Having no option left for any prevarication, the Union Government finally decided to act on the Supreme Court’s verdict, given about seven months back in May, regarding the cadre review of the Group A officers in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). The Centre at last issued an order on Friday directing all six CAPFs to conduct a cadre review of their Group A officers and submit detailed review proposals within a month. A comprehensive cadre review has been due since 2021.
A copy of the MHA order was sent to the chief of the six CAPFs—Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and the Assam Rifles.
This process will include officers from the rank of Assistant Commandant to Inspector General. The Supreme Court, in its order in May, had ordered a progressive decline in the number of IPS officers being deputed to the CAPFs within two years.
This move is being widely hailed by the CAPF’s officers. They describe this time-bound requirement of cadre review proposals as a long-overdue move, essential to address the pertinent issues of structural imbalances and stagnation in the forces.
According to a CAPF official, this exercise will enhance officers’ promotional avenues, command hierarchy, and long-term career progression.
Under this exercise, data on Group A officers would be compiled, along with proposals on how to improve the situation of stagnation at a particular post in CAPFs.
The Supreme Court, in its judgement in May, had ordered a cadre review within six months and a phased reduction in the deputation of IPS officers up to the rank of Inspector General in the CAPFs.
The Centre later filed a review petition, but the apex court refused to review its earlier order directing the government to reduce the number of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers serving on deputation in the CAPFs.
Former Andhra Pradesh IAS officer Praveen Prakash (IAS:1994:AP) claims to be facing criminal intimidation under the current political dispensation in the state. He is said to be paying the price for his proximity to the previous YSR Congress party government.
Though Prakash took voluntary retirement soon after the new TDP government under Chandrababu Naidu came to power last year. But the ghost of his past actions seems to have surfaced to haunt him. Prakash now claims he received threatening calls during the present government.
While speaking to a YouTube channel, Prakash claimed that he was threatened with dire consequences if he tried to re-enter the government job by withdrawing his application for the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS).
Prakash claimed that he received intimidating messages warning him against trying to re-enter government service. He, however, refrained from disclosing the identities of the accused.
He said that he met the then Chief Secretary, Neerabh Kumar Prasad, and conveyed his concerns, but the Chief Secretary advised him against pursuing the withdrawal, saying that even if he applied, the government was likely to reject the request.
Praveen Prakash’s trouble started soon after the Naidu government assumed power in 2024, as he was not given any posting, following which he applied for the VRS within 21 days of worklessness.
Explaining the reason behind seeking VRS, he said he realized that he had lost the confidence of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. “I was branded as a pro-YSRCP officer. I thought there was no point in sitting idle and taking a salary without doing any work,” he put it.
Now he claims that he decided to take back his VRS application, as his decision unnerved his family members, and his parents slipped into severe emotional stress. But his decision to request the government to reconsider his VRS opened a new front for attack on him. Now he claims that under the prevailing circumstances, he is forced to stay away from that option.
The Competent Authority has allotted benches to the 83 appointed Technical (Centre), Technical (State), and Judicial Members of the Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT). The GSTAT was formally launched by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on September 24, 2025. The names of the members along with their places of posting are as follows:
REC Limited Chairman and Managing Director Jitendra Srivastava on December 26, 2025, chaired a detailed review meeting in Jaipur to assess the progress of the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) and the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana in Rajasthan. The meeting was attended by the chairmen of power distribution companies, senior management, field-level officers of all DISCOMs, and agencies implementing smart metering works.
Under the RDSS, Rajasthan has received project sanctions worth Rs 28,407 crore, including Government Budgetary Support (GBS) of Rs 12,673 crore from the Ministry of Power. So far, Rs 2,445 crore has been released. The scheme aims to improve the financial sustainability and operational efficiency of DISCOMs through infrastructure creation to reduce AT&C losses, installation of smart meters on consumers, distribution transformers and feeders, and household electrification. Rajasthan has achieved 13 per cent progress in smart metering works and 15 per cent progress in loss reduction infrastructure, which rises to 34 per cent when recently awarded works are included.
