The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday (January 24, 2026) appointed 2011-batch IAS officer Krishna Karunesh as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Noida Authority. He replaces M Lokesh, a 2005 batch IAS officer, who has been transferred from the post following heightened scrutiny of the authority’s functioning.
Krishna Karunesh was previously serving as the Additional Chief Executive Officer (ACEO) of the Noida Authority and has now been entrusted with the top executive responsibility at a critical juncture for the organisation.
His appointment comes in the backdrop of serious questions being raised over the functioning of the Noida Authority and the administration following the recent death of engineer Yuvraj Mehta in Sector 150. The incident triggered widespread debate over alleged systemic negligence, accountability lapses, and the role of officials, eventually leading to the transfer of then CEO Lokesh M.
Krishna Karunesh is a seasoned administrator with extensive field experience. He has earlier served as Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) and Chief Development Officer (CDO) in Ghaziabad district. He has also held the position of District Magistrate in Hapur and Balrampur districts, besides serving as Joint Magistrate in Kushinagar.
The Yuvraj Mehta death case has remained under sustained public and administrative focus. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the matter and ordered the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the circumstances surrounding the incident.
In a significant administrative reform, the Central Government has notified a revised Cadre Allocation Policy (CAP) for the three All India Services — the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS). The new policy will come into effect from the Civil Services Examination and Indian Forest Service Examination, 2026.
The revised framework, issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) after consultations with state governments, replaces the zonal system introduced in 2017 with a new four-group structure. The move is aimed at reinforcing the “All India” character of the services, ensuring greater transparency, and addressing concerns over uneven vacancy distribution across states.
Under the new policy, all State and Joint Cadres have been arranged alphabetically and divided into four groups. Group I includes AGMUT, Andhra Pradesh, Assam-Meghalaya, Bihar and Chhattisgarh. Group II comprises Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh. Group III consists of Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim and Tamil Nadu, while Group IV includes Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
The policy introduces a strict, time-bound mechanism for determination of vacancies. Vacancies will be calculated based on the cadre gap as on January 1 of the year following the examination. State governments must communicate their vacancy requisitions by January 31, failing which such requisitions will not be considered. The final vacancy position, including category-wise break-up, will be published on the websites of the concerned ministries before the declaration of final examination results.
The revised CAP also tightens the rules for allocation of “insider” candidates,defined as those opting for their home state cadre. Candidates will now be required to explicitly indicate their willingness to serve in their home state to be eligible for insider vacancies. Insider allocation will follow a merit-based cycle system to prevent clustering of top-ranked candidates in a single cadre. Any insider vacancy remaining unfilled after prescribed adjustments will be converted into an outsider vacancy for the same year, with no carry-forward permitted.
For outsider allocation, the policy introduces a two-stage process. Candidates with benchmark disabilities will be given priority immediately after insiders and may be accommodated through creation of additional vacancies if required. Allocation of other outsider candidates will follow a rotational cycle system across the four groups, with each cycle starting from a different group to ensure long-term equity among states.
The policy clarifies that vacancies earmarked for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) will be treated as part of the Unreserved category and reflected accordingly in the cadre roster. It also provides a mechanism to bridge reservation gaps by absorbing remaining reserved category candidates into unfilled unreserved vacancies based on merit.
As per the revised guidelines, allocation of IAS officers will be completed before the commencement of the professional training course at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, while IPS and IFoS cadre allocations will be finalised immediately after appointment.
Officials said the new cadre allocation model is expected to streamline administrative processes, enhance inter-state exposure for young officers, and bring greater objectivity to a system that has long remained a sensitive issue among aspirants and state governments.
The Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday (January 23, 2026) carried out a minor but significant reshuffle in the Delhi administration by appointing senior IAS officer Santosh D Vaidya (IAS:1998:AGMUT) as Principal Secretary (Home), Government of NCT of Delhi.
Vaidya replaces Bipul Pathak (IAS:1992:AGMUT), who had been holding the post since September 2025.
