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REC Limited achieves ‘Excellent’ MoU rating for FY 2024–25 for third consecutive year

By
LO Bureau
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REC Limited

REC Limited, a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Power, has received an ‘Excellent’ MoU rating for the financial year 2024–25, marking its third consecutive year in the top performance category. The rating was awarded by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), Ministry of Finance, based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed with its holding company, Power Finance Corporation Limited (PFC).

In addition, REC secured the fifth position in net profit parameters among all Central Public Sector Enterprises, according to the Public Enterprise Survey Report for FY 2024–25 released by the DPE, reflecting its strong financial standing among peer CPSEs.

The MoU evaluation framework, designed by the Government of India, assesses CPSE performance against clearly defined financial and operational benchmarks. The assessment focuses on measurable economic outcomes rather than effort-based indicators, aligning enterprise performance with national priorities, shareholder interests, and sectoral expectations laid down by the administrative ministry.

REC’s performance during FY 2024–25 was marked by robust financial health, superior asset quality, and sustained operational efficiency. The company demonstrated strong market competitiveness while maintaining high standards of corporate governance and ethical conduct.

The DPE’s annual Public Enterprise Survey further underlined REC’s consistent performance across key financial indicators, reinforcing its position as a leading non-banking financial company in the power sector.

With sustained recognition across multiple performance parameters, REC Limited continues to strengthen its role as a premier financier for India’s power infrastructure, supporting long-term growth and development in the energy sector.

Telangana HC asks UPSC to complete DGP appointment process within four weeks

By
LO Bureau
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Telangana CS Ramakrishna Rao

The Telangana High Court has asked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to complete the entire process of appointing the new chief of the police force for Telangana within four weeks.

Justice Pulla Karthik passed this order on Friday while hearing a writ petition filed by T. Dhangopal Rao. Rao had challenged the appointment of IPS officer B. Shivadhar Reddy (IPS:1994:TG) as DGP of Telangana.

The petitioner brought to the court’s notice that the Telangana government had already forwarded a panel of eligible IPS officers to the UPSC for shortlisting the names of three officers. However, the UPSC had returned the panel on 1 January 2026, saying that it could not be considered, as it allegedly violated the Supreme Court’s guidelines issued in Prakash Singh vs. Union of India in 2006. It should be mentioned here that the apex court’s guidelines govern the procedure for the appointment of DGPs in the country.

Brushing aside the UPSC’s earlier position, Justice Pulla Karthik directed the UPSC to initiate and conclude the appointment process within the stipulated four-week period. The commission has to submit a compliance report to the High Court as well.

The court, however, declined to grant the interim relief sought by the petitioner and dismissed his plea seeking suspension of the Government Order (GO) through which B. Shivadhar Reddy was appointed as DGP.

Justice Karthik ruled that the issues raised in the application required detailed and extensive hearing and therefore did not warrant interim suspension at this stage.

The dismissal of the interim application means the appointment of B. Shivadhar Reddy as DGP will continue to remain in force, subject to the final outcome of the case.

The court adjourned the hearing to February 5, 2026, for a compliance report to be filed by the UPSC.

Sagar Yadav gets extension as Joint Secretary in Department of Fisheries

By
LO Bureau
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Department of Fisheries

The central deputation tenure of Sagar Yadav (CSS) as Joint Secretary in Department of Fisheries has been extended till his retirement. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Thursday (January 8, 2025), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of Department of Fisheries to extend the deputation tenure of Mehra for a period beyond March 10, 2026 till the date of his superannuation i.e. upto June 30, 2026, whichever is earlier.

UP’s star mountaineer cop records new feat in her policing career

By
LO Bureau
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Mountaineer IPS Aparna Kumar

Scaling new heights is a passion for this mountaineer cop of Uttar Pradesh. The story of this gritty woman police officer underlines the dictum that success follows those who exhibit indomitable courage to excel. Her feat inspires awe. Despite performing the strenuous duties of an IPS officer, Aparna Kumar has carved out a niche for herself as an acclaimed mountaineer. Just wondering, she happens to be the first civil servant to conquer the Seven Summits—the highest peaks of seven continents in the world.

The latest feat of this 2001-batch IPS officer includes scaling yet another summit. – becoming the first woman officer to be appointed as Joint Commissioner of Lucknow Police on Wednesday.

This is not Aparna’s first ‘first’; she has many firsts to her credit, from being the first IPS officer to conquer the Seven Summits or mentoring the first ITBP expedition, which hoisted the tricolour atop Mount Balbala in 2021, to being the first woman director of the ITBP Academy in its six-decade history. And now the first woman officer to become Joint Commissioner of UP’s capital.

This 52-year-old officer had just returned from her study leave after completing the master’s degree in law from the University of California, Berkeley, when she got the news of yet another feat in her policing career. Before it, she was serving as Inspector General in the human rights department.