During the review, discussions focused on issues affecting project execution, including quality of materials and workmanship, project management, contract execution, monitoring mechanisms, adherence to scheme guidelines, recovery of electricity dues from government departments, timely receipt of state subsidies, and release of further GBS. The CMD stressed the need for milestone-based monitoring to accelerate implementation, particularly in smart metering projects.
REC CMD also appreciated the improvement in AT&C losses in Rajasthan, which have reduced to 14.26 per cent in FY 2024-25 (provisional) from 17.49 per cent in FY 2021-22, prior to the sanction of RDSS works.
Reviewing the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar scheme, it was noted that 2.36 lakh applications have been received from consumers in Rajasthan, with rooftop solar installations completed for 1.15 lakh households. The Government of India has released grants for 1.04 lakh consumers so far. Field officials were advised to intensify awareness campaigns in rural areas, expedite consumer applications, coordinate with banks for loan sanctions, and prioritise solarisation of government buildings.
The meeting concluded with assurances from REC of continued support for the successful implementation of central government power sector schemes in Rajasthan.
Jharkhand is grappling with uncertainty over the appointment of a new head of state police, effective January 1. A new DGP has to be put in the saddle within five days, as the acting DGP, Tadasha Mishra (IPS:1994:JH), is going to retire on December 31. Yet it is not clear as to who will succeed Mishra.
Going by the seniority list, there are only three DG-rank officers in Jharkhand—1990 batch IPS officer Anil Palta, 1992 batch IPS officer Prashant Singh, and 1993 batch IPS officer MS Bhatia.
While Palta is currently serving as DG Railways, Prashant Singh is DG Wireless, and MS Bhatia is DG cum Administrator of the Home Guard and Fire Department.
Sampat Meena is another officer from the 1994 batch but has already been empanelled at the DG rank at the Centre, so her chances of coming back to Jharkhand are slim.
What is worth noting here is the fact that the state government has enacted its own rule, the “Director General and Inspector General of Police, Jharkhand (Head of Police Force) Selection and Appointment Rules, 2025,” for the DGP’s appointment. The DGP can be appointed in accordance with Rule 10 (1) of this rule. It was under this rule that the state government appointed Anurag Gupta as DGP.
However, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) refused to accept the state government’s rules. If the state government again uses this same rule to select the DGP, the matter could become controversial again.
According to the Supreme Court guidelines, a regular DGP must be appointed for a fixed two-year tenure. IPS officers with at least six months of service remaining are to be considered for the DGP post. All three officers mentioned above, Anil Palta, Prashant Singh, and MS Bhatia, meet this requirement.
In this situation, the state government currently has only three options to choose from: Anil Palta, Prashant Singh, and MS Bhatia. All three officers have extensive policing experience and maintain a clean and unblemished image.
The Centre has reminded all IAS officers to file their annual Immovable Property Returns (IPRs) on time and said that delay may lead to disciplinary action and affect promotions.
As per the rules, IAS officers must file details of their immovable assets by January 31 of the year after the assessment year. The Ministry of Personnel said that failure to do so will be treated as a serious lapse and may invite disciplinary proceedings.
The government has also linked timely filing with career growth. Officers who miss the deadline will not be considered for promotion to the next level in the pay matrix.
The Department of Personnel and Training introduced an online filing system in January 2017 through the SPARROW portal. Officers can file their returns online or upload scanned copies of the filled forms.
The ministry said compliance has improved in recent years. It also said the SPARROW module for filing property returns for the 2025 calendar year will close after January 31, 2026.
The Centre has asked secretaries of central ministries and chief secretaries of states to ensure officers under them meet the filing deadline.
The Telangana government on Thursday (December 25, 2025) issued a major order transferring and posting a large number of IAS and non-cadre officers across key departments and field positions. The reshuffle includes changes at the level of Special Chief Secretary, departmental heads, and district administration, along with a comprehensive reorganisation of Zonal Commissioners in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). Senior IAS officer Jayesh Ranjan has been moved as Special Chief Secretary, Metropolitan Area and Urban Development (HMDA limits), marking one of the most significant changes in the order.
