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TN govt initiates process to appoint regular DGP after SC orders

By
LO Bureau
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The process of appointing a regular DGP has been initiated by the Tamil Nadu government after the Supreme Court gave it a week’s time on Thursday to replace the acting DGP with a superior officer to represent it in the UPSC empanelment committee. According to the apex court orders, the entire process has to be completed within three weeks.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has been given two weeks’ time to complete the process of empanelment after receiving the list of eligible officers from the state govt in a week.

It has led senior bureaucrats of the state to return to the negotiation table and finalise a fresh panel of eligible officers to be forwarded to the UPSC for empanelment.

The top court’s Thursday orders came on a contempt petition contending that the Tamil Nadu govt had violated the apex court’s guidelines in the appointment of DGP.

After receiving the panel of DGP-rank officers from the Tamil Nadu govt., the UPSC will shortlist three names and forward it to the state to appoint one of them as DGP/HoPF. The new DGP will have a minimum tenure of two years, irrespective of the date of superannuation, in accordance with the Supreme Court’s guidelines laid down in the Prakash Singh case.

Among the top three contenders, according to seniority, are Seema Agrawal (IPS:1990:TN), Rajeev Kumar (IPS:1992:TN), and Sandeep Rai Rathore (IPS:1992:TN). These three had also been earlier shortlisted by the UPSC when the state govt sent its list in October 2025.

But the state govt did not select any of them and allowed G. Venkatraman (IPS:1994:TN) to continue as DGP in charge, stating that the three names shortlisted by the UPSC were not acceptable to it. The Tamil Nadu govt accused the Union Government of attempting to appoint an officer of its choice as DGP.

Official sources believe there should be no change in the eligibility status of the top three officers. Despite the fact that a minimum residual service of six months is generally required for consideration for the post of DGP/HoPF, Seema Agrawal, who has about four months of service remaining, may still qualify because the residual service is calculated from the date the vacancy arose, which is September 1, 2025.

Other DGP-rank officers currently working in the state, in order of seniority, include K. Vanniaperumal, Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, G. Venkatraman, Vinit Dev Wankhede, Sanjay Mathur, S. Davidson Devasirvatham, Sandeep Mittal, and Bala Naga Devi.

Uttarakhand reshuffles 14 IPS and 6 PPS officers, SSPs/SPs of eight districts changed

By
LO Bureau
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Uttarakhand Government

In a significant move aimed at strengthening law and order, the Uttarakhand government on Friday (February 13, 2026) ordered the transfer of 14 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers and six Provincial Police Service (PPS) officers across the state.


IRAS officer Krishna VR appointed Director in 8th Central Pay Commission

By
LO Bureau
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8th Central Pay Commission

In a key administrative development, IRAS officer Krishna VR (IRAS:2009) has been appointed as Director in the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC) under the Department of Expenditure. His appointment has been made on a lateral shift basis from the Department of Revenue, where he was serving as Director.

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Thursday (February 12, 2026), the competent authority has approved the appointment on a co-terminus basis with the 8th CPC. The tenure is extendable up to September 17, 2029, representing the balance period of the admissible five-year tenure under the central staffing scheme, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Krishna VR had joined the Department of Revenue as Director on September 17, 2024, for a five-year tenure before being moved to the 8th Central Pay Commission through the present order.

ACC extends tenure of Navjot Khosa as DCO/DCR Punjab & Chandigarh

By
LO Bureau
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Navjot Khosa IAS

IAS Officer Navjot Khosa (IAS:2012:KL) will continue on central deputation as Director of Census Operations (DCO) and Director of Citizen Registration (DCR), Punjab & Chandigarh, following approval for an extended tenure.

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Thursday (February 12, 2026), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the proposal to extend the deputation tenure beyond March 31, 2026 and up to December 31, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Navjot Khosa had assumed charge of the post on December 19, 2022. Her tenure was originally scheduled to conclude on December 31, 2025, but was extended on December 12, 2025 for a short period of three months up to March 31, 2026. With the latest approval, her tenure will now continue till the end of December 2027.

ACC extends additional charge of Secretary, Spices Board, for six months

By
LO Bureau
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P Hemalatha IAS

Senior IAS officer P Hemalatha (IAS:2000:KN), Development Commissioner, Cochin SEZ, will continue to hold the additional charge of Secretary (JS level), Spices Board, for another six months.

According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Thursday (February 12, 2026), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the proposal of the Department of Commerce to extend the entrustment of the additional charge for the period from January 21, 2026 to July 23, 2026, or until the appointment of a regular incumbent, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

P Hemalatha was initially given the additional charge of Secretary (JS level), Spices Board, on January 7, 2025, with retrospective effect from October 24, 2024 for six months. The tenure was first extended for six months up to October 23, 2025, followed by a second extension of three months till January 2026. This marks the third extension of her additional charge.

P Bala Kiran gets one-year extension as Secretary-cum-Controller of Examination, NRA

By
LO Bureau
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P Bala Kiran IAS

IAS officer P Bala Kiran (IAS:2008:KL), currently serving as Joint Secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), will continue to hold the additional charge of Secretary-cum-Controller of Examination (Joint Secretary level) in the National Recruitment Agency for another year.

According to an order issued on Thursday (February 12, 2026), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved DoPT’s proposal to extend the entrustment of this additional charge to Bala Kiran for a period of one year beyond January 21, 2026, or until a regular incumbent is appointed, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

P Bala Kiran has been holding the additional charge since January 21, 2025. The latest decision grants him a one-year extension in the role.

First day: PM Modi clears key welfare decisions at Seva Teerth complex

By
LO Bureau
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Seva Teerth Complex

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (February 13, 2026) cleared several decisions soon after starting work from the newly inaugurated Seva Teerth complex. The files he signed focus on farmers, women, youth and vulnerable groups.

