Babus Over Netas: Story of 4 former bureaucrats getting berths in Modi’s ministry

IAS-turned-politician KJ Alphons while taking oath

ON SUNDAY, four former bureaucrats — two IAS, one IFS and one IPS — were made ministers at the Centre giving a clear signal that Prime Minister Narendra Modi banks more on former bureaucrats than typical Netas when it comes to performances. Whereas former Kerala cadre IAS KJ Alphons was given independent charge of the ministry of tourism, former IFS Hardeep Singh Puri will now handle urban affairs, independently. Also, former home secretary Raj Kumar Singh will handle two ministries -- power and the ministry of new and renewable energy; and ex-Mumbai police commissioner Satyapal Singh has been made the MoS in two ministries -- HRD and water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation. Here are more about these four babu-turned Netas:

“Add a traditional touch to your attire” — why this IAS officer’s fashion tips matter

“Add a traditional touch to your attire. Opt for hand-crafted shawls, bundis, kurtas, dhotis and churidars” 

These fashion tips are not provided by Ritu Kumar or Manish Malhotra, but by an IAS officer! Yes, you have read it right. CEO of Prasar Bharati and 1975 batch IAS Jawhar Sircar was featured by HT on Saturday when the national newspaper announced…

Know Your Babu: CEC Harishankar Brahma, his tech priorities, and views on doubtful voters

Taking Charge: New CEC Brahma

LAST week, 1975-batch former IAS from Andhra Pradesh cadre Harishankar Bramha took charge as India’s 19th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) succeeding VS Sampath, also a former IAS from Andhra Pradesh cadre. Brahma, who is the second person from the North-East to become CEC after JM Lyngdoh, originally hails from…

Is Parvez Dewan most stylish babu in corridors? And who was the secretary finding a place at a billboard in Mumbai?

IF YOU thought this man in the photo is a star or a model, you are grossly mistaken. No prize for guessing, but tourism secretary Parvez Dewan who is turning 60 this October is one of the few stylish bureaucrats that corridors have today. It was November 2009, BoI had carried the photo of skin-headed bureaucrat of 1975 batch Ashok Sinha, calling him the most…

Know your UPSC Member and ex-Railway Board chairman Vinay Mittal

FORMER Railway Board chairman and 1975 batch retired Indian Railway Traffic Service officer Vinay Mittal is the new Member of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). An August 12, 2013 order said the appointment would come into effect from forenoon of August 8, for a period of…

What makes Raj Kumar Singh top contender for home secretary’s post

IT’S now almost sure that 1975 batch Bihar cadre IAS Raj Kumar Singh will replace GK Pillai to become India’s next home secretary on June 30, 2011. Singh who is now secretary, defence production, in the ministry of defence has an edge over others to clinch the high profile post of home secretary as he had a very successful innings as a joint secretary in the home ministry. The defence minister AK Antony has reportedly given his accent to release him from the ministry. Apart from Singh, Punjab chief secretary SC Aggarwal and a few others were recently interviewed by home minister P Chidambaram.
Singh had several innings both in defence and home ministries from early 1990s before clinching the post of secretary, defence production in July 2009.
In 1986, Singh did a 20-week long management course from an institute in Netherlands.

Action and Appointments
S Chandrasekharan, a 1975 batch officer of the Indian Railway Account Service, has assumed charge as the new secretary for ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. In his career spanning over 36 years, Chandrasekharan has served as additional Member (Finance) Railway Board, AS and FA(Acquisition), ministry of finance, financial adviser and CAO, South Central Railway and Divisional Railway Manager, Mysore among other portfolios.

Pompa Babbar of Railways Accounts Service joins as financial commissioner

Pompa Babbar has taken over as the Financial Commissioner and ex-officio secretary of Indian Railways. Prior to this, she was General Manager of Integral Coach Factory, Chennai.

A 1975 batch Indian Railways Accounts Services officer, Ms Babbar had worked in various capacities as divisional railway manager (Alipurdar division of Northeast Frontier Railway), financial adviser and chief accounts officer in Western, Central and Northern Railways. She also worked as senior professor in Railway Staff College, Vadodara. She had earlier worked as General Manger (Accounts), while on deputation to Gujarat State Electricity Board between 1995 and 1998.