Senior IAS officer Jayesh Ranjan (IAS:1992), Special Chief Secretary & CEO, Industry & Investment Cell in CMO and Smart Proactive Efficient and Effective Delivery (SPEED), has been transferred and posted as Special Chief Secretary, Metropolitan Area and Urban Development (HMDA limits), relieving K. Ramakrishna Rao (IAS:1991) from the full additional charge of the post. Jayesh Ranjan will, however, continue to hold full additional charge of the posts of Special Chief Secretary, Youth Advancement, Tourism and Culture (YAT&C), Sports, and Director of Archaeology. Meanwhile, the full additional charge of Special Chief Secretary and CEO, Industry and Investment Cell and Smart Proactive Efficient and Effective Delivery (SPEED), will remain with K. Ramakrishna Rao, Chief Secretary.
Following this, the government announced large-scale postings of Zonal Commissioners in GHMC. Bhorkhade Hemant Sahadeorao (IAS:2018) has been posted as Zonal Commissioner, GHMC, Serilingampally, while Apurv Chauhan (IAS:2020) has been posted as Zonal Commissioner, GHMC, Kukatpally. Sandeep Kumar Jha (IAS:2014), Special Secretary, TR&B Department, has been transferred and posted as Zonal Commissioner, GHMC, Qutbullapur.S. Srinivas Reddy has been posted as Zonal Commissioner, GHMC, Charminar.
G. Mukunda Reddy, Additional Collector (Revenue), Hyderabad, has been transferred and posted as Zonal Commissioner, GHMC, Golconda. Priyanka Ala (IAS:2016), Secretary, Telangana Public Service Commission (TGPSC), has been transferred and posted as Zonal Commissioner, GHMC, Khairatabad. Anuraag Jayanti (IAS:2015) has been posted as Zonal Commissioner, GHMC, Rajendranagar, while N. Ravi Kiran has been posted as Zonal Commissioner, GHMC, Secunderabad. K. Chandrakala, RDO, Chevella, has been transferred and posted as Zonal Commissioner, GHMC, Shamshabad.
Hemanta Keshav Patil (IAS:2019) has been posted as Zonal Commissioner, GHMC, LB Nagar. Sanchit Gangwar (IAS:2021), Additional Collector (Local Bodies), Narayanpet, has been transferred and posted as Zonal Commissioner, GHMC, Malkajgiri. Radhika Gupta (IAS:2021), Additional Collector (Local Bodies), Medchal-Malkajgiri, has been transferred and posted as Zonal Commissioner, GHMC, Uppal, and has also been given full additional charge of the post of Additional Collector (Local Bodies), Medchal-Malkajgiri.
In other postings, M. Haritha (IAS:2013), Collector and District Magistrate, Rajanna Sircilla, has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Telangana Public Service Commission, replacing Priyanka Ala. Garima Agrawal (IAS:2019), Additional Collector (Local Bodies), Rajanna Sircilla, will continue to hold full additional charge of the post of Collector and District Magistrate, Rajanna Sircilla.
Bhavesh Mishra (IAS:2015), Deputy Secretary, ITE&C Department, has been placed in full additional charge of the post of Additional CEO, Industry and Investment Cell and SPEED, in place of E.V. Narsimha Reddy (IAS:2017), who has been transferred and posted as Managing Director, Musi River Development Corporation Limited (MRDCL).
Narayan Amit Malempati (IAS:2022), Sub-Collector, Miryalaguda, Nalgonda district, has been transferred and posted as Additional Collector (Local Bodies), Narayanpet, replacing Sanchit Gangwar. A. Nirmala Kanthi Wesley (IAS:2016), Secretary and CEO, Telangana Human Rights Commission, has been placed in full additional charge of the post of Director, Employment and Training, relieving M. Dana Kishore (IAS:1996).
B. Shaffiullah (IFS:2003), Secretary, Minorities Welfare Department, has been placed in full additional charge of the posts of Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Telangana Minorities Finance Corporation, and Managing Director, Telangana Christian Minorities Finance Corporation, relieving A. Nirmala Kanthi Wesley from the additional charge.