The decisions cover healthcare, agriculture, startups and women’s welfare. Officials said the steps are aimed at strengthening public services.

One of the key approvals is the PM RAHAT scheme. Under this, accident victims will get cashless treatment of up to Rs 1.5 lakh. The goal is to make sure people get immediate medical care without worrying about money.

In the farm sector, the government has increased the loan target of the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund from Rs 1 lakh crore to Rs 2 lakh crore. This is expected to help improve storage, processing and other parts of the agriculture system.

The Prime Minister also approved Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 with a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore. The fund will support deep-tech startups, early-stage companies, advanced manufacturing and new technologies.

The government has set a new target of creating 6 crore Lakhpati Didis by March 2029. Earlier, the milestone of 3 crore beneficiaries was achieved more than a year before the March 2027 deadline.

The Seva Teerth complex, inaugurated the same day, now houses the Prime Minister’s Office, the National Security Council Secretariat and the Cabinet Secretariat.

PM Modi inaugurates Seva Teerth complex in Delhi

By
LO Bureau
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Seva Teerth Complex

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (February 13, 2026) inaugurated the Seva Teerth complex in New Delhi. The new campus brings the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the National Security Council Secretariat and the Cabinet Secretariat to one place. The aim is to improve coordination and make government work faster.

The event was held on February 13. The date marks 95 years since New Delhi was declared India’s capital in 1931. The occasion links India’s administrative past with a more modern, citizen-focused system.

Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal, Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh and senior officials were present. The Prime Minister unveiled a plaque carrying the words “Nagrik Devo Bhava”, highlighting that citizens remain at the centre of governance.

With Seva Teerth now ready, the Prime Minister’s Office will shift from South Block on Raisina Hill, where it has worked for decades. Key secretariats that were earlier spread across different buildings will now function together. Officials expect this to cut delays, improve coordination and provide a secure, technology-enabled workplace.

The Prime Minister also inaugurated Kartavya Bhavan 1 and 2. These buildings will house several major Union ministries. They include digital office systems, dedicated public interaction areas, centralised reception facilities, renewable energy use, water-saving features, waste management systems and strong safety and surveillance arrangements that follow green building norms.

Officials said that since 2014 the government has taken steps to move away from colonial-era names and symbols. The PMO complex has been named Seva Teerth, Central Secretariat buildings are now called Kartavya Bhawan, and Rajpath has been renamed Kartavya Path. Race Course Road, where the Prime Minister’s residence is located, is now called Lok Kalyan Marg. Raj Bhavans and Raj Niwases are also being referred to as Lok Bhavans and Lok Niwases.

For many years, several ministries worked from old and scattered buildings across the Central Vista area. This created coordination problems and increased maintenance costs. The new complexes are meant to solve these issues by bringing offices into modern, efficient and environmentally friendly spaces.

Officials see the inauguration of Seva Teerth Complex and Kartavya Bhavan as an important step in changing India’s administrative system while keeping a link with its historical roots.

RECPDCL hands over Bellary Davanagere Power Transmission SPV to PowerGrid

By
LO Bureau
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REC Power Development and Consultancy Limited (RECPDCL), a wholly owned subsidiary of REC Limited, the Maharatna CPSU under the aegis of Ministry of Power, handed over a project specific SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) of ISTS Transmission Project under TBCB route viz, Bellary Davanagere Power Transmission Limited to M/s Power Grid Corporation of India Limited on 12th February 2026.

M/s Power Grid Corporation of India Limited emerged as the successful bidder through Tariff-Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB) process conducted by RECPDCL, the Bid Process Coordinator, for development of the transmission project on Build, Own, Operate & Transfer (BOOT) basis.

The SPV was handed over by Saurabh Rastogi, CEO, RECPDCL to Pankaj Pandey, Executive Director, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited in the presence of Sh. Arup Samanta, GM & CS, Sh. Ashwini Kumar Das, GM, PGCIL and other senior officials of RECPDCL, PGCIL and CTUIL. The implementation period of the project is 24 months.

The scheme covers augmentation of transformation capacity at Davanagere PS and Bellary PS, as well as establishment of Bellary – Davanagere 2nd 400 kV Double Circuit line of around 72 km.

SC allows TN govt to replace acting DGP in UPSC’s Selection Committee for DGP appointment

By
LO Bureau
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SC's relief to Sanjay Prasad IAS

The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the Tamil Nadu government to substitute the acting DGP with another top-ranking officer to represent the state in the DGP selection committee of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

The state govt had objected to having the acting DGP in the committee for selecting a regular DGP, as he also aspires to be considered for the post. The govt’s contention was that in the present selection committee, the state was being represented by its Chief Secretary and the acting DGP, and hence it wished to nominate a substitute for the acting DGP.

The bench noted that the acting DGP also wants to contest for the appointment as the regular DGP and is one of the eligible officers, so he cannot be part of the selection committee. Considering the same, the Court permitted the State Government to recommend a substitute, mainly an officer who is higher in rank and status than the DGP, within 1 week to the UPSC.

The UPSC will make the panel recommendations within 2 weeks after receiving the substitute’s name.

According to the apex court order, the state govt has to nominate an officer, preferably a superior higher in rank and status than the DGP, like an Additional Chief Secretary, as a substitute in the Selection Committee of the UPSC.

The Tamil Nadu government had filed the application seeking directions to ensure that the panel of officers prepared by the UPSC for the appointment of DGP follows the Revised Guidelines issued through circular on September 26, 2023, and the directions issued by it in the Prakash Singh v. Union of India case.

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