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India AI Impact Summit 2026: REC showcases first live P2P energy trading demo under India Energy Stack

By
LO Bureau
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REC Limited, a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Power, today showcased the first live demonstration of India’s Peer‑to‑Peer (P2P) energy trading pilot program under the India Energy Stack at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, held at Bharat Mandapam. The demonstration was presented during a strategic session titled “India Energy Stack (IES) and the AI‑Ready Power Sector: Trust, Interoperability, and Scale,” marking a significant milestone in India’s transition towards a decentralized, consumer‑centric digital power ecosystem.

The highlight of the session was a first‑of‑its‑kind live demonstration of a P2P decentralized energy transaction conducted under the India Energy Stack framework. Arun Singh, a farmer from Meerut (Uttar Pradesh), used a secure, blockchain‑enabled platform to sell surplus solar‑generated electricity directly to Lakshmi, a garment shop owner in Delhi. Arun sold 6 units of solar power and earned Rs. 30. This historic transaction demonstrated the real‑world application of the India Energy Stack (IES), a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) designed to empower citizens as active ‘energy agents’ rather than passive recipients of electricity.

The live P2P energy trading demonstration represents the most visible and tangible application of the India Energy Stack to date. The pilot enables prosumers—households, businesses, and farmers who generate renewable energy—to directly trade their surplus power with other consumers through trusted digital protocols, laying the foundation for a more participative and decentralized power market.

The live demonstration took place in the presence of Dr. Ram Sewak Sharma, Chair, India Energy Stack; Jitendra Srivastava, Chairman and Managing Director, REC Limited; Ashish Kumar Goel, Chairman, UPPCL; Alok Kumar, Director General, AIDA; Reji Pillai, President, ISGF; Shashank Misra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Power; Prince Dhawan, Executive Director, REC; and Swetha Ravi Kumar, Executive Director, FSR Global.

DEMO PRESENTED TO HON’BLE POWER MINISTER ON 18 FEB 2026

Union Minister for Power, Manohar Lal visited REC pavilion on 18 Feb 2026 where he was presented a live demonstration of a P2P decentralized energy transaction conducted under the India Energy Stack. He also met various Technology Service Providers (TSPs) at REC Pavillion where they presented different AI solutions related to Power Sector.

DEMO PRESENTED TO HON’BLE PRIME MINISTER ON 16 FEB 2026

Earlier, on 16 February 2026, a demo of peer‑to‑peer energy trading was also presented to the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, during his visit to the MeitY Pavilion. The demonstration was conducted by Shashank Misra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Power, and Prince Dhawan, Executive Director, REC Limited, along with one of the first beneficiaries of the P2P energy trading pilot.

ABOUT INDIA ENERGY STACK

The India Energy Stack (IES) is an interoperable digital framework of open standards and protocols that enables secure, low-cost data and service exchange across the power sector, similar to how UPI transformed India’s digital payments ecosystem.

REC Limited is the nodal agency for the India Energy Stack on behalf of the Ministry of Power. FSR Global serves as the knowledge partner for the initiative, with support from the India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF), which has played a key role in advancing smart grid innovation and providing technical inputs for scaling digital energy solutions across India. Additionally, Networks for Humanity (NFH) is contributing to the development of a trust‑based digital transaction framework to ensure secure, verifiable, and scalable peer‑to‑peer energy networks.

ACC clears Level-16 empanelment; eight 1989-batch officers made Railway GMs

By
LO Bureau
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Indian Railways

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the empanelment and appointment of eight senior officers as General Managers in Indian Railways for the 2025 panel year. These posts are at Level-16 of the Pay Matrix.

The approvals were given under relaxation of the Indian Railway (Selection to Senior Posts) Rules, 2025. This clears the way for new appointments in major railway zones and production units.

All eight officers belong to the 1989 batch of different railway services. With Level-16 empanelment, they become eligible to serve as General Managers or in equivalent top posts.

The officers appointed are:

  1. Manoranjan Pradhan (IRSS:1989) – General Manager, Rail Wheel Factory, Yelahanka
  2. Ashutosh Pant (IRSEE:1989) – General Manager, Banaras Locomotive Works, Varanasi
  3. Prabhas Dansana (IRTS:1989) – Director General, RDSO
  4. Mohit Chandra (IRSEE:1989) – General Manager, Chittaranjan Locomotive Works
  5. Rajesh Kumar Pandey (IRSSE:1989) – General Manager, Northern Railway, New Delhi
  6. Shalabh Goel (IRSEE:1989) – General Manager, Central Railway, Mumbai
  7. Ashish Bansal (IRSE:1989) – General Manager, Northeast Frontier Railway (Construction), Guwahati
  8. Ajay Nandan (IRSME:1989) – General Manager, Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala

Several of these officers are expected to remain in service till 2028. This will provide continuity at the top level.

At the same time, 56 officers were not included in the 2025 Level-16 panel. This shows that the selection process was strict.