During her tenure as senior professor, Vadodara, she had conducted courses for financial management, training for trainers, communication skills, stress management, transactional analysis and team building, a railways release said.

She was instrumental in signing of MOUs between Indian Railways and Russian Railways. She also visited France in connection with accounting reforms, and visited Australia as part of a high level delegation for study of heavy hual system.

As advisor (finance), Railway Board, she had rendered financial advice on Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives and also of IR’s joint ventures.

7 new posts created under CBEC

The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the creation of 7 posts of Indirect Tax Ombudsman to be located in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Calcutta, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Lucknow in the HAG plus scale of Rs 75,500-80,000 per month and the supporting staff. The Indirect Tax Ombudsman Guidelines, 2011, has also been approved. It is expected that the move will make grievance redressal mechanism in the customs, central excise and the service taxes offices under the CBEC more effective and transparent.

According to government releases, the Indirect Tax Ombudsman will have powers to receive complaints from tax payers on indirect tax matters and consider such complaints and facilitate their satisfaction or settlement by agreement through conciliation and mediation between the Customs, Central Excise and Service Tax department and the aggrieved parties or by passing an “Award” in accordance with the guidelines.

Civil Services interviews to be held on April 14

The Civil Services personality test or interviews will be held by the Union Public Service Commission on April 14, 2011 as scheduled. There is no change in the schedule of this examination though April 14, 2011 has been declared a closed holiday on account of the birthday of Dr BR Ambedkar for all Central government offices.

Power Play: Vijay Latha Reddy appointed as Deputy National Security Adviser

Vijay Latha Reddy, a 1975 batch Indian Foreign Service officer has been appointed as Deputy National Security Adviser. Ms Reddy, who is currently secretary (East) in the ministry of external affairs will have a two-year term as Deputy NSA initially on deputation basis till her retirement on April 2011 and thereafter, on re-employment on a contract basis, according to the approval letter by Appointments Committee of Cabinet dated February 17, 2011.

Known to be a tough officer, Ms Reddy will now help National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon, a 1972 batch retired IFS officer, in key internal and external security matters.

Significantly, it was an IAS, not an IFS officer who was appointed as the first Deputy NSA when the post was created in July 2007. Shekhar Dutt, a 1969 batch Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS, became the first Deputy NSA on a two-year term after his retirement on July 31, 2007. Former Intelligence Bureau chief and IPS MK Narayanan was the National Security Advisor then.

For the record, NSA of India is a member of the National Security Council, and the primary advisor to the Prime Minister on all matters relating to internal and external threats to the country. Brijesh Mishra was the first NSA appointed during Atal Bihari Vajpayee regime.

Sanjay Singh, a 1976 batch IFS officer and presently ambassador in Tehran has been appointed as secretary (east) at the headquarters of the ministry of external affairs in place of Ms Vijay Latha Reddy.

(In picture: Vijaya Latha Reddy with Amre Moussa, Secretary General of the League of Arab States during her visit to Egypt in August, 2010)

Maha Chief Secretary: Who is Ratnakar Gaikwad?

IN A surprise move, 1975 batch IAS Ratnakar Gaikwad has been appointed as Maharashtra chief secretary replacing JP Dange who was to retire only on May this year. Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan’s move to bring in Gaikwad as chief secretary is seen as a strategy to reorient the state bureaucracy in the midst of Adarsh-prompted credibility crisis of top administrators. According to reports, incumbent Dange could be appointed as information commissioner in the state.

Hailing from Maharashtra, Ratnakar Gaikwad opted for Maharashtra cadre and rose in the ladder to become Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) commissioner before taking up the chief secretary’s job. Unlike many of his peers who prefer to go on Central government deputation, Gaikwad mostly served within the state in his 35 years long career as a bureaucrat.

A post-graduate in geography and a PG diploma holder from the University of Manchester, Gaikwad took up some of the important assignments relating to transport and urban development. He had also served as the municipal commissioner in Pune.

