Dr Rao, where did you get the Chidambaram “inferences” in your March 25 2G note?

THOUGH the controversy arising out of a 2G note signed by Dr PGS Rao, a deputy director in finance ministry, may have subsided at least for time being, some bureaucrats may have to answer a few uncomfortable questions in coming days. Current home minister calls it a “closed matter”, but can bureaucrats who prepared the note escape questions that may come from judiciary, JPC and opposition parties?

“Apart from the factual background, the paper contains certain inferences and interpretations which do not reflect my views,” said finance minister Pranab Mukherjee while reading out a prepared statement. He was obviously referring to the portion of the March 25, 2011 note which said then finance minister P Chidambaram could have persuaded then telecom minister A Raja for an auction of spectrum.

Finance ministry deputy director Rao’s note was reportedly sent to Vini Mahajan, joint secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office. An RTI applicant procured it through the official channels from the PMO.

Mukherjee in his statement made it very clear that it was prepared by “a group of officers” as inter-ministerial background paper indicating that officers from other ministries were also a party to the preparation of the note. According to reports, officials from PMO, cabinet secretariat, department of telecom and finance ministry were present when this background note was prepared. But the question that still remains unanswered is at what stage a few lines on Chidambaram got inserted into the note? No one but Dr PGS Rao who signed the note could have a better answer.

Read the full text of FM’s statement on the 2G note:

“A number of stories on 2G Spectrum had appeared in the media in January 2011. A view was taken that a harmonized note based on facts should be produced for use by various representatives of the government. A group of officers prepared an inter-ministerial background paper which was sent to PMO on 25th march 2011.

Apart from the factual background, the paper contains certain inferences and interpretations which do not reflect my views.

The policy of the government in 2007-2008 was continuation of the policy adopted in October 2003 and as reiterated by TRAI.”

Action and Appointments

a) UK Bansal, a 1974 batch UP cadre IPS officer, has been appointed as the next Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF). He will take the place of Raman Srivastava who retires on October 31, 2011. UK Bansal is currently secretary (internal security) in the ministry of home affairs.

An April Fool Day advisory to police turns relevant now, and for all departments

AS leaking information willingly or unwillingly has become a trend in recent time, the government of India’s advisory on media dated April 1, 2010 to police is an interesting read. It might have been released on an April Fool day last year, but it’s quite relevant for non-police forces too particularly when the government has found itself in a state of helplessness in dealing with RTI and media. Here are the excerpts of the exhaustive and consolidated advisory on media policy of police, as recorded in MHA annual report, 2010-11.

* In a case such as conviction or acquittal that attracts the interest of the media, a specific time may be fixed everyday when the designated officer would make an appropriate statement on the investigation.

* In the first 48 hours there should be no unnecessary release of information except about the facts of the incident and that the investigation has been taken up.

* The general tendency to give piecemeal information/clues on a daily/regular basis, with regard to the progress/various lines of investigation, should be strongly discouraged so that the investigations are not compromised and the criminals/suspects do not take undue advantage of information shared by the Police authorities about the likely course of the investigations.

* Meticulous compliance with the legal provisions and Court guidelines regarding protection of the identity of juveniles and rape victims should be ensured, and under no circumstances should the identity of juveniles and victims in rape cases be disclosed to the media.

* Due care should be taken to ensure that there is no violation of the legal, privacy and human rights of the accused/victims.

* Arrested persons should not be paraded before the media.

* Faces of arrested persons whose Test Identification Parade is required to be conducted should not be exposed to the media.

* No opinionated and judgmental statements should be made by the police while briefing the media.

* As far as possible no interview of the accused/victims by the media should be permitted till the statements are recorded by the police.

* The professional tradecraft of policing and technical means used for the detection of criminal cases should not be disclosed as it alerts potential criminals to take appropriate precautions while planning their next crime.

* In cases where National security is at stake, no information should be shared with the media till the whole operation is over or until all the accused persons have been apprehended.

* The modus operandi of carrying out the operations should not be made public. Only the particulars of apprehended persons and details of recovery should be revealed to the media on completion of the operations.

* There should not be any violation of court directions and other guidelines issued by the authorities from time to time on this matter.

* Preferably, there should be one officer designated as the Public Relations Officer to handle the immediate information needs of all media persons and give the correct and factual position of any crime incident.

* As and when instances of misreporting or incorrect reporting of facts/details pertaining to an incident or the department comes to notice, a suitable rejoinder should immediately be issued and, in more serious cases, the matter should be taken up at the appropriate levels for remedial action.

Navin Kumar to be Bihar chief secretary; Will Anup Mukherjee run an NGO fulltime?

Navin Kumar, a 1975 batch Bihar cadre IAS, is joining as Bihar’s chief secretary. Kumar, who reportedly had working problems with urban development minister Kamal Nath sometime ago, will take the new assignment on September 30, 2011 following the retirement of Anup Mukherjee. Kumar was shifted from the Union urban development ministry to the ministry of drinking water and sanitation recently. He was also a principal adviser in the Planning Commission.