In a separate order, Ashok Kumar Verma (IRSS:1987), General Manager of Northern Railway since October 2024, has been appointed General Manager, Central Organisation for Railway Electrification (CORE), Prayagraj. He has been moved on a lateral transfer. His posting comes as Railways continues to push for full electrification of its network.

The appointment of Rajesh Kumar Pandey as General Manager of Northern Railway is important, as it is one of the largest railway zones in the country.

With eight new General Managers posted at the same time, Indian Railways has carried out a major leadership change at the top level.

Maharashtra govt sets up Civil Services Board for transfer and posting of IAS officers

By
LO Bureau
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Maharashtra Government

With an aim to ensure a structured approach to cadre management, the Maharashtra government has established its Civil Services Board. Its main purpose is to guide transfers and postings of IAS officers of the state cadre.

The General Administration Department (GAD) issued a Government Resolution (GR) to this effect on Monday. According to the resolution, the board has been constituted in pursuance of a notification issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on January 28, 2014, in accordance with the Indian Administrative Service (Cadre) Amendment Rules, 2014.

According to the GR, the state’s Chief Secretary will be the chairman of the board, with the senior-most Additional Chief Secretary, or the Chairman of the Board of Revenue, or the Financial Commissioner, or an officer of equivalent rank and status, serving as a member.

The Additional Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary, or Secretary (Personnel) in the General Administration Department will function as the Member Secretary of the board.

As per the resolution, the senior-most officer holding the post of Additional Chief Secretary in a ministerial administrative department in Mantralaya shall be nominated as a member of the Board.

Union Govt undertakes overhaul of CPWD first time in 14 years

By
LO Bureau
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CPWD overhaul

In an ambitious move to elevate infrastructure development, the Union Government is undertaking an overhaul of its prime construction agency—the Central Public Works Department (CPWD)—for the first time in 14 years. The initiative focuses on bringing in specialized engineers to handle complex construction projects.

The move is aimed at injecting new talent, modernizing, and address staffing shortages in the CPWD in order to address the growing demands of modern, large-scale infrastructure projects, such as the Kartavya Bhawan, with a portfolio now exceeding ₹25,000 crore annually. However, it does not have enough engineers to undertake its activities within Delhi and across states.

Further, with new buildings like Kartavya Bhawans and the Prime Minister’s residential complex coming up, there is a need for more engineers with different expertise to be brought into the government.

This makeover has been prompted by the need for expertise in constructing and maintaining modern, high-profile government buildings.

There are about 18,000 employees in CPWD under three major verticals—civil (which includes electrical and mechanical streams), architecture, and horticulture. About two-thirds of the employees are in the civil vertical. As a govt official pointed out, there is a need for architectural and design engineers as well as an emphasis on designing structurally sound, seismically proof, energy-efficient buildings. According to him, more design engineers are now needed.

Besides, the new construction activity in the capital has also brought out the biggest gap in CPWD – a shortage of engineers in lower to mid-level positions.

Restructuring and cadre review are among the key aspects of this overhaul. 

A cadre review should generally be undertaken every five years. However, the last cadre review in CPWD took place in 2012. After this, there was a restructuring exercise in 2019 when a consultancy firm was hired to gauge the gaps. According to sources, this restructuring exercise did not help CPWD with several gaps recurring.

The move is expected to improve accountability, speed, and transparency in project execution.

This overhaul follows earlier recommendations to focus on core construction and potentially outsource maintenance, as well as efforts to modernize technology and procedures. 

Shantmanu appointed J&K State Election Commissioner

By
LO Bureau
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The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday appointed former IAS office Shantmanu (IAS:1991:AGMUT) as the new State Election Commissioner (SEC) of the Union Territory. He succeeds B R Sharma (IAS:1984:AGMUT), who completed his tenure after serving in the post since July 20, 2023.

According to an official notification, the appointment was approved by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha under sub-section (3) of Section 36 of the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989.

Under the statutory framework governing local bodies in Jammu and Kashmir, the State Election Commission is responsible for preparing electoral rolls and conducting elections to Panchayati Raj institutions and municipal bodies.

Cabinet Secretariat directs top officials to track AI summit, submit report by Feb 27

By
LO Bureau
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India AI Summit

In a significant development, the Cabinet Secretariat has directed top officials of all ministries and departments to attend the Artificial Intelligence (AI) summit, being held at Bharat Mandapam, and identify actionable takeaways relevant to their respective domains. They have also been asked to submit a concise two-page note by Feb. 27.

The secretariat said this in its communication sent late on Monday, the day the summit began. The summit will conclude on Friday.

Their brief is supposed to outline potential AI use cases, implementation pathways, regulatory or data-governance concerns, and areas where AI could improve efficiency and public service delivery.

This initiative has been taken keeping in view the government’s renewed focus on emerging technologies and AI-led innovation under programmes such as Digital India, as reiterated in the Union Budget.

The summit is being attended by policymakers, technology companies, startups, and academic institutions. Besides, industry executives are showcasing applications ranging from AI-led automation and analytics to sector-specific tools in healthcare, agriculture, and governance.

