March 19, 2026, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Srivastava has been serving as Joint Secretary since January 2024. Prior to this, she was posted as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) at the Joint Secretary level in the same ministry.

She initially joined the Ministry at the Director level in March 2019 for a three-year tenure. Subsequently, upon her appointment as OSD (JS level), her overall tenure was extended to five years, up to March 19, 2024. Before the completion of this tenure, she was granted a two-year extension until March 2026.

With the latest order, her deputation tenure has now been extended by an additional one month.

Apparao Veerelli repatriated to parent cadre from DWBDNCs

By
LO Bureau
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Apparao Veerelli (IRSS:1993), Chief Executive Officer of the Development & Welfare Board for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities, has been sent back to his parent cadre before completing his tenure.

An order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training on Wednesday (March 18, 2026) said the competent authority has approved the proposal of the Department of Social Justice & Empowerment. He has been repatriated on personal grounds.

The order also says that an extended cooling-off condition will apply after his return

Parameswaran Iyer gets 3-month extension as World Bank Executive Director

By
LO Bureau
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Parameswaran Iyer

Former IAS officer Parameswaran Iyer (Retd. IAS:1981:UP) has been given a three-month extension as Executive Director at the World Bank Headquarters in Washington DC.

An order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training on Wednesday (March 18, 2026) said the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the extension. His tenure has been extended beyond March 19, 2026 till June 19, 2026.

Iyer was appointed to the post on February 21, 2023 for three years. He took charge on March 19, 2023. His term was to end now, but it has been extended for three more months.

Before this role, he was CEO of NITI Aayog from 2022 to 2023. He is widely recognised for his work in the Swachh Bharat Mission in rural areas.

He served as Secretary in the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation from 2016 to 2020. Earlier, he had taken voluntary retirement in 2009. He worked with the World Bank and later returned to government service in 2016.

Parameswaran Iyer is currently representing India and some neighbouring countries at the World Bank.

Arunita Phukan Yadav gets one-year extension as Tea Board ED

By
LO Bureau
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IRS Officer Arunita Phukan Yadav (IRS-C&CE:2011) has been given a one-year extension in her deputation. She is serving as Executive Director in the Tea Board at Guwahati under the Department of Commerce.

An order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training on Tuesday (March 17, 2026) said the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the extension.

Her tenure will now continue from June 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027 or until further orders.

With this, her total time on deputation will reach six years.

This is Arunita Yadav‘s second extension. She was first appointed to the post in May 2021 for four years. Before the end of that term, she was given a one-year extension in April 2025.

REC Limited signs MoU with National Test House to strengthen quality assurance under RDSS

By
LO Bureau
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New Delhi, 18th March 2026: REC Limited, a ‘Maharatna’ company under the Ministry of Power, Government of India and the National Test House (NTH), operating under the Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wednesday at Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi, aimed at bolstering quality testing and assurance mechanisms for materials deployed under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).

The agreement was signed by Prabhat Kumar Singh, Executive Director (RDSS), REC Limited, and Dr. Alok Kumar Srivastava, Director General, NTH. The signing ceremony was accorded by the presence of Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs; Bharat Khera, Additional Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs; and Prince Dhawan, Executive Director (PMD), REC Limited.

The agreement was signed on Wednesday at Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi, by Prabhat Kumar Singh, Executive Director (RDSS), REC Limited, and Alok Kumar Srivastava, Director General, NTH. The signing ceremony was attended by senior officials including Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs; Bharat Khera, Additional Secretary; and Prince Dhawan, Executive Director (PMD), REC Limited.

The MoU was the result of sustained efforts by REC’s PMD – Quality Assurance Division, headed by Yogendra Singh, GM & HoD, who pursued the partnership as a strategic measure to address quality gaps in RDSS material procurement and installation.

Under the agreement, the two organisations will collaborate to conduct third-party quality testing of RDSS project materials through NTH’s NABL-accredited laboratories, jointly organise technical workshops and training programmes, and develop robust quality frameworks to improve the reliability and safety standards of power distribution infrastructure across the country.

IRTS Officer Narain SN repatriated to parnet cadre from MoPNG

By
LO Bureau
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IRTS Officer Narain SN (IRTS:2011), serving as Private Secretary to Suresh Gopi, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, has been prematurely repatriated to his parent cadre. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Tuesday (March 17, 2026), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the proposal of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to repatriate him on personal grounds. The order also provides for an extended cooling-off period.

He has been serving in the position since July 2024. He had initially joined central deputation as Deputy Secretary in the Department of Biotechnology.

Narain SN‘s combined tenure on Central Staffing Scheme (CSS) and Private Secretary posts was scheduled to continue until December 27, 2026. However, his deputation has been curtailed before completion due to personal reasons.

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