Significantly, current incumbent Anup Mukherjee, a 1974 batch IAS was one of the contenders for the cabinet secretary’s post that got filled up in May this year. There were unconfirmed reports that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was keen on bringing Anup Mukherjee to the Centre, and feelers were sent for the purpose. Mukherjee reportedly showed reluctance and told the feeler that he would rather concentrate on an NGO post retirement.

Also Read

Navin Kumar’s profile

Babus in Demand

The government is looking for a joint secretary level officer to fill up the post of Controller General, Patents, Design and Trade Marks. The selected officer will be based out of Mumbai. The post comes under the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) which is a part of the ministry of commerce and industry. The selected officer will get a salary at the pay band of Rs 37,400—67,000 and grade pay of Rs 10,000.

Action and Appointments

a) Ms Arvind Manjit Singh, a 1984 batch IIS officer, has been appointed as joint secretary in the ministry of culture. 

Government asks information officers not to “create information” for RTI applicants

IN WHAT could impact RTI replies in coming days, the government has advised its public information officers not to “create information”, “interpret information”, “solve problems raised by applicants” or “furnish replies to hypothetical questions”. In a letter dated September 16, 2011, the department of personnel and training (DoPT) drew attention of a Guide on the Right to Information Act, 2005 whereby it says: “Only such information can be supplied under the Act which already exists and is held by the public authority or held under the control of the public authority”.

The RTI which till recently was packaged as a major milestone of the UPA government in bringing transparency into the system, has begun to trouble the UPA. The recent finance ministry note on P Chidambaram’s role in 2G spectrum auction was procured from the Prime Minister’s Office through an RTI application. In many offices, a number of employees are dealing only with RTI applications, many of which are filed for personal reasons and not for public good.

The government’s recent letter on how to deal with RTI applications came as a sequel to the observation made by the Supreme Court in a case between Central Board of Secondary Education and Aditya Bandopadhaya and others (civil appeal no 6454 of 2011). The Supreme Court’s observation is as follows:

“At this juncture it is necessary to clear some misconceptions about the RTI Act. The RTI Act provides access to all information that is available and existing….But where the information sought is not a part of the record of a public authority, and where such information is not required to be maintained under any law or rules or regulations of the public authority, the Act does not cast any obligation upon the public authority, to collect and collate such non-available information and then furnish it to an applicant. A public authority is also not required to furnish information which require drawing of inferences and/or making of assumption. It is not required to provide “advice” or “opinion” to an applicant, nor required to obtain and furnish any “opinion” or “advice” to an applicant. The reference to “opinion” or “advice” in the definition of “information” in section 2(f) of the Act, only refers to such material available in the records of the public authority. Many public authorities have, as a public relation exercise, provide advice, guidance and opinion to its citizens. But that is purely voluntary and should not be confused with any obligation under the RTI Act.”

Action and Appointments

a) The government has approved inter-cadre deputation of Ms Indra Mallo Jain, a 1999 batch Maharashtra cadre IAS from Maharashtra cadre to AGMUT cadre (Arunachal Pradesh) for a period of five years.

b) The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) rejected the proposal for extension of inter-cadre deputation of Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, a 1988 batch Uttarakhand cadre IAS from Uttarakhand to Punjab cadre for a period up to December 31, 2011. 

Finmin deputy director PGS Rao’s 2G note on Chidambaram jolts UPA

Dr PGS Rao, the finance ministry bureaucrat and author of the 14-page note dragging home minister P Chidambaram into 2G scam, would have walked into North Block grossly unnoticed. Not any longer.

Maybe, you can’t still recognize him even if you walk past him while going on a morning walk at Mandir Marg in New Delhi’s Gole Market where he resides. Rao, a deputy director (infra and energy) in department of economic affairs under finance ministry, was never seen behind Pranab babu when he talks to media in front of the Finmin’s main gate.

The note prepared by Rao and “seen by” finance minister Pranab Mukherjee has already sent tremors in UPA-II government as it clearly stated that Chidambaram, then finance minister, could have tried harder to force A Raja, then telecom minister to auction valuable spectrum, instead of merely agreeing to Raja’s methods. The note was already produced in court as a piece of evidence in support of Chidambaram’s alleged role in 2G spectrum case that according to Comptroller and Auditor General caused a loss of whopping Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the exchequer.

Rao’s note dated March 25, 2011, was sent to Vini Mahajan, joint secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office. An RTI applicant procured it through the official channels from the PMO.

The principal opposition party BJP wants Chidambaram to resign in the wake of the finance ministry note “seen by” none other than UPA heavyweight Pranab Mukherjee. Law minister Salman Khurshid however dismissed Rao’s note saying that it “comes from a junior official in the (finance) ministry...it’s not a paper that is being sent either by a senior functionary or a minister”.