G. Jitender Reddy, who was waiting for posting, has been appointed as Additional Collector (Local Bodies), Hyderabad, replacing P. Kadhiravan (IAS:2020). On transfer, P. Kadhiravan has been posted as Additional Collector (Revenue), Hyderabad, vice G. Mukunda Reddy.
D. Hanmanthu Naik, General Manager, SC Cooperative Development Corporation Limited, has been placed in full additional charge of the post of Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Telangana Scheduled Castes Cooperative Development Corporation Limited. G. Veera Reddy, Additional Collector (Revenue), Yadadri-Bhongir, has been transferred and posted as Executive Director, TGIIC (LA).
Finally, G. Lingya Naik, Additional Collector (Revenue), Vikarabad, has been transferred and posted as Secretary, State Election Commission, duly relieving Manda Makarandu (IAS:2020) from the full additional charge of the post.
The New Year is going to prove a happy year for the careers of as many as 59 IAS officers, with the state government having already readied itself for their promotion before the new year dawns. According to reliable sources, the promotion process has been completed by the Chief Secretary and the Department of Personnel, and the official orders are expected by December 31.
Two senior IAS officers, Ajitabh Sharma and Alok Gupta, both from the 1996 batch, are likely to be promoted to Additional Chief Secretary. They are, currently, serving as Principal Secretaries.
Two others, KK Pathak and Naveen Jain, of the 2001 batch, will be moving up to Principal Secretary rank. Though KK Pathak is currently posted at the Centre, he will get a pro forma promotion.
10 IAS officers from the 2010 batch, who will become secretaries after promotion, include Jitendra Soni, Inderjeet Singh, Neha Giri, Vishwamohan Sharma, Kanhaiyalal Swami, Nalini Kathotia, Rajendra Vijay, Pragya Kevalramani, Prakash Rajpurohit, and Mahaveer Prasad. As Prakash Rajpurohit and Inderjeet Singh are on central deputation, they will get a pro forma promotion. All of these officers will be promoted from junior to Selection Pay Scale.
Similarly, 22 IAS officers from the 2013 batch are Ashish Gupta, Nathmal Didel, Namrata Vrishni, Kanaram, Anshdeep, Alok Ranjan, Nagikya Gohen, Arvind Poshwal, Pradeep K. Gawande, Mahaveer Prasad Meena, Khajan Singh, ML Chauhan, Dr. Rashmi Sharma, LN Mantri, Iqbal Khan, Kalpana Agarwal, Manish Arora, Pushpa Satyani, Shruti Bhardwaj, Arun Kumar Purohit, Mukul Sharma, and Ajay Singh Rathore. They will be promoted from junior to Selection Pay Scale.
Among these, Ashish Gupta and Anshdeep are posted on the central deputation and therefore will receive a pro forma promotion.
Similarly, among the 10 IAS officers from the 2017 batch who will be promoted are Utsav Kaushal, Gaurav Saini, Shweta Chauhan, Avdhesh Meena, Devendra Kumar, Sushil Kumar, Akshay Godara, Srinidhi BT, Saumya Jha, and Mahendra Khagrawat.
12 IAS officers from the 2022 batch, who will be promoted from Junior to Senior Pay Scale, include Yaksh Chaudhary, Pritam Kumar, Yatharth Shekhar, Anshu Priya, Saksham Goyal, Divyansh Singh, Shraddha Gome, Mohit Kasania, Bhaisare Shubham Ashok, Sonika Kumari, Shrestha Shri, and Charu, who will be promoted to the Senior Pay Scale.
If IAS officers heading districts are promoted, the government will have to give them postings elsewhere. Currently, about 10 districts are being commanded by IAS officers, who are going to be promoted. They are Jalore Collector Pradeep K. Gawande, Sikar’s Mukul Sharma, Salumber’s Avdhesh Meena, Dausa’s Devendra Kumar, Sawai Madhopur’s Kanaram, Tonk’s Kalpana Agarwal, Jhalawar’s Ajay Singh Rathore, Nagaur’s Arun Kumar Purohit, Chittorgarh’s Alok Ranjan, and Pali’s Laxmi Narayan Mantri.