Some of Gaikwad’s high profile batch-mates include telecom secretary Rentala Chandrasekhar, urban development secretary Navin Kumar, commerce secretary Rahul Khullar and his wife sports secretary Sindhushree Khullar, animal husbandry secretary Rudhra Gangadharan, food processing secretary Ashok Sinha, school education secretary Anshu Vaish, department of Public Enterprises secretary Bhaskar Chatterjee, textile secretary Rita Menon and revenue secretary Sunil Mitra.

While talking to a section of media after the announcement, chief secretary Gaikwad said he would ensure better coordination between the BMC and MMRDA to minimize overlapping of work. What’s more, he said he would form a Think Tank to draw up long term plans for Maharashtra. Think you Gaikwad!

Rs 1.5 crore tax liability against suspended IAS

The Income Tax department has slapped a tax liability of whopping Rs 1.5 crore against suspended Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS officer Rajesh Rajora after assessing his total taxable income at Rs 5.21 crore. The I-T department raided the residences of Rajora and some other officials of the MP health department in May 2008. 

BoI extraa… Guess, who is this doctor and his boss?

GUESS who is this doctor? See the photograph closely and carefully. Is he someone from corridors of power, or a hardcore physician from AIIMS or RML? Can you also guess who is the other doctor whose eyes are not seen in the photograph?

No prize for guessing. The man in the picture is not any physician but a 1975 batch Maharashtra cadre IAS and presently food processing secretary Ashok Sinha. Sinha, who many feel is one of the most stylish bureaucrats, was accompanying the minister for food processing industries Subodh Kant Sahai (the other in the photo) during the launch of the first Food Testing Laboratory of National Meat and Poultry Processing Industries Board, in New Delhi on November 3, 2010.

With this, BoI Team wishes its readers a Happy Diwali, the festival of lights.

Also Read

Is secretary Sinha the most stylish bureaucrat?

Action and Appointments

a) Tishyarakshit Chatterjee, a 1975 batch Andhra Pradesh cadre IAS, presently in the cadre, has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty in the ministry of environment and forests, in the rank and pay of secretary. Chatterjee will be elevated as secretary, ministry of environment and forests in place of Vijai Sharma, a 1974 batch UP cadre IAS on his retirement on December 31, 2010.

A fake IAS meets Uttar Pradesh DGP for half hour, lands up in jail

SURESH Yadav studied up to Class 8, but he is not only fluent in English, but well versed with complex bureaucratic system in India. After duping people by impersonating as IAS official of Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal cadres as situation arose, Yadav landed up in Ghaziabad to target none other than DGP of Uttar Pradesh, Karamveer Singh, a 1975 batch IPS officer.
No wonder, the fake IAS who always carried a fake government identity card, met with the state DGP recently and impressed the state’s top cop during his half-hour-long discussion.

The fake IAS became so powerful in Ghaziabad area that he used to call police control rooms and left instructions for them. Finally, he was arrested from a hotel in Ghaziabad. But by then, the dame was done. A number of job seekers, a steel plant manager and two Kanpur-based builders had already become his victims.

A tribute to ex-cabinet secretariat official Victor Longer

During the India-China war in 1962, Victor Longer made Tezpur his base proving all information to media. Later he became director of public relations in the defence ministry. Victor Longer died in New Delhi on Saturday. He was 92.

He was the Indian Army’s key man in all communication efforts during 1971 India-Pakistan war too. He authored several books, the most popular being the “Red Coats to Olive Green”, which is the history of Indian Army.

He was roped into the cabinet secretariat in 1971 and become a key aide to late Ramnath Kao, the legendary founding chief of India’s external intelligence agency, RAW.

Know Your Babu: Profile of new urban development secretary Navin Kumar, 1975 batch Bihar cadre IAS

THE government has zeroed in Planning Commission principal adviser and 1975 batch Bihar cadre IAS Navin Kumar as the new urban development secretary in place of M Ramachandran, 1972 batch Uttarakhand cadre IAS who retired on June 30. The formal announcement may likely to come later today.

A postgraduate in physics, Mr Kumar was the district magistrate in West Champaran district in early 1980s, and had served in Central deputation both in the ministry of water resources and department of economic affairs (DEA) before moving back to the cadre. Later, he became the joint secretary in the ministry of finance and company affairs (1999-2003) and also clinched the powerful position of Director General (DG) of Doordarshan (2004-’06). He also served as the development commissioner in Bihar in Nitish Kumar’s government before joining the Planning Commission as the principal adviser in the rank of a secretary, Government of India.

