An order issued by the MHA on January 2, 2026 states that the competent authority approved the cancellation of the appointment conveyed earlier on June 20, 2025, as the officer did not assume charge of the deputation post.
The order further clarifies that the five-year debarment has been imposed under para 17 of the IPS Tenure Policy, which applies to officers who fail to join approved central deputation assignments without valid reasons.
Balakrishnan’s appointment as IG, BSF was cleared in June 2025, but his non-joining led the Ministry to initiate action. The decision has been communicated to the Government of Tamil Nadu for necessary follow-up.
IAS officer Vibha Chahal (IAS:2012:UP) has been appointed as Director in the Department of Food and Public Distribution under the Central Staffing Scheme.
According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Tuesday (January 6, 2025), Chahal’s appointment will be effective from the date she assumes charge of the post and will remain valid up to June 7, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. The tenure corresponds to the balance period of her approved five-year central deputation.
At present, Chahal is on compulsory wait at the DoPT. Notably, her tenure as Private Secretary to Minister of State for MSME Shobha Karandlaje was curtailed on December 15, following which she was placed on wait.
Chahal had been serving as Private Secretary to the MSME Minister since July 2024. Her central deputation was originally scheduled to continue until June 7, 2027, completing a full five-year term at the Centre.
Her central stint began in June 2022, when she was appointed Private Secretary to Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, the then Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, for a five-year tenure. She assumed charge on June 7, 2022, and subsequently continued on central deputation with a change in ministerial assignment.
The central deputation tenure of Abhishek Dev (IAS:2007:AGMUT) as Chairman of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) under the Department of Commerce has been extended by one year.
According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Monday (January 5, 2025), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the proposal of the Department of Commerce to extend Dev’s deputation as APEDA Chairman for a further period of one year beyond February 8, 2026, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Abhishek Dev was initially appointed as Director in the Department of Commerce on January 20, 2021, for a tenure of five years and assumed charge on February 8, 2021. He was later appointed as Chairman of APEDA in July 2023, and has been serving in the post since then.
APEDA is a statutory body under the Department of Commerce tasked with promoting the export of agricultural and processed food products, facilitating market access, and supporting policy implementation to boost India’s agri-export ecosystem.
Life after retirement is often considered to be a life of resignation. Most bureaucrats look for government largesse after retirement. But former Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Malaya Mishra provides an exception to it. He has discovered a new calling in social service by establishing a free public library in his hometown, Puri.
Housing over 5,000 books with free access to local children and youths, the library, named ‘Sarojini Devi Memorial Library,’ has emerged as a major learning hub for students.
The library, set up in 2021, has more than 600 students as its registered members, many of whom use this facility on a regular basis. Being a passionate reader, Mishra has stocked the library with books he collected from various countries during his service tenure.
Mishra returned to his hometown after retirement in 2015 and decided to convert his residence into a seat of learning. Appreciating what is lacking in the educational system, he opened the library and started teaching students. Its significance can be gauged from the fact that Puri currently has only one government library, which operates from a small rented building.
Apart from offering free access to the library, Mishra even conducts classes on political science, economics, law, current affairs, foreign policy, and spoken English. He also shares insights from his diplomatic career to help students develop intellectual and analytical skills.
This library is not merely a place of learning, but it has also become a centre for social and cultural activities, where various social programmes and religious events are organised, fostering community engagement.
Apart from studying, students also receive valuable academic guidance from Mishra and many eminent personalities who also visit the place during various programs.
Mishra blurts out with a sense of pride, saying he wanted to give something back to society, and what gives him satisfaction is the fact that many students of his library have secured government jobs.
Deepti Ranjan Sahoo, who serves as a librarian there, points out how crucial a role this library plays for aspiring students, saying its cleanliness, calm atmosphere, disciplined environment, and the guidance provided by Mishra make it unique.
Not everyone seems to be settling in after moving to the Centre. Some IAS officers of the Rajasthan cadre, who recently came on central deputation, are said to be quietly exploring options to return to their parent cadre. Interestingly, this comes despite the fact that the officers are otherwise considered to be comfortably placed in their current central assignments.
Sources indicate that while the postings were initially seen as prestigious and promising, the ground realities at the Centre may not have entirely matched expectations. The officers, who joined central deputation earlier this year, are understood to be reassessing their long-term plans.
Whether the Centre will be inclined to relieve them so soon, or the Rajasthan government would be keen to take them back, remains to be seen. For now, the wish to return home has been noted—but how it plays out will depend on multiple factors beyond individual preference.