Santosh D Vaidya was transferred from Jammu and Kashmir to Delhi on January 4, 2026, and was awaiting posting orders. However, he is yet to be formally relieved from Jammu and Kashmir, where he is currently serving as Principal Secretary, Finance Department.
The Jammu and Kashmir government is scheduled to present its Budget on February 6, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah holding the Finance portfolio, followed by discussions on Demands for Grants till February 18. In view of these ongoing proceedings, Vaidya has not yet been relieved.
As a stop-gap arrangement, Sandeep Kumar (IAS:1997:AGMUT)—currently serving as Principal Secretary (Vigilance) and holding additional charge of Principal Secretary (Administrative Reforms), Principal Secretary (IT), Chairman, DSSSB, and Chairperson, DPCC—will function as Principal Secretary (Home) until Santosh D. Vaidya assumes charge.
Meanwhile, outgoing Principal Secretary (Home) Bipul Pathak has been appointed Additional Chief Secretary (Social Welfare) with additional charge as Director, Union Territory Civil Services (UTCS).
Following the announcement of the first phase of Census 2027, scheduled to commence from April 1, 2026, the Central Government has intensified preparations to ensure smooth implementation of the nationwide exercise through improved administrative coordination and workforce readiness.
In this context, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, on Friday (January 23, 2026), directed Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories not to carry out any jurisdictional changes till March 31, 2027, in view of the forthcoming Population Census 2027.
The Home Secretary was addressing a conference of Chief Secretaries of States and Union Territories, State Census Nodal Officers, senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and Directors of Census Operations, convened to review preparedness for the Census exercise.
During the meeting, Mr. Mohan emphasised the need for timely appointment and training of census functionaries, re-publication of relevant notifications, and effective use of digital tools, including the self-enumeration facility. He also underlined the importance of a focused publicity and communication strategy to build public awareness, trust and participation to ensure the successful conduct of Census 2027.
The conference was attended by Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RG&CCI) Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, Additional Registrar Generals Sunil Kumar and Sanjeev Kumar, Deputy Director General Biswajit Das, and other senior officials.
The Home Secretary further sought cooperation from the States in regular monitoring and review of census-related activities to ensure timely and accurate completion of the exercise.
The Central government on Thursday (January 22, 2026) notified the first phase of the Census of India 2027, formally setting the process in motion for the country’s next decadal population count. The exercise comes after a prolonged delay, with the last census having been conducted in 2011.
The Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RG&CCI) has finalised 33 questions that will be asked from all residents during the House Listing and Housing Census (HLO)—the first phase of Census 2027.
According to the notification, it will be carried out from April 1 to September 30, 2026. During this phase, enumerators will visit every household across states and union territories to collect data on housing conditions, ownership status, household amenities, infrastructure, and other living arrangements.
Each region will be covered over a 30-day enumeration period. In a first, citizens will also have the option of self-enumeration, with an online window opening 15 days before the start of door-to-door surveys in their area. The government has underscored the use of digital platforms to streamline data collection and improve accuracy.
Census 2027 is being designed as a fully digital exercise—the first of its kind in India’s census history. Enumerators will use mobile applications compatible with Android and iOS devices to record data electronically. Around 30 lakh field staff are expected to be deployed nationwide for the exercise.
The information collected during the house listing and housing census will form the base for the second phase of Census 2027, the population enumeration, scheduled for February and March 2027. March 1, 2027, will serve as the reference date for most parts of the country.
Officials said the data generated will play a key role in policy formulation and planning across sectors such as housing, infrastructure, education, health, and social welfare. Given its scale and policy relevance, Census 2027 is being seen as one of the most consequential administrative exercises undertaken by the government.
The Himachal Pradesh government on Friday (January 23, 2026) granted promotion to Dr Atul Kumar Digambar Fulzele (IPS:2001:HP) to the rank of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP). He has been accorded proforma promotion, as he is currently on central deputation serving as Inspector General in the Border Security Force (BSF).
