Monday, December 23, 2013

Know Your Babu: Rajasthan’s new chief secretary Rajiv Mehrishi

NEWLY formed Rajasthan government led by Vasundhara Raje has hand-picked Rajiv Mehrishi as the chief secretary of the state. Mehrishi, 1978 batch IAS and the one who was recently shifted from the ministry of overseas affairs to a relatively low profile ministry – fertiliser, as its secretary, has found the coveted post of heading Rajasthan bureaucracy under a new regime. A batch-mate of two high-profile Union secretaries from the same…
cadre, economic affairs secretary Arvind Mayaram and agriculture secretary Ashish Bahuguna, Mehrishi came to Delhi on a Central deputation in November 2009, and joined the agriculture ministry as an additional secretary. In fact, Mehrishi, Mayaram and Bahuguna—all three senior officers from Rajasthan worked together in Krishi Bhawan that houses agriculture and rural development ministries.
An alumnus of St. Stephen’s college, Mehrishi completed an MA in history before getting into IAS. Later, he went to UK and did an MBA course from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.
In IAS, he began his career as a Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) in Ajmer and then joined as additional collector in Jodhpur. In 1984-85, he became the collector of Bikaner. In 1988, he joined the secretariat of the President of India as a deputy secretary. He also served as a director in the petroleum ministry and joint secretary in the cabinet secretariat. In 2008-09, he was also the principal resident commissioner in New Delhi’s Rajasthan House.
Meanwhile, Vasundhara Raje government is recalling one more officer, 1983 batch Subhas Chandra Garg, now posted in cabinet secretariat on a Central deputation. Garg, a company secretary and accounting wizard, will join the Rajasthan government as Principal secretary in the finance department.

2 comments:

  1. He is known to be an efficient bureaucrat. But he was neglected at the Centre. Classic choice by new Rajasthan government.

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  2. Rajiv Mehrishi selection as Chief Secretary is vital decision of Vasundhara Raje. It is reflecting the CM thought while selecting the officers who are honest, brilliant and hard working. As far as Rajiv he has the capacity to discharge his duties with innate bureaucratic style. But he has been neglected by the previous government and even in Central. His sharp brilliance will be good for the state. But he will take more time to tune with the Chief Minister and need more stringent towards some tainted bureaucrats.

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