Suganya K (ITradeS:2013), who was recommended for central deputation by the Department of Commerce, has been selected for appointment as Deputy Secretary in the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) for a period of four years. According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Monday (January 5, 2025), she will serve under the Central Staffing Scheme for four years from the date of assuming charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Senior IAS officer Girsha PS (IAS:2012: AP) has been appointed as Director (Finance), Central Silk Board (CSB), Bengaluru, for a period of five years.
According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Monday (January 5, 2025), the competent authority has approved his appointment to the post under the Ministry of Textiles on a deputation basis.
The order specifies that Girsha PS’s tenure will be for five years from the date he assumes charge of the post, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. The post of Director (Finance), Central Silk Board is classified as a Non-CSS post.
The Central Silk Board, headquartered in Bengaluru, functions under the Ministry of Textiles and is responsible for the development of the silk industry in India, including research, extension, and market support activities.
Indian Railway Finance Corporation Limited (IRFC) has been rated “Excellent” by the Department of Public Enterprises for the financial year 2024–25. It is the fifth year in a row that the company has received the top performance grade since its stock market listing in FY 2020–21.
The “Excellent” rating is the highest category under the DPE’s annual performance evaluation. The latest assessment reflects IRFC’s consistent operating performance, tight financial controls, and its ability to recalibrate its business model after the expansion of its mandate. Officials said the evaluation also takes note of the company’s governance standards and execution track record at a time of shifting economic conditions.
During the year, IRFC continued to broaden its lending portfolio, while staying aligned with its core role of financing railway infrastructure and allied sectors. The approach has been calibrated, in line with the Centre’s whole-of-Government framework. The company also improved financing efficiency for railway-linked projects, ensuring timely and cost-effective fund support across the railway ecosystem.
Commenting on the rating, IRFC Chairman and Managing Director Manoj Kumar Dubey said the repeated top grading validates the institution’s strategic direction and execution strength. He said IRFC has entered an “IRFC 2.0” phase, with sharper focus on selective capital deployment in high-quality assets that fit its risk framework.
Dubey added that IRFC has already achieved its annual sanction target of ₹60,000 crore for FY 2025–26 by the end of the third quarter, pointing to steady growth momentum. He said the company would continue to work on improving financing efficiency while supporting railways and related infrastructure development.
Set up in 1986 as the financing arm of the Ministry of Railways, IRFC plays a key role in mobilising funds for the expansion and modernisation of India’s railway network, including rolling stock, track infrastructure and allied segments. Its consistent top ratings since listing have reinforced its standing among the country’s best-performing central public sector enterprises.
The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha has extended the tenure of Pramod Chandra Mody (Retd. IRS-IT: 1982) as Secretary-General of the Upper House till December 31, 2026.
A notification to this effect was issued by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat on Monday (January 5, 2026). The order says the extension will be on the existing terms and conditions and will remain valid till December 31, 2026, or until further orders.
Mody was appointed Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha on November 12, 2021, on a contractual basis. His term was first extended in August 2022 till December 31, 2024. Another extension was approved in December 2024, allowing him to continue in office till December 31, 2025.
With the latest order, Mody will now remain in the post for another year, continuing as Secretary-General through the end of 2026.
The Union government on Monday (January 5, 2026) notified the appointment of three judges and one additional judge to various High Courts, according to notifications issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice.
Advocates Ritesh Kumar and Praveen Kumar have been appointed as Judges of the Patna High Court. The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended Ritesh Kumar’s name on February 20, 2025, while Praveen Kumar’s name was recommended on July 1, 2025.
Ritesh Kumar’s name was originally recommended along with five advocates, out of whom three have already been notified. The notifications of Ritesh Kumar and Anshul Raj remained pending for several months. With the latest notification, Ritesh Kumar has been cleared, while Anshul Raj’s appointment is still awaited.
In another appointment, Advocate Jai Krishna Upadhyay has been appointed as a Judge of the Allahabad High Court. His name was recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium on September 1, 2025, along with 11 other advocates. On September 26, 2025, the government notified the appointments of 10 advocates, leaving Jai Krishna Upadhyay and Adnan Ahmadpending. With the latest notification, Jai Krishna Upadhyay has been cleared, while Adnan Ahmad’s appointment remains pending.
Meanwhile, the Centre has also notified the appointment of Advocate Siddhartha Sah as an Additional Judge of the Uttarakhand High Court. The collegium had recommended his name on October 17, 2023, along with Advocate Alok Mehra. Alok Mehra was appointed as a judge in February 2025, while Siddhartha Sah’s notification had remained pending until now.
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