In government hierarchy, a deputy director comes much below in the line up which is as follows: Secretary---Additional Secretary---Joint Secretary---Director---Under Secretary…

Action and Appointments

a) R Gopalakrishnan, a 1979 batch MP cadre IAS and additional secretary to Prime Minister, has been appointed as Member Secretary, National Innovation Council, in the rank and pay of additional secretary, for a period of two years. Gopalakrishnan, who had earlier served as private secretary to former MP chief minister Digvijay Singh, relinquished his charge in the Prime Minister’s Office after completing his tenure on September 23, 2011. He joined PMO soon after UPA-I came into power in 2004. 

Why this MP cadre IAS officer repeatedly threatens to self immolate?

Ramesh Thete, a 1993 batch Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS officer, hogged the limelight in January this year when he announced he would self immolate in front of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) if he was not reinstated from service by February 5, 2011. After he got reinstated in service, Thete has now again threatened to self immolate if he does not get a promotion, according to local media reports. 51-year-old Thete, originally hailing from Maharashtra, is now posted as director of the Narmada Valley Development Authority (NVDA).

Thete was dismissed from service as a sequel to a bribery case dated back to 2002. The principal of a technical institute in MP complained against him saying Thete had demanded a bribe of Rs 1 lakh, but the officer was acquitted by courts. Then dismissed officer claimed that he was hounded because he is a Dalit officer.

Now, Thete has asked the government to immediately constitute Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) so that he gets his promotion which he claims an overdue. In a letter to principal secretary Deepak Khandekar, Thete reportedly mentioned that he would self immolate if he was denied his promotion.

Action and Appointments

a) Mugdha Sinha, a 1999 batch Rajasthan cadre IAS, has been appointed as Officer-on Special Duty (OSD) against the sanctioned post of private secretary in the personal establishment of minister of textile Anand Sharma. Ms Sinha will hold the rank of a deputy secretary.

b) The government has cancelled its earlier order of appointing T Srinidhi, a 1979 batch Central Secretariat Service officer as Director, Institute of Secretariat Training and Management. Instead, it has now appointed KG Verma, a 1995 batch Central Secretariat Service officer as its director.

I wanna be PS: Now IPL chief Rajeev Shukla gets an IPS officer as private secretary

A still from a Salman Khan-starred movie

I wanna be PS or IPS syndrome continues. Rajeev Shukla, minister of state for parliamentary affairs and newly appointed chief of Indian Premier League (IPL) has roped in an IPS officer as his private secretary. Gyaneshwar Singh, a 1999 batch Himachal Pradesh cadre IPS currently working as general manager in Airports Authority of India, will be Shukla’s private secretary holding the rank of a deputy secretary.

Earlier this year, a number of IPS officers moved to Delhi to join various Union ministers as their PS. Ministers such as Salman Khurshid, Virbhadra Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia have got IPS officers as their private secretaries rather than IAS which is a norm.

According to rules, a minister may handpick his key staff members from any cadres -- IAS, IPS or Group A services etc., or even appoint someone with no experience in government at all.

Whereas 1991 batch AGMUT cadre IPS officer, Ms Nuzhat Hassan, is the PS for minister of minority affair Salman Khurshid, Anand Pratap Singh, a 1997 batch Himachal Pradesh cadre IPS, was appointed as private secretary to the minister of micro, small and medium enterprises Virbhadra Singh. Mukesh Jain, a 1989 batch Madhya Pradesh cadre IPS officer, is the private secretary to minister of state for commerce and industry Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Even home minister P Chidambaram’s Officer-On-Special Duty happens to be a 1996 batch IPS officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre --- Ajay Kumar Yadav. Yadav was working as Deputy Inspector General in CBI before joining as a key staff member of Indian home minister.

Action and Appointments

a) Alok Tandon, a 1986 batch UP cadre IAS, has been appointed as joint secretary in department of disinvestment in place of Kalpana Mittal Baruah, a 1985 batch Punjab cadre IAS.

b)Ms Arvind Manjit Singh, a 1984 batch IAS, has been appointed as joint secretary in the ministry of culture in place of Tuktuk Kumar, a 1981 batch West Bengal cadre IAS on completion of her tenure on July 11, 2011.

c) The Central deputation tenure of DN Narasimha Raju, a 1984 batch Karnataka cadre IAS and joint secretary in petroleum ministry, has been extended for a period of three months beyond October 5, 2011.

Now, a CEO can compete with bureaucrats for NHAI chairman’s post

LIKE the post of Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) which was thrown open for private persons, the chairman of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is no longer a preserve of the babus. In a major departure from the existing norms, the government has allowed CEO and COO of private infrastructure companies with a net worth of Rs 2,000 crore, to apply for the NHAI chairman’s post, according to a report appeared in a financial daily.

Despite the salary of NHAI chairman is low at about Rs 11 lakh per year, in compared with Rs 60 to 80 lakh yearly remuneration of a CEO of a large infrastructure company, some former bureaucrat-turned CEOs are expected to join the race.

In case of the CVC’s post, names of five non-bureaucrats were recommended out of the initial list of 40 probables. The Supreme Court hearing the PJ Thomas case directed a change of the policy and asked the government to consider eminent private persons as well for the job. According to an RTI which got wide publicity in national newspapers, candidates for the CVC’s post included corporate honcho Ajai Chowdhry of the HCL Info Systems whose name was recommended by the department of information and technology. He, however, withdrew his name later. Also, Vice-President’s secretariat recommended the name of the social worker Dr Leo Rebello for the post of the CVC.