Global Window: Russia may trim bureaucracy by 20%

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has indicated that the number of state officials could be cut by 20 percent “in order to increase government efficiency”. His theory says the move would save a major amount of government resources which could be used to “stimulate” the rest of the workforce. Russian bureaucrats has earned the reputations as bloated and corrupt. Energy dependent Russian economy suffered a major setback when global economic crisis hit it and tumbled the oil prices globally in 2008.

7 envoys present their credentials to Indian Prez

The envoys who presented their credentials were Dr Ruben I. Zamora, the Ambassador of El Salvador, Mr Ronald B. Allarey, the Ambassador of the Philippines, Thongphanh Syackhaphom, the Ambassador of Laos, Mr. Doulat O Kuanyshev, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan, Dr Nanguyalai Tarzi (See Picture), the Ambassador of Afghanistan, Mr Marco Piccinini, the Ambassador of Monaco and Mr Byron Escobedo Menendez, the Ambassador of Guatemala. 

Is Gujarat chief secretary’s ban on bureaucrats’ leaves a tool to please Modi?

SOME bureaucrats in Gujarat have wondered whether state chief secretary Achal Kumar Joti, a 1975 batch IAS, is going overboard to please chief minister Narendra Modi and cancel their leaves during this summer.

The recall of Arti Kanwar, 2001 batch IAS and project director of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, from Canada and the cancellation of leave application of Hasmukh Adhia, 1981 batch IAS and principal secretary of education department, as a part of the government’s attempt to ensure compulsory attendance of bureaucrats for Golden Gujarat festivals, starting May 1, have created unhappiness among many bureaucrats. As has been reported in media, the diktat of “no leave for bureaucrats” could remain much beyond the current mega show, as chief secretary issued an order saying that the bureaucrats’ presence in crucial festivals, to take place in May-June, will be mandatory. Two such programmes, Krishi Mahatsav and Kanya Kelavni school enrolment drive, may continue till June, implying that no bureaucrat will get any leave during this summer when their children have school vacation.

As was reported in a national newspaper, chief minister while addressing secretaries during the last Cabinet meeting simply requested that officials should avoid leaves as far as possible, but chief secretary went beyond a point to put a blanket ban on leaves.

Action and Appointments

a) Justice Sarosh Homi Kapadia, Judge of the Supreme Court, will be the new Chief Justice of India with effect from May 12, 2010.

b) Justice Hemant Laxman Gokhale, Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, Smt. Justice Gyan Sudha Misra, Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court, and Justice Anil Ramesh Dave, Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court in that order of seniority, have been appointed as Judges of the Supreme Court of India.

c) The ACC has approved the proposal of the ministry of home affairs (MHA) for inter-cadre transfer of Vikas Pathak, a 2008 batch Tamin Nadu cadre IPS from Tamil Nadu to Rajasthan.

d) Extension of deputation tenure of Sanjay Sinha, a 1978 batch MP cadre IPS as minister (personnel and community Affairs) in the Embassy of India, Washington DC (joint secretary level) June 30, 2010 has been approved.

e) Jawaid Akhtar, a 1989 batch Karnataka cadre IAS, has been appointed as chairman, Coffee Board, at Bengaluru (joint secretary level) under the department of commerce.

f) The ACC has approved the appointment of Rajiv Takru, a 1979 batch Gujarat cadre IAS as Director General, National Institute of Fashion Technology, in the rank and pay of additional secretary, on in -situ elevation.

(In Picture on Right: A delegation of CPWD Officers Wives Welfare Association called on the Vice President, Mohd Hamid Ansari, in New Delhi on April 30, 2010)

Indian Premier Bureaucrats: Look, Style and Babus of India

STYLE does matter, particularly when the IPL fever catches everyone including the Indian bureaucrats. If you were hooked into the television set even after Delhi Daredevils thrashed Vijay Mallya’s Royal Challengers on Sunday night, you would have noticed a bearded gentleman wearing a smart casual red and black half shirt, and presenting award to Paul Collingwood for his scintillating innings with seven sixes. No prizes for guessing who was the stylishly-dressed gentleman! He was none other than urban development secretary and 1972 batch Uttarakhand cadre IAS Dr M Ramachandran who is turning 60 in just two months. And yes, those who know him from close quarters and always see him in formal suits in Nirman Bhawan, must have been pleasantly surprised to find Dr Ramachandran giving tough competition to Dr Mallya and his style statements in Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla stadium.

