IAS officer Baranwal Varunkumar Jagdish (IAS:2014:GJ) has been appointed as Private Secretary (PS) to Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Commerce & Industry. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Tuesday (29.04.2025), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Mr. Jagdish to the post for a period upto August 19, 2029 (i.e. total tenure of five years as PS/OSD). His tenure will be co-terminus with the Minister, or until he ceases to function as Private Secretary, or until further orders—whichever is earlier.
Mr. Jagdish is currently serving as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Piyush Goyal, a role he assumed on August 19, 2024, following his appointment via DoPT order dated August 10, 2024. That OSD tenure was originally for four years. However, in view of his elevation to the PS post, his tenure as OSD has been prematurely curtailed to facilitate this new assignment.
He will hold the charge of the post at Deputy Secretary level.
In a landmark move that sets a precedent for police leadership in Karnataka, the state government has extended the tenure of Alok Mohan (IPS:1987:KN), the incumbent Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG&IGP), until May 21, 2025. This extension ensures he completes a minimum two-year tenure, in line with the Supreme Court’s directive in the Prakash Singh case on police reforms.
Alok Mohan was originally scheduled to retire on April 30, 2025. However, to align with the mandate of a fixed two-year term for the police chief, the state government treated May 21, 2023—the day he assumed charge as in-charge DG&IGP—as the start of his official tenure. His appointment was formally confirmed on August 5, 2023.
This is the first instance in Karnataka where a DG&IGP’s service has been extended beyond the age of superannuation to fulfill the two-year tenure condition. The move underscores the government’s commitment to the Supreme Court’s guidelines and its own affidavit submitted in 2019–20, promising compliance with the Prakash Singh judgement.
Previously, officers such as Neelmani N Raju (IPS:1983:KN) and Praveen Sood(IPS:1986:KN)—both of whom had over two years of service remaining when appointed—did not face this issue, and no extensions were required.
Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai has been appointed as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI). He will take oath on May 14, 2025, succeeding incumbent CJI Sanjiv Khanna, who is set to retire on May 13. The oath of office will be administered by President Droupadi Murmu.
The announcement was made by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, who posted on X: “In exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution of India is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, Judge of the Supreme Court of India as the Chief Justice of India with effect from 14th May, 2025.”
Justice Gavai will serve a tenure of a little over six months and is scheduled to demit office on December 23, 2025, upon attaining the age of 65 years.
Significantly, Justice Gavai will become only the second Chief Justice of India from the Scheduled Caste community, following Justice KG Balakrishnan, who retired in 2010.
His elevation follows the established convention of seniority in the Supreme Court. CJI Khanna recommended Justice Gavai’s name to the Central Government on April 16.
Union Sports Secretary Sujata Chaturvedi (IAS: 1989: BH) has been appointed as a Member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) by the President of India under Article 316(1) of the Constitution. She is currently scheduled to superannuate on 30 June 2025.
Appointed nearly two months before retirement, Chaturvedi brings with her a rich administrative background. Prior to her current role as Union Sports Secretary, she served as Additional Secretary (Establishment) in the Department of Personnel & Training (DoP&T). She has also held significant positions in her parent cadre Bihar, including Principal Secretary (Finance), and served as Deputy Director General at UIDAI.
As per Article 316(2) of the Constitution, her tenure as a UPSC member will be six years from the date she assumes office, or until she attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. The terms and conditions of service are governed by the UPSC (Members) Regulations, 1969, as amended from time to time.
The UPSC is headed by a Chairperson and can have up to 10 Members.
In the midst of continuing confusion and uncertainty over who becomes the next DGP, the Telangana govt is reported to have sent a list of seven senior IPS officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), for the selection of a new police chief for the state.
This list includes the names of CV Anand (IPS:1991:TG), Ravi Gupta (IPS:1990:TG), Jitender (IPS:1992:TG), B Shivadhar Reddy (IPS:1994:TG), Shikha Goel (IPS:1994:TG), Soumya Mishra (IPS:1994:TG) and K Sreenivasa Reddy (IPS:1994:TG). Out of these seven names, the UPSC will pick three whose names will be sent to the Telangana government to pick the officer of its choice as DGP.
Special Chief Secretary (Home) Ravi Gupta is the senior most DG-rank officer on the list, who has the experience of serving as an acting DGP from Dec 2023 to July 2024.
But sources indicate that Hyderabad Police CommissionerC V Anand and DG (Intelligence)B Shivadhar Reddy are real frontrunners. Both have more than a year left for retirement. While Shivadhar’s retirement is due in April 2026, Anand is to retire in June 2028.
According to the Supreme Court guidelines, issued in Prakash Singh case of 2006, a DGP has to be a DG-rank officer and must be appointed for a minimum tenure of two years, irrespective of his/her date of superannuation.
Incidentally, no full-time DGP has been appointed in Telangana ever since the Congress government came to power in Dec 2023. All police chiefs have virtually been in-charges. M Mahendar Reddy was the last IPS officer, appointed as a regular DGP by the previous BRS government in 2018 in line with the SC guidelines.
Since Dec 2022, many officers, like Anjani Kumar, Ravi Gupta and Jitender, were posted as DGP (coordination) but were given the full additional charge of DGP, but no full-fledged DGP was appointed.