Now, the Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved the proposal of road transport and highways ministry’s proposal of allowing CEO and COO of infrastructure companies to apply for NHAI chairman’s post. The proposal also said that an additional secretary-level officer, or a class one officer of a public sector undertaking can apply for the job.

The NHAI has been headless since December 2010, and the road transport and highways secretary has taken additional charge of the top NHAI job.

Babu Marriage: Srivatsa Krishna and Gunjan Krishna

The Central government has transferred Srivatsa Krishna, a 1994 batch Andhra Pradesh cadre IAS and Ms Gunjan Krishna, a 2004 batch Maharashtra cadre IAS from their respective cadres to Karnataka cadre on the ground of marriage. This was done in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-rule (2) of Rule 5 of the  Indian Administrative Service (Cadre) Rules, 1954 and with the concurrence of the governments of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Action and Appointments

a) The government has approved inter-cadre deputation of Ms Nidhi Kesarwani, a 2004 batch Manipur-Tripura cadre IAS from Manipur-Tripura cadre to Uttar Pradesh cadre for a period of five years.

Cabinet secretary AK Seth turns unusually proactive in post-Sikkim earthquake

AS an earthquake measuring a 6.8 magnitude jolted many parts of India mainly North Eastern state of Sikkim on Sunday afternoon, cabinet secretary AK Seth and his team swung into action and even took the route of 24X7 news channels to reach people immediately. Seth has never given an interview after he took over as cabinet secretary on June 14, 2011. Nor did he break his silence even during the tense days arising out of Anna Hazare’s fast. But on Sunday, he was freely speaking with a number of news channels and taking volley of questions from anchors.

Also, Seth urgently convened a meeting of the crisis management group and rushed specialized teams for rescue, relief and medical operations from Delhi. Also, Army and Air Force were mobilized immediately. The meeting chaired by Seth was attended by secretaries of defence, home, health and information and broadcasting, among others.

The question is: is it a one-off instance, or will we continue to see a highly proactive Seth? Also, how will Seth handle situations after his batch-mate Pulok Chatterji, a Sonia Gandhi confidante, takes over as principal secretary to PM. 

Read

BoI List: Who are 5 most powerful bureaucrats, 2011

Police promotions could be linked with training, says PM

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has suggested that promotion of police personnel could be linked to training as it is done in case of Army. He was speaking at the annual conference of DGPs in New Delhi recently. This year also happens to be the 150th year of the passing of the Police Act. Some excerpts:

* Police personnel must also be adequately trained to upgrade their professional skills and inculcate the right attitude towards the public. Promotions could be linked with training, as is done in the Army. Modules on white-collar crimes and cyber crimes will become increasingly important as these types of crimes become more salient.

* Shortage of manpower is a problem and we are trying to address it on a war footing. At the meeting of the National Integration Council last week, the need for a well-trained and equipped force to deal with riots was underscored. The Rapid Action Force has been discharging such a function with distinction.

* The job of a constable is arduous and hazardous. Currently, the constabulary is over-stretched and asked to perform multifarious duties. Many of them find it difficult to get suitable accommodation and are even forced to live in slum areas. All our police stations do not provide basic facilities for women constables. It is not realistic to expect high levels of efficiency unless proper attention is paid to the living and working conditions of our men and women in the police forces.

* Our country recently witnessed an outpouring of public anger against corruption. A life in the service of the people is a noble calling, particularly so for those charged with the responsibility of securing life and liberty of our citizens. People who enlist themselves for such a task must take pride in their ability to honestly discharge their duties.

Action and Appointments

a) The ACC has approved the appointment of Sudhir Vyas, a 1977 batch Indian Foreign Service officer as secretary (ER) in the ministry of external affairs in place of Manbir Singh, an IFS who is retiring on September 30, 2011.

b) Ms Zohra Chatterjee, a 1979 batch UP cadre IAS, presently Member Secretary, National Commission for Women, has been appointed as additional secretary in the ministry of coal in place of Alok Perti, a 1977 batch Assam cadre IAS.

Pranab Mukherjee’s key aide Manoj Pant appointed as Sr Adviser to World Bank ED

Pant (right) with his boss Mukherjee

INDIAN finance minister Pranab Mukherjee’s key aide and 1991 batch West Bengal cadre IAS Manoj Pant is not taking a train back to Howrah but a plane to Washington DC. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has appointed Pant, presently private secretary to finance minister, as Senior Adviser to Executive Director, World Bank at the level of a joint secretary. The approval was given on September 13, 2011.

Pant will aid 1972 batch retired IAS and secretary to PM, MN Prasad who was recently appointed as Executive Director to World Bank in place of Pulok Chatterji. Chatterji is taking over as principal secretary to PM in the first week of October.

Pranab Mukherjee’s earlier private secretary Anil Verma got an assignment in Indian High Commission in London, but he had to come back half-way after he was embroiled in a case of domestic violence.