Apart from it, a large-scale reshuffle is also expected in the first week of January, with transfers from the secretariat to districts. 10 districts will have new collectors after the promotion of current incumbents.
Among those who are likely to be transferred are Krishna Kunal and Praveen Gupta. The IAS officers, who have been working in the same position in the secretariat for a long time, may also be transferred. Secretary of the School Education Department, Krishna Kunal, may be transferred.
Similarly, ACS of the Public Works Department, Praveen Gupta, may also be transferred. Praveen Gupta may be given the UDH department. There is talk that the principal secretary of the UDH department, Debashish Prusty, may be transferred too.
Going by the talk in the secretariat corridors, the Personnel department will release the promotion list by December 31. If that happens, it is likely that the transfer list of IAS and IPS officers may come in the first week of January.
In an interim order, the Chandigarh Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has stayed the expiry of the selection list for the year 2021 for promotion of State Civil Services (SCS) officers to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in Haryana. The stay will continue till the next date of hearing on January 6, 2026. The selection list for promotion to IAS is to expire on December 31.
The tribunal also directed the respondents to file their reply by the next date. Any modification in or continuation of this stay would be considered after the next date of hearing.
The tribunal’s ruling came on a petition filed by the Haryana State Services officer, Kamlesh Kumar Bhadoo, whose name had been provisionally included in the list for promotion to the IAS. Bhadoo moved the tribunal for an interim order in a bid to ensure that the selection list did not lapse before the matter was adjudicated.
The CAT noted that the operation and effect of the impugned chargesheet dated June 30, 2023, had been stayed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. It was further submitted that no charge had been framed by the trial court to date.
In view of these submissions, the tribunal ordered the stay on expiry till the next date of hearing.
Bhadoo has challenged the Haryana Government’s decision not to grant him a regular promotion to the IAS and instead include his name only on a provisional basis in the selection lists from 2020 to 2022. The list had been prepared during the Selection Committee meeting held on July 14, 2025.
The state government is said to have taken this decision due to an FIR registered against Bhadoo by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) at Hisar. As the ACB is yet to file a final report in the FIR, the govt cited it as the reason for treating his candidature as provisional, despite the fact that no charges have been framed against him.
Bhadoo contended that once the High Court had stayed the operation of the chargesheet, even the final report could not be treated as pending against him.
Against this background, Bhadoo sought the tribunal’s directions for inclusion of his name unconditionally in the selection lists from 2020 to 2024 for promotion of SCS officers to the IAS in the Haryana cadre.
The tribunal will take up the matter for hearing on January 6, 2026.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has secured approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for its sponsored Raajmarg Infra Investment Trust (RIIT) to function as an Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT), giving a fresh push to the authority’s asset monetization programme.
The public InvIT has been designed to unlock value from operational national highway assets while offering a stable, long-term investment avenue, with a primary focus on retail and domestic investors. The move is aimed at expanding public participation in the development of India’s national highway infrastructure.
Earlier, NHAI had set up Raajmarg Infra Investment Managers Private Limited (RIIMPL) as the investment manager for RIIT. The company has been structured as a joint initiative with equity participation from several leading banks and financial institutions, including State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, NaBFID, Axis Bank, Bajaj Finserv Ventures Limited, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, IDBI Bank, IndusInd Bank and Yes Bank.
NRVVMK Rajendra Kumar, Member (Finance) of NHAI, will serve as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (additional charge) of the investment manager company.
Welcoming SEBI’s approval, NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav said the clearance marks an important milestone in widening public ownership of national highway assets. He noted that the leadership team at RIIMPL brings strong professional expertise and is well placed to take the initiative forward while creating sustainable long-term investment opportunities. He added that the approval aligns with NHAI’s broader asset monetization strategy and will further support the strengthening of the country’s national highway network.
With the launch of RIIT, NHAI expects deeper domestic investor participation and faster expansion of highway infrastructure, reinforcing the role of public investment in national development.
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