No wonders, Indian bureaucrats who now need to work with young, suave and also stylish politicians, are fast shedding the typical bureaucratic image and following the look and style of corporate honchos. After the Union Budget was presented, finance secretary Ashok Chawla, a 1973 batch Gujarat cadre IAS, figured in an advertisement of a post-Budget debate to be held in Mumbai, making a precedence of a senior bureaucrat finding a place in large billboards in many busy roads of Delhi and Mumbai. For the adman who conceptualized the advertisement for the event, the Einstein look alike Chawla’s image was a perfect fit to the outdoor advertisement.

There are a few senior bureaucrats in Delhi’s power corridor like skin-headed food processing industries secretary and 1975 batch Maharashtra cadre IAS Ashok Sinha who are making an impact not just because of the positions they hold, but thanks to their stylish approach to life. There are others like former finance secretary Ashok Jha or ex-industry secretary Dr Ajay Dua who were more like CEOs than secretaries even when they were at the helm of India’s babudom. In fact, they were regularly spotted in Delhi’s golf circuit and were extremely popular among who’s and who of India Inc. And for that matter, even Amitabh Kant, a 1980 batch Kerala cadre IAS, who can make a brand guru run for his money!

Hey There! Babus of India (BoI) which is turning one year soon, is sporting a new look and design. If you wish to make any comment on the new look and feel of your favorite blog, or on any stylish Indian bureaucrats, kindly post a comment below, or write to babu.blogger1@gmail.com

Mining lobbies' hands suspected in a newspaper advertisement wishing an AP bureaucrat happy and peaceful retirement days

HOW should a bureaucrat react if there’s a newspaper advertisement greeting him on his impending retirement? M Veerabhadraiah, a promoted Andhra Pradesh cadre IAS of 1988 batch and AP’s industry and mining secretary, has suspected a foul play when he saw advertisements in various newspapers on Saturday wishing him a peaceful life after his retirement on March 31, 2010. The ad which carries the officer’s photograph also praised his recent official visit abroad, a section of media reports said.

Mr Veerabhadraiah, who is tipped to get an extension as mining secretary, complained to the state government and the Hyderabad police about the advertisement. According to reports, the officer finds the episode a “mischievous act”. Significantly, he has been handling court cases involving Karnataka minister and BJP leader Gali Janardhana Reddy, and there have been instances in which he took on the mining mafia after taking charge as the mining secretary!

Also Read

Will UPA extend retirement age of government employees to 62 years in 2010?

Retired Korean bureaucrats spotted for grabbing plum posts

Japanese bureaucrats may no longer be able to practise Amakudari

Skoch for M Ramachandran and Sunil Mitra

Urban development secretary M Ramachandran and revenue secretary Sunil Mitra are among the Skoch Challenger Awardees for 2010. Whereas Mr Ramachandran, a 1972 batch IAS, won the award in the field of urban development, 1975 batch IAS Mitra, got it in the category of governance. The other awardees include luminaries like Dr Vijay Kelkar, former NASCOM chairman Kiran Karnik and Microsoft Corporation (India)’s chairman Ravi Venkatesan.

And yes, Skoch award has no connection with scotch whisky!

BEE SMART: Mayawati’s top cops muster the art of showering praise...

FOR Indian police, it was one of the most bizarre investigations ever when Uttar Pradesh chief minister Ms Mayawati asked her state cops to investigate how and why a swarm of bees hovered around her as she delivered her speech on her birthday rally in Lucknow on March 15, 2010.

But equally bizarre were the results of the investigation as it said there were 1.5 lakhs bees disturbing the chief minister during the rally, and what’s more, the high-level police report prepared by Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), showered lavish praise for Mayawati’s “calm and composure” during the bee attack! The rally became controversial when a garland made out of Rs 1000 notes (with a value of around Rs 5 cr) was presented to the chief minister on the occasion forcing I-T department investigate the sources of that huge cash.