Three IPS officers of the 2008 batch have been promoted to the rank of Inspector General of Police (IG). Among them, S Arul Kumar and G Sivakumar have been granted proforma promotions, as they are presently on central deputation serving as DIG in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and DIG in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), respectively.
Dr D.K. Chaudhary (IPS:2008:HP) has been promoted to the IG rank on a regular basis. He is currently serving as Principal of the Police Training College, Daroh.
Further, two IPS officers of the 2013 batch—Gaurav Singh, Superintendent of Police, Solan, and Arjit Sen Thakur, Superintendent of Police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Junga—have been promoted to the Selection Grade (Level-13) of the Pay Matrix.
All the above promotions have been made with effect from January 1, 2026.
The Central Government has approved the appointment of two Indian Police Service (IPS) officers of the Bihar cadre as Deputy Inspectors General (DIG) in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on a deputation basis.
According to an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday (January 22, 2026), Ashish Bharti (IPS:2011:BH) and Swapna Gautam Meshram (IPS:2011:BH) have been appointed as DIGs in the CRPF under the usual terms and conditions of central deputation.
The Ministry has requested the Government of Bihar to relieve both officers immediately to enable them to take up their new assignments at the Centre. Ashish Bharti is currently serving as DIG, Prohibition and Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), while Swapna Gautam Meshram is posted as DIG, State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB).
The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has recommended Ghanshyam Das Gupta for appointment as Director (Mining) of Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL). The recommendation was made after interviews conducted by the PESB on January 23, 2026.
Ghanshyam Das Gupta is currently serving as Executive Director (Unit Head) at Hindustan Copper Limited. 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 PESB had invited applications for the post on August 26, 2025, with September 23, 2025 fixed as the last date for submission of applications.
The post of Director (Mining) has remained vacant since March 22, 2025, following the assumption of charge by Sanjiv Kumar Singh as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Hindustan Copper Limited. Subsequently, Sanjeev Kumar Sinha, Director (Operations), HCL, was entrusted with the additional charge of Director (Mining) on March 28, 2025.
The candidates interviewed by the Public Enterprises Selection Board were:
Ghanshyam Das Gupta, Executive Director UNIT HEAD, Hindustan Copper Limited
The Himachal Pradesh Government on Friday (January 23, 2026) ordered the promotion of six Indian Police Service (IPS) officers of the 2012 batch of the Himachal Pradesh cadre to the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in Level-13A of the Pay Matrix. The promotions will take effect retrospectively from January 1, 2026.
Shalini Agnihotri, IPS, who is currently on Central deputation as Deputy Secretary in the Department of School Education and Literacy, has been promoted to the DIG rank on a proforma basis.
The remaining five officers have been promoted on a regular basis. They are Rohit Malpani, presently serving as Superintendent of Police, Cyber Crime, Shimla; Dr. Khushal Chand Sharma, Commandant, 2nd IRBn, Sakoh in Kangra district; Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi, Superintendent of Police, District Shimla; Dr. Ramesh Chander Chhajta, Superintendent of Police (Leave Reserve), Police Headquarters, Shimla; and Dr. Devakar Sharma, Commandant, 4th IRBn, Jangalberi in Hamirpur district.
The Central Government on Friday (January 23, 2026) notified the appointment of Anshul Raj as a Judge of the Patna High Court. The appointment has been made by the President of India in exercise of the powers conferred under Article 217(1) of the Constitution.
According to the notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice, Department of Justice (Appointments Division), the appointment will take effect from the date Anshul Raj assumes charge of his office.
It is pertinent to note that the Supreme Court Collegium had recommended the name of Anshul Raj on February 20, 2025, along with four other advocates, for appointment as Judges of the Patna High Court. Out of the five recommended advocates, three were appointed as judges following a government notification issued on March 7, 2025.
Subsequently, the appointment of the fourth advocate was notified on January 5, 2026. The notification concerning Anshul Raj was awaited and has now been formally issued, completing the Collegium’s recommendations made in February 2025.
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