Aparna is excited to don this new responsibility and promises to incorporate what she learned to strengthen policing outcomes on the ground. And her experience with human rights mechanisms and global best practices is seen as an asset in balancing effective law enforcement with constitutional safeguards.

Aparna outlined her priorities in her new role, saying her focus would be on fair, transparent, and professional investigations. During her stint as Joint Commissioner, the Lucknow police is going to experience the use of technology, scientific evidence, and data-driven policing in crime investigation. She says her aim would be to improve conviction rates while ensuring due process and public trust.

Before this nascent assignment, she was serving as Inspector General.  She has already also served as SP of many districts, such as Firozabad, Hamirpur, Sitapur, and Chitrakoot, along with wings such as intelligence, PAC, and Telecom. She also served as sports secretary of the UP Police Board.

Her love for mountaineering crowned her with enviable success and medals. A recipient of the Rani Lakshmi Bai Puraskar (2015) and the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award (2018), Aparna notched another world record by conquering Mount Everest in 2016. And in the same year, despite battling pneumonia, this gutsy woman reached the South Pole with broken specs and carrying 35 kg of equipment. Six months later, she scaled Mount Denali in North America, which has a summit elevation of 20,310 feet above sea level, thereby completing the Seven Summits challenge.

As for her new assignment, senior officers in the state police feel Aparna’s exposure to international policing frameworks, including her interactions with several global agencies during training and professional engagements, is expected to be leveraged to modernise crime investigation practices in Lucknow.

What makes her a unique uniformed species is that despite this stellar achievement in life, Aparna does not forget to mentor young officers and women aspirants.

Haryana’s administrative crisis looms large as 17 top bureaucrats to retire this year

By
LO Bureau
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cadre mismatch in forests deptt

The New Year brings bad augury for Haryana as this state is verging on an acute administrative crisis as 17 top bureaucrats are going to retire this year. These officers include 13 IAS and four IPS officers. The state is already grappling with a shortfall of 42 IAS officers.

Among the prominent officers retiring this year are Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi (1990 batch), Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Arun Kumar Gupta (1992 batch), and former DGP Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor (1990 batch). Kapoor, who is currently serving as the Chairman of Haryana Police Housing Corporation after being stripped of the DGP charge, is retiring on October 31. Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, who is already on a one-year service extension, is set to retire on June 30.

Among senior IAS officers scheduled to retire include Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, and seasoned district and departmental heads spread throughout the year.

Senior-most IAS officers Sudhir Rajpal and Raja Shekhar Vundru (both of the 1990 batch), both serving as Additional Chief Secretaries; Abhilaksh Likhi (1991 batch), Secretary to the Government of India; and D Suresh (1995 batch), Principal Secretary, are the other officers slated to retire. Vundru will retire on July 31, and D Suresh on August 31. Similarly, Gupta will be retiring on September 30, and Likhi on November 30.

Others on the retirement list include Mukesh Kumar Ahuja (2009) on March 31, Jasbir Arya (2009) on April 30, Virender Lather (2014) on April 30, Pradeep Kumar (2011) on June 30, Anita Yadav (2004) on September 30, Sanjay Joon (2003) on October 31, and Geeta Bharti (2005) on November 30.

Among IPS officers retiring this year are Sanjeev Kumar Jain (1991 batch), retiring on September 30; Hardeep Singh Doon (1998 batch), retiring on May 31; and Dr Rajshree Singh (1999 batch), retiring on July 31.

This exodus is bound to confound the woes of the Haryana government, as at least 12 IAS officers are already on central deputation. The state is already facing a shortfall of 42 IAS officers compared to the sanctioned strength of 225 posts. Only 183 IAS officers are currently in service.

At present, V Umashankar and Abhilaksh Likhi of the 1991 batch; Deepti Umashankar, Sukriti Likhi, and Neerja Shekhar of the 1993 batch; Nitin Kumar Yadav of the 2000 batch; Vikas Gupta and Pankaj Yadav of the 2001 batch; and Nikhil Gajraj of the 2008 batch are on deputation with the Central Government. Similarly, Sharandeep Kaur Brar of the 2009 batch and Dr Garima Mittal of the 2010 batch are also serving with the Central Government.

Although the state recently received six new IAS officers, the retirement of 13 seasoned IAS officers is definitely going to take its toll on the quality of its administration.The impending crisis can be better understood from the fact that many senior IAS officers are currently holding multiple departments; in several cases, three to four departments.

As per rules, 67 percent of IAS posts are filled through direct recruitment and about 33 percent through promotion. It means 66 IAS posts in the state are to be filled through promotion, but several promotion quota posts remain vacant despite the acute shortage of officers.

In this way, this large-scale retirement is a bad forebading for the state, which is already struggling with a shortage of top-level administrators. It raises serious concerns about governance and policy implementation.