MeitY Director Nirmod Kumar gets extension till February 2028

By
LO Bureau
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Nirmod Kumar (IRSEE:2006) has been granted a two-year extension in his central deputation as Director in the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training on Tuesday (February 17, 2026), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the proposal to extend his deputation tenure for two years beyond February 22, 2026, up to February 22, 2028, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Notably, Nirmod Kumar has been serving in this position since February 23, 2021, when he was appointed for a five-year tenure. Just before the conclusion of this tenure, the ACC approved a further extension of two years.

Rajesh Gupta gets two-year extension as MHA Joint Secretary

By
LO Bureau
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AGMUT cadre IAS & IPS

Rajesh Gupta (IRSEE:2001) has been granted a two-year extension in his central deputation as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training on Tuesday (February 17, 2026), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the proposal to extend his deputation tenure for two years beyond April 15, 2026, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Notably, Rajesh Gupta has been serving in this position since October 2024, when he was shifted from NITI Aayog. He had been appointed as Director in NITI Aayog in April 2022 for a five-year tenure.

Punjab DGP, Chief Secy’s sharing dais with AAP leaders at Moga rally creates political storm

By
LO Bureau
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Punjab DGP and CS

A major political controversy has erupted in Punjab over the DGP, Gaurav Yadav, and the state’s Chief Secretary (CS), KAP Sinha, addressing the state government’s “anti-drug” gathering at Killi Chahlan village in Moga district on Monday.

The government and the Opposition are now fighting over the ‘true character’ of the gathering, with the state’s Bhagwant Mann government claiming that the gathering was an official “state event” under the Yuddh Nasheyan Viruddh campaign and the Opposition alleging that the gathering was purely an “AAP political rally,” where the DGP and Chief Secretary (CS) also shared the stage with politicians. The Opposition is alleging that the AAP govt is politicizing bureaucracy.

While addressing the gathering, the DGP said that it is Punjab that is fighting the country’s war against drugs, being a border state with the Punjab Police making an unprecedented recovery of over 2000 kg of heroin in just one year. He also claimed that Punjab’s conviction rate in NDPS cases is 90 percent, among the highest in the country.

CS Sinha, in his address, said that Punjab has started a war against drugs and lauded the state govt for its political will, adding that political will is the most important thing for any state to take strict action, and today, with all our leadership on stage, it shows that it is 100 percent.

What added spice to the Opposition’s claim was CM Bhagwant Mann’s post on X before leaving for Moga, saying that the event was a “massive AAP rally.”

It prompted BJP state president Sunil Jakhar to post on X: “Watching the Chief Secretary and DGP at AAP’s rally today, one wonders if India’s ‘steel frame’ bureaucrats are now bending to political whims. Isn’t this a flagrant breach of All India Service Rules? He went on to allege that the AAP govt is politicising the bureaucracy.

Punjab BJP general secretary Anil Sarin also questioned the presence of AAP’s national convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, at the event if it was “Punjab government’s official event.” He asked what Kejriwal was doing in the government’s official events.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has even urged Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria as well as the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take note of the manner in which government funds were used to hold AAP’s rally.

The SAD leadership made a pointed attack, claiming that the manner in which the DGP and Chief Secretary were forced to address a political rally is highly condemnable, adding further that the state bureaucracy was being politicised which is not good for democracy.

Congress leaders too joined the fray, calling it a “dangerous new low for Punjab.” Senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa philosophized it, saying when the lines between government and political party begin to blur, probity in public life is the first casualty. He said that civil servants are expected to function impartially and uphold constitutional values. Their visible association with a political event undermines public trust.

Gurdaspur Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa went a step further and dashed off a letter to the Union Minister of State for Personnel and Training, Jitendra Singh, on Tuesday, raising serious objections over Chief Secretary and DGP sharing the dias at Moga with Arvind Kejriwal and other ruling party leaders.

Randhawa raised the question of institutional credibility along with constitutional and legal issues. He called on the DoPT to obtain a detailed report and review any potential breach of the All India Services Conduct Rules. According to him, a serving DGP and Chief Secretary sharing the stage with political masters is a grave violation of All India Service Conduct Rules and constitutional propriety.

Prabhat Kumar gets extension as Jharkhand DCO/DCR till October 2027

By
LO Bureau
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Prabhat Kumar IAS

The central deputation tenure of IAS officer Prabhat Kumar (IAS:2011:JH) as Director of Census Operations (DCO) and Director of Citizen Registration (DCR), Jharkhand, has been extended until October 9, 2027. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training on Tuesday (February 17, 2026), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the proposal to continue his deputation beyond March 31, 2026, up to October 9, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Prabhat Kumar had assumed charge of the post on October 10, 2022, initially for a tenure up to December 31, 2025. His tenure was subsequently extended to March 31, 2026, and with the latest approval, his total central deputation will now complete a full five-year term ending in October 2027.

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