Pant who had earlier served as district magistrate of Murshidabad and North 24 Parganas in West Bengal, will replace BVR Subrahmanyam, a 1987 batch Chhattisgarh cadre IAS who is completing his extended tenure on September 30, 2011. A post graduate in geology, Pant also had an MA degree on public administration from an US university.

Babu Marriage: Rajan Vishal and Archana Singh

The Central government has transferred Rajan Vishal, a 2008 batch Manipur-Tripura cadre IAS and Ms Archana Singh, a 2008 batch Gujarat cadre IAS from their respective cadres to Rajasthan cadre on the ground of marriage. Such transfers are done by exercising powers conferred by sub-rule (2) of Rule 5 of the Indian Administrative Service (Cadre) Rules, 1954 and with the concurrence of the respective state governments.

Action and Appointments

a) Bhaskarjyoti Sarma, a 1999 batch Orissa cadre IAS, has been appointed as deputy secretary in the department of financial services in the ministry of finance. A former IITian, Sarma is currently working as a deputy secretary in cabinet secretariat.

A “private” dinner for fellow IAS haunts Madhya Pradesh chief secretary Avani Vaish

A DINNER for fellow IAS officers arranged on October 8, 2010, has haunted Madhya Pradesh chief secretary and 1975 batch IAS Avani Vaish in days to come. The state Lokayukta has now registered a complaint that Madhya Pradesh IAS officers Association organized a dinner for 250 IAS officers and the payment of Rs 1,43,901 was made by the government. Had the IAS officers divided the bill, all that each officer needed to pay was mere Rs 575, and sixty paisa.

Lokayukta PP Naolekar clarified that it was “not an FIR”, but information was being sought on the complaint against the chief secretary regarding the IAS dinner. Vaish told a national newspaper that there was no “hanky- panky”, and it was a dinner hosted by the chief secretary and the government paid the bill. He claimed that no rule was violated.

But RTI activist Ajay Dube who filed the complaint argued in an affidavit that rules were violated as state government cannot foot the bill of a private organization, and MP IAS Officers Association is a private organization. The Lokayukta is expected to take the final call.

On a post dated May 27, 2011, BoI (babusofindia.com) reported the incident.

Also Read

Who is Avani Vaish?

Government accepts GoM decisions on corrupt babus

The government has accepted a few recommendations submitted by Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on tackling of corruption.

Two important decisions are as follows:

a) Continuation of minor penalty proceedings against public servants even after retirement with provision for a ceiling of 10% cut in pension for a period not exceeding five years. Such cut in pension in minor penalty proceedings would, however, be non-mandatory.

b) Change in the present penalty of `compulsory retirement` (with full pension) to “compulsory retirement with a cut in pension upto 20%”.

Deputy secretary-level officer wanted for a Washington-based IMF post

IMF Headqaurters

THE government is looking for an official at the rank of a deputy secretary or director for the post of Adviser to the Executive Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF). The selected candidate will have a three-year term, and will be based out of Washington.

In a letter dated September 12, 2011, the department of personnel and training (DoPT) wrote to Union secretaries and state chief secretaries in this regard. The mandatory qualifications include two years of cumulative working experience in the ministry of finance or economic ministries, and “substantial graduate level university degree” in areas related to the work of the Fund, and most desirably, in economics with an emphasis on macroeconomics, monetary economics and public finance. The familiarity with major Fund-related issues is also required.

The “desirable qualifications” include experience of dealing with externally aided projects, experience in the department of economic affairs (DEA), degree in economics or MBA or international trade or public finance.

The officer should not be over 54 years of age. The last date of application is October 14, 2011.

Top officials may get encrypted mobiles for emergencies

The government may provide encrypted mobile phones to some of its officials handling sensitive issues. The phones which work on reserved air frequency will be helpful in case of emergencies, some media reports said. The Prime Minister’s Office is expected to hold a meeting in this regard to take the final call. During the recent Mumbai blast, all telephone lines got jammed, and for 15 minutes even the chief minister of the state could not get an update on the rescue operation.

Action and Appointments

a) Upendra Tripathy, a 1980 batch Karnataka cadre IAS, has been appointed as additional secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat in place of Dr Mrutyunjay Sarangi, a 1977 batch Tamil Nadu cadre IAS. Ms Nivedita Shukla Verma, a 1991 batch UP cadre IAS will handle Tripathy’s work at the rank of a joint secretary. 

DoPT partners with ADB, OECD to host Asia-Pacific meet on corruption in New Delhi

IN A first of its kind, India’s personnel ministry has partnered with Asian Development Bank (ADB) and OECD to hold an Asia-Pacific meet on combating corruption. The meet being hosted by Government of India in New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan on September 28-29, 2011 will deliberate on building multi-disciplinary framework to combat corruption.

The meet, which will be attended by delegates from 28 countries, is expected to provide a forum on establishing and implementing in Asia-Pacific an anti-corruption framework including

i) International cooperation in multi-jurisdictional corruption investigations

ii) Measures to prevent and detect corruption in public procurement

iii) Corporate compliance, internal controls and ethics measures

iv) Strong citizen contributions to these frameworks

This conference is designed for policy makers, legislators, compliance practitioners, and civil society and private sector representatives seeking “holistic solutions to corruption in Asia-Pacific”. And if you are interested to participate, here are contact details:

Alok Kumar,

Joint Secretary, DoPT

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions

Government of India

Tel: 011-23094398 email: jsv-dopt@nic.in

Shipping ministers get private secretaries

Shipping minister GK Vasan and his deputy Mukul Roy have got new private secretaries. a) Hitesh Kumar S Makwana, a 1995 batch Tamil Nadu cadre IAS, has been appointed as private secretary to shipping minister GK Vasan at the rank of a director.

b) Vandana Yadav, a 1998 batch West Bengal cadre IAS, has been appointed as private secretary to the minister of state for shipping Mukul Roy. Ms Yadav will hold the rank of a deputy secretary of Government of India.

Action and Appointments

a) Sanjay Kumar, a 1985 batch Himachal Pradesh cadre IPS, presently working as Executive Director (Police) in Railway Board has been appointed as chief security commissioner (SCS), East Central Railway, Hajipur.

b) Subodh Kumar Jain, a 1983 batch Indian Defence Service of Engineers Service officer, has been appointed as a director in the ministry of home affairs.

c) Pravin Rawal, a 2000 batch IRS-IT officer, presently on compulsory wait in the ministry of information and broadcasting has been selected for appointment as deputy secretary in the department of financial services under the ministry of finance. 

Neta Babu Cricket: Union minister CP Joshi spins against 1986 batch IAS Sanjay Dixit

ROUGH PITCH: IAS officer Sanjay Dixit

Sanjay Dixit, a 1986 batch Rajasthan cadre IAS and passionate cricket lover, is finally giving rooms to Union road transport and highways minister CP Joshi to control Rajasthan cricket. The power struggle between the bureaucrat and the Union minister has continued for quite sometime which only got intensified when supporters of both Joshi and Dixit put locks on Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) office on July 30, 2011. Only recently, CP Joshi’s faction got the locks opened from the office as Irani Trophy was to begin on October 1, 2011.

Joshi has recently become the chairman of RCA whereas Dixit was first elected as president of RCA on March 1, 2009 and later became its secretary. Joshi faction suspended Dixit, but the IAS officer took the battle to the court.

Only a few months ago, Joshi had a tough time with another IAS officer --- his then secretary RS Gujral. But Gujral, a 1976 batch Haryana cadre IAS, was picked up as revenue secretary by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, and within a short time he was elevated to the post of finance secretary as Gujral became Finmin’s senior-most officer.

But Dixit may not be so lucky in this Neta-Babu power tussle over cricket. According to reports, Dixit, currently serving as state’s irrigation secretary at the rank of a joint secretary of Government of India, may face action from department of personnel and training (DoPT) for alleged violation of service conduct rules by holding a post in Rajasthan Cricket Association without required permission.

Dixit who was once close to former IPL chief Lalit Modi and later famously defeated him for the post of Rajasthan Cricket Association’s president, came into news when he tweeted several uncomfortable questions on Modi in April 2010 when the IPL scam was at its peak. Then minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor had to resign, and there were I-T raids in Modi’s Mumbai office.

Dixit’s then famous tweets said: “Lalit Modi has local modules in Rajasthan and Jaipur. Please supply their names… Raids on IPL is no solution. Raid our friend’s (Modi) associates, catch people who worked for him in the past, who know all about his laundering”.

Interestingly when Dixit was very close to Lalit Modi, they were together nick-named as “Dixit and Fix-it (Modi)” in Rajasthan!

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Who are 5 Most Powerful Bureaucrats, 2011

Apex Court sends notice to Narendra Modi on an IAS officer’s petition

THE Supreme Court of India on Friday issued notice to Gujarat chief minister and one of the most powerful BJP leaders Narendra Modi on a petition by 1994 batch IAS officer Pradeep N Sharma, who had complained he was being targeted. The IAS officer seeks a CBI probe into five cases pending against him, the last being slapped on May 12, 2011. Sharma also appealed for the transfer of the trial outside Gujarat.

The petitioner has argued that he was victimized because he is the younger brother of Kuldip Sharma, a senior IPS officer in Gujarat and additional Director General of Police. The petitioner further argued that his brother too was targeted by the government as he did not abide by the “illegal instructions of Mr Modi” and the then state home minister Amit Shah. The chief minister reportedly downgraded the ACRs of Kuldip Sharma forcing him to remain at the same rank.

Pradeep Sharma had earlier served as the municipal commissioner of Jamnagar, additional collector to earthquake-hit Bhuj and collector in Rajkot district. 

School of Thought: More schools may come up in corrupt bureaucrats' houses

The IAS officer's confiscated house at Bailey Road, Patna 

Students enjoy the spoils of suspended babu – is what one of the national dailies gave a headline to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s politically brilliant idea of converting suspended 1981 batch IAS Shiv Shankar Verma’s Patna mansion into a school for Dalit children. As children were puzzled to find a new environment, a three-story house with marbles from Rajasthan and furnished with expensive interiors, Bihar chief minister was reportedly “excited” over the development and vowed to humiliate more corrupt bureaucrats in this innovative fashion.

With 16 more such cases of confiscation in the pipeline, the question is whether Bihar CM would succeed in creating more such schools.

Meanwhile, Verma has reportedly moved the Supreme Court, challenging Patna high court order of August 19, 2011, upholding the confiscation of his property under the provisions of Bihar Special Courts Act, 2009. Originally hailing from UP, Verma has been under suspension from July 2007 after Special Vigilance Unit raided his place and assets worth about Rs 1.4 crore were unearthed.

According to media reports, 361 of 3,321 primary schools in Patna district alone do not have buildings of their own. Armed with a new legislation, chief minister Kumar said he would like to see more schools run from palatial buildings of corrupt government officials.

As Kumar’s earlier move of keeping bureaucrats’ list of properties in public domain forced the Centre to do the same for its own officers, it remains to be seen whether New Delhi too comes up with a better idea of what to do with confiscated properties of corrupt bureaucrats.

Babus in Demand: NAC needs desk officer

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi-headed National Advisory Council is looking for a Desk Officer who could either be a serving officer on deputation or a section officer who has retired in the last six months, or is about to retire. Whereas the serving officers need to apply through the government channel, the retired officer can send his application straight to Under Secretary, NAC, 2 Motilal Nehru Place, Akbar Road, New Delhi, or email it to sravi@nic.in

4 more fellowships for Central government employees brought under study leaves

THE government has decided to bring fellowships offered by KK Birla Foundation, Indian Institutes of Management, Management Development Institute, Gurgaon and Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan National Institute of Criminology under the purview of study leaves on the same terms and conditions as the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fellowships (INMF).

In a DoPT office memo, dated September 1, 2011, the following terms will be offered to Central Government employees who are awarded the fellowship in relaxation of Rule 51, 57 and 59 of Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972.

i) They will be granted study leave for the entire period of the Fellowship;

ii) They will be entitled to the benefits admissible to them in accordance with the Fellowship and in addition, entitled to draw leave salary only (without allowance) equal to the pay that they drew while on duty with the government immediately before proceeding on such leave. However, they will be entitled to Dearness Allowance at the Central Government rates on the leave salary admissible to them;

iii) Where considered necessary, the official may be allowed during the period of the Fellowship, the continued use of the facility of the residential telephone officially allotted to him, subject to payment by him of the bills for the rental and call charges of the telephone.

Jain talks of “dignity of IAS”

Naveen Jain, a 2001 batch Rajasthan cadre IAS who went missing and then re-appeared, said that ministers and the government should be careful that IAS officers’ dignity is taken care of. Jain disappeared from a restaurant after he was denied an official accommodation in Jaipur. Jain was hiding in Chandigarh, but decided to come back after he came to know from media reports that his wife Sunita fell ill due to anxiety and was admitted to the ICU of a Jaipur hospital.
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Mystery about the missing IAS

Who are 5 Most Powerful Indian Bureaucrats, 2011? CAG Vinod Rai tops list

Rai with his wife after swearing-in on January 7, 2008

HERE is the final BoI (www.babusofindia.com) list of 5 Most Powerful Bureaucrats of India, 2011. Surprisingly, it’s not a PMO babu who is ranked top, but 1972 batch retired IAS Vinod Rai has been chosen as India’s most powerful bureaucrat, 2011. Rai, who took over as Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in January 2008, has been a game-changer, forcing the government guessing what damning report comes next in this season of scams. On certain occasions, Prime Minister himself took on Rai, but the CAG remained unperturbed and indirectly dragged the PMO in Commonwealth Games fiasco.

In this BoI power list, third in last three years, Rai has piped those like Pulok Chatterji and TKA Nair. The list has been prepared after evaluating the opinions of 50 politicians and bureaucrats in Delhi’s corridors of power, and using inputs from BoI’s own assessment.

Rai, who was the Union banking secretary before joining as CAG, has cornered the government with his reports on 2G scams and Commonwealth Games. India’s investigating agency CBI has so far arrested 17 honchos including a former telecom minister, former telecom secretary and several top business executives in connection to the 2G scam. Rai is however being criticized by a section in the government for entering into the policy space which auditors are not supposed to intrude.

The CAG report on Air India and KG Basin will be tabled in the House today (Tuesday). The KG Basin report is likely to raise uncomfortable questions to India’s most powerful business house, Reliance Industries.

A post-graduate in economics from Delhi School of Economics and public administration from Harvard University, Rai spends his spare time in playing tennis.

In Order

Chatterji 2nd Most Powerful

When UPA chairwoman Sonia Gandhi was reportedly admitted in New York’s Sloan-Kettering hospital for an undisclosed surgery in August, it was Pulok Chatterji who according to some sources, arranged all the logistics keeping the Indian Embassy in Washington in dark. The big question is: Will Chatterji be able to do the same magic in improving UPA-II’s deteriorating health?