 

 

Deen Bandhu Singh gets additional charge of Noida SEZ Development Commissioner

By
LO Bureau
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Noida SEZ

Deen Bandhu Singh (CSS), currently serving as Development Commissioner, FALTA Special Economic Zone, has been given additional charge of the post of Development Commissioner (Joint Secretary level), Special Economic Zone, Noida, for a period of six months.

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Thursday (January 8, 2025), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the proposal of the Department of Commerce for entrustment of the additional charge with effect from November 9, 2025 to May 8, 2026, or until the appointment of a regular incumbent, whichever is earlier.

Anand Swaroop is new Spl Secretary (Internal Security), MHA; Anupama Nilkar gets DG, NHRC (Investigation)

By
LO Bureau
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In a significant administrative reshuffle, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on Thursday (January 8, 2026) approved the appointment of senior IPS officer Anand Swaroop (IPS:1992:UP) as Special Secretary (Internal Security) in the Ministry of Home Affairs, replacing Praveen Vashista (IPS:1991:BH).

Anand Swaroop, an Uttar Pradesh cadre officer, is presently serving as Director General (Investigation), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), his tenure as Special Secretary (Internal Security) will be from the date of assumption of charge till August 31, 2029, the date of his superannuation, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

In a related decision, the ACC also approved the appointment of Anupama Nilekar Chandra (IPS:1994:BH) as Director General (Investigation), NHRC, in place of Anand Swaroop. A Bihar cadre IPS officer, Chandra is currently serving as Special Director General, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

ECI revokes suspension of IPS officer Ravjot Kaur Grewal in Tarn Taran bypoll case

By
LO Bureau
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Ravjot Kaur Grewal IPS

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has revoked the suspension of IPS officer Dr Ravjot Kaur Grewal (IPS:2015:PB), who was placed under suspension during the Tarn Taran Assembly bypolls, bringing closure to a matter that had kept the Punjab government in a procedural bind for nearly two months.

In an order dated January 8, 2026, issued by the Secretariat of the Election Commission of India, the poll body approved the revocation of Grewal’s suspension with immediate effect, clarifying that the relief would not have retrospective effect. Dr Grewal was serving as Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Tarn Taran, at the time of her suspension.

The Commission, however, made it clear that the final decision in the departmental proceedings initiated against the officer will be taken only with the concurrence of the Election Commission, under the applicable conduct and discipline rules.

Dr Grewal, a 2015-batch IPS officer, was suspended on November 8, 2025, ahead of the November 11 Tarn Taran Assembly by-election, following complaints alleging misuse of police machinery during the Model Code of Conduct period. The action was taken after the Election Commission took cognisance of observations made by a police observer deputed for the bypoll.

Since the suspension was ordered by the ECI, the Punjab government had been constrained by rules that mandate mandatory consultation and concurrence of the Commission, along with the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), before reinstating any officer suspended on the poll body’s directions.

Sources had earlier indicated that the state government was proceeding cautiously, wary of being perceived as intervening in a matter linked to election-related disciplinary action. The issue was also discussed during the Punjab DGP’s appearance before the Election Commission.

With the revocation order now issued, Dr Grewal stands reinstated, though the disciplinary proceedings against her will continue to remain under the supervision and concurrence framework laid down by the Election Commission.

Also Read: Punjab govt in a fix over suspended IPS Ravjot Kaur Grewal’s reinstatement

Nikhil Dhongri’s post in Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission redesignated as Director

By
LO Bureau
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The post held by Nikhil Dhongri (IRPS:2012) as Deputy Secretary in the National Health Authority under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) has been redesignated to the Director level.

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Thursday (January 8, 2026), the competent authority approved the redesignation with effect from the date he assumes charge of the re-designated post. The tenure will be on a co-terminus basis with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and is extendable up to the admissible period under the Central Staffing Scheme or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Dhongri’s central deputation commenced on December 11, 2025.

Four IAS officers transferred in Uttar Pradesh

By
LO Bureau
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UP PCS officers' promotion to IAS

The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday (January 8, 2026) issued transfer and posting orders for four IAS officers.

Rajesh Kumar-II (IAS:2009:UP), who was serving as Director General of the Tourism Department, has been transferred and posted as Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh State Human Rights Commission.

Dr Vedpati Mishra (IAS:2008:UP), Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh State Information Commission, has been appointed as Director General, Tourism, replacing Rajesh Kumar-II.

Kumar Prashant (IAS:2010:UP), who was awaiting a posting, has been posted as Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh State Information Commission.

Pranjal Yadav (IAS:2006:UP), Secretary, MSME & Export Promotion Department, will now hold charge only of the MSME & Export Promotion Department, having been relieved of additional responsibilities relating to Handloom & Textile, Khadi & Gramodyog, and the IDC Department.

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