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The fate of Jharkhand DGP Anurag Gupta (IPS:1990:JH) hangs in balance due to the confrontation between the central government and the Jharkhand government over his continuance as state police chief. A fresh bout of controversy has erupted over the state government’s latest decision to extend the Gupta’s tenure, scheduled to end on April 30.
The central government has now questioned the Jharkhand government’s decision to extend the service of Anurag Gupta as DGP after his retirement. The Union Home Ministry has sent a letter to state Chief Minister Hemant Soren calling its decision to retain Anurag Gupta as DGP beyond his retirement date as wrong.
The JMM government had appointed Gupta as an Acting DGP on July 26, 2024 removing regular DGP Ajay Singh from that post. Gupta was later removed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) during the state Assembly elections and was replaced with Ajay Singh. But once the Hemant Soren-led government came to power after elections, Gupta was reinstated as DGP on November 28, 2024.
In order to formalize Gupta’s appointment, the state government framed a rule outlining the process for DGP appointments and notified Anurag Gupta as the permanent DGP of the state. As according to the rule, the DGP must have a fixed tenure of two years Gupta’s term has to be extended until July 26, 2026.
But the Centre is peeved at this arrangement and hence has decided to intervene. If the centre prevails Gupta’s term may come to an end on April 30, 2025. The outcome of this situation will now depend on the state government’s next move.
On the other hand, the Jharkhand BJP unit has moved the High Court challenging Gupta’s appointment. The petition alleges a blatant violation of Supreme Court guidelines issued in the famous Prakash Singh Vs the Union of India case of 2006. The petition alleges that the state government has “arbitrarily appointed Gupta, whose name was not part of any UPSC- recommended panel.”
The Supreme Court is already hearing a case on this issue and the Jharkhand High Court has fixed June 16 as date for hearing the BJP’s plea. But the larger issue emanating from this whole controversy involves the Union Home Ministry’s stance regarding the validity of the state government’s decision to extend the tenure of its top serving bureaucrat.
In a late-night development, the Bihar government on Monday (28.04.2025) issued transfer and posting orders for 10 IAS officers. Among the key appointments, senior bureaucrat HR Srinivasa (IAS:1996:BH) has been posted as Principal Secretary, Backward Classes and Extremely Backward Classes (BC & EBC) Welfare Department.
Srinivasa was awaiting a posting order in the General Administration Department (GAD) after being relieved from the charge of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Bihar following the appointment of Vinod Kumar Gunjiyal (IAS:2007:BH) as the new CEO.
The names of the officers and their postings are as follows;
In a significant development, the Uttar Pradesh government on Monday (28.04.2025) issued transfer and posting orders for six IAS officers.
Notably, Sanyukta Samaddar has been assigned additional charge of Principal Secretary, Minority Affairs & Muslim Waqf Department, in addition to her existing responsibilities.
The names of the officers and their postings are as follows;
Sanyukta Samaddar (IAS:1999:UP), Principal Secretary, Political Pension & Civil Defence Deptt, has been given additional charge of Principal Secretary, Minority Affairs & Muslim Waqf Department.
Divya Prakash Giri (IAS-SCS:2010), Special Secretary, Excise Department, has been transferred and posted as Special Secretary, Namami Gange & Rural Water Supply.
Devendra Kumar Singh Kushwaha (IAS:2012:UP), Special Secretary, Medical Education, has been transferred and posted as Special Secretary, Excise Department.
Rajnish Chandra (IAS-SCS:2014), Special Secretary, Social Welfare Department, has been transferred and posted as Special Secretary, Rural Development Department.
Rajendra Singh (IAS), Special Secretary, Rural Development, Department, has been transferred and posted as Special Secretary, Social Welfare Department.
Pooja Yadav (IAS), awaiting posting orders, has been posted as Secretary, Uttar Pradesh Building And Other Construction Workers Welfare Board.
Rajendra Ratnoo (IAS:2001:TN), currently serving as Executive Director at the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), Ministry of Home Affairs, has been prematurely repatriated to his parent cadre Tamil Nadu.
According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Monday (28.04.2025), the competent authority approved the Ministry of Home Affairs’ proposal to repatriate Mr. Ratnoo to Tamil Nadu cadre to enable him to avail the benefit of promotion.
Mr. Ratnoo has been serving as Executive Director at NIDM since February 2023 and was granted a two-year extension on February 13, 2024, which was to continue till February 7, 2026. Prior to his posting at NIDM, he served as Joint Secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) from February 2019.
In a significant development, Mohit Soni, a private individual, has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Manohar LalKhattar, the Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs and Power. His appointment specifically pertains to the Ministry of Power.
According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Saturday (26.04.2025), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the Ministry of Power’s proposal to appoint Mr. Soni to the post on a contract basis for a period of four years from the date of assumption of charge, or 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. Mr. Soni will assume the charge at the Deputy Secretary level.
Mohit Soni is considered close to Manohar Lal Khattar. He had earlier worked with him when Manohar Lal Khattar was the Chief Minister of Haryana. In 2019, Soni was appointed as Chief Feedback Officer to Feedback in the Haryana Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). Currently too, he has been associated with the Haryana CMO.
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