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The man close to 10 Janpath

Kumar 3^rd Most Powerful

In this season of scams and growing anti-corruption movements, it’s not unusual that power centre shifts from the conventional powerful bureaucrats to those who check-mate the high and mighty. Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) Pradeep Kumar is the third most powerful bureaucrat, according to BoI.

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Kumar may check-mate high and mighty

Seth 4^th Most Powerful

Those who know Ajit Kumar Seth from close quarters say he is not a power hungry bureaucrat, and in many ways represents the same culture that his predecessor KM Chandrasekhar. He is cool and down-to-earth and does not enter into the other person’s domain. But Seth’s woos may come from the fact that it’s not a honeymoon time for the government.

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Seth’s power and problems

Nair 5^th Most Powerful

Principal secretary to PM, TKA Nair, who was the second most powerful bureaucrat in BoI’s list of 2009 and 2010, has slipped to the fifth position in the list of 5 Most Powerful Indian Bureaucrats in India, 2011. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has recently divested Nair’s power as he would no longer be the principal secretary to PM from October 3, 2011. Yet, Nair will continue to exert influence in high-voltage power scene in the year to come. BoI in earlier occasions dubbed him as a master bureaucrat comparing him with Henry Kissinger of yesteryears.

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Nair loses AAA rating

BoI Power List: Pulok Chatterji ranked 2nd most powerful bureaucrat, 2011

TWO years ago, when BoI (www.babusofindia.com) ranked Pulok Chatterji as the most powerful Indian bureaucrat despite being stationed in US, many readers got surprised. BoI then said: “A 1974 batch IAS from Uttar Pradesh cadre, Pulok Chatterji could now be posted far away in Washington DC as an executive director of the World Bank, but his one phone call carries more weight than many important files doing round the power corridors of Delhi.”

Pulok Chatterji, who is joining as principal secretary to PM in the first week of October, is ranked second in BoI list of 5 Most Powerful Bureaucrats, 2011. But what makes him so special and powerful? There is no prize for guessing. Chatterji’s proximity to UPA chairwoman Sonia Gandhi says it all.

Chatterji’s joining the PMO as the top bureaucrat may even facilitate Gandhi scion Rahul Gandhi’s elevation to the top job in the event that 78-year-old Manmohan Singh demits office before May 2014. Chatterji is supposed to be an effective conduit between the PMO and 10 Janpath, ensuring fast-tracked implantation of flagship schemes that may determine the fortunes of the UPA-II in the next general elections.

Chatterji’s personal equation with Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s family goes back to the days when he was Rae Bareli’s district magistrate in early 1980s. The bond only got strengthened when Chatterji became director in the PMO during Rajiv Gandhi’s time, a secretary (joint secretary equivalent) in Rajiv Gandhi Foundation in early 1990s, and then private secretary to Sonia Gandhi when she was the leader of the Opposition.

No wonder, when 64-year-old Ms Gandhi was reportedly admitted in New York’s Sloan-Kettering hospital for an undisclosed surgery in August, it was Chatterji who according to some sources, arranged all the logistics keeping the Indian Embassy in Washington in dark. The big question here is: Will Chatterji be able to play key role in improving UPA-II’s deteriorating health?

Anna aide Arvind Kejriwal still a government servant?

IS Arvind Kejriwal, a key aide of anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare, still a government servant? According to government records, Kejriwal’s resignation submitted in 2006, was not accepted as yet, thereby making him a government servant in all technical terms.

The issue cropped up when Income Tax department asked him to pay over Rs 9 lakh as dues a week before Hazare was to begin his fast, at least two media reports said. According to official records, Kejriwal has not joined back after he went on a study leave. Kejriwal joined Indian Revenue Service officer after a short stint in Tata Group.

I-T department demanded Kejriwal to return two years’ salary amounting to Rs 3.50 lakh and interest accumulated so far of Rs 4.16 lakh apart from Rs 1 lakh for a computer loan with interests, according to a Times of India report. Kejriwal defended his position saying that he had not violated any conditions in government bond.

He joined the service after he went on study leave. Finally, he resigned in 2006. In earlier communication, Kejriwal had also asked the department to deduct his dues towards the computer loans from his General Provident Fund, according to reports.

Kejriwal’s wife Sunita is also an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer working with the same I-T department which has slapped the notice on Kejriwal.

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10 things you must know about Arvind Kejriwal

All India Judicial Service a reality

The government has said that “it is seized of the matter of creation of an All India Judicial Service under article 312 of the Constitution.” Giving this information in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, law minister Salman Khurshid said that this creation requires a Resolution to be passed by the Rajya Sabha enabling the Parliament to enact necessary laws.

Action and Appointments

a) Pinuel Basumatary, a 1983 batch Indian Audit and Accounts Service officer, has been appointed as Executive Director (North East Region) at the level of joint secretary in the Food Corporation of India at Guwahati. Basumatary will have a five-year term.