Significantly, in UP, the thin line between officials working for the government and the ruling party has vanished altogether, and those who don’t follow the CM’s diktat get immediately shunted out to inconsequential postings.

Also Read

All about Maya and Mamata: Babus under pressure

UP CM spells out stricter missive to senior officials

My Take: Don't call Indian bureaucracy "suffocating"

Second mysterious death of an IAS

Home Ministry’s clarification on biometrics in North Block

The ministry of home affairs (MHA) has clarified that unlike some media reports, there has not been any declining trend in attendance recorded in the Biometric Attendance Control System installed there. As against an average of 1087 employees who marked their attendance in December, 2009, the figure has risen to 1173 in January 2010 and 1240 during February 2010. In fact, MHA has introduced flexi-timing under which those who reach late need to compensate by working overtime.

Also Read

MHA directive: Don't be late in office

Action and Appointments

a) BS Meena, a 1975 batch Maharashtra cadre IAS, presently special secretary and financial adviser in the ministry of steel, has been appointed as secretary, department of heavy industries in ministry of heavy industries and public enterprises in place of Satyanarayana Dash, a 1973 batch Kerala cadre IAS who retired on March 31, 2010.

b) Jamini Kumar Sharma, a 1975 batch MP cadre IAS has been appointed as Member Secretary, Tariff Commission under the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), under the ministry of commerce and industry, in the rank and pay of secretary in the vacancy of Raghubir Singh, IA&AS(1972 batch) (Retd). 

Former IRS officer and key Reliance executive dies in Switzerland

FORMER Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer and key advisor to Mukesh Ambani led Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), Sandeep Tandon is no more. Mr Tandon, a 1975 batch IRS who took voluntary retirement initially to study, and then to join as an advisor to India’s largest company RIL on taxation, international law and liaison matters, died in Switzerland’s Zurich on Wednesday. Born in 1951, he was nearing 60 when he died.

Besides his wife Anu Tandon, a Congress MP from Unnao in Uttar Pradesh, Tandon is survived by his two sons Shalin Tandon and Sachin Tandon.

As an IRS officer, he hogged the limelight several time including when he was the director, enforcement, I-T and investigated foreign front companies floated by Reliance. He also conducted a raid in the house of Tina Ambani, wife of Anil Ambani, now chairman of ADAG group. After taking VRS from the I-T, Mr Tandon studied law, first in Delhi University and then at Robert Kennedy University in Switzerland. He developed a specialization in international law and taxation.

In fact, the entire Tandon family is closely connected to Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani’s family, as both his sons work for the company and his MP wife used to be the Managing Director of MoTech Software Pvt. Ltd, a firm launched by Mukesh Ambani. Thanks to their clout in Mumbai, even Bollywood actor Salman Khan specially campaigned for Anu Tandon in her constituency during the last general elections.

Action and Appointments

a) The ACC has approved the proposal for extension of Inter-Cadre deputation of Hari Krishan Paliwal, a 1981 batch UP cadre IAS from Uttar Pradesh cadre to AGMUT(Arunachal Pradesh) cadre for a period of 3 years beyond February 28, 2010.

b) V Srinivas, a 1989 batch Rajasthan cadre IAS has been appointed as Joint Secretary, in the ministry of textiles.

c) The competent authority has approved the proposal for assignment of additional charge of the post of Central Provident Fund Commissioner (CPFC) Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) to SK Srivastava, a 1978 batch Assam cadre IAS, additional secretary in the ministry of labour and employment, in addition to his own charge for a period of three months with effect from February 23, 2010.

d) Dhiman Chandra Pattanayak, a 1982 batch IRSEE officer has been appointed as Financial Adviser(joint secretary level) in the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) at Mumbai.

Job at 60: Global metal company Vedanta wants to get retired Indian bureaucrats on board

FOR someone who appeared for the civil service examination some 40 years ago, missing a newspaper advertisement for employment is nothing unusual. If you are a retired secretary to government of India, or a former chief secretary of a state, the newspaper advertisement issued by global metal major Vedanta Resources Plc, London-listed FTSE 100 company with an annual revenue of USD 7 billion, is meant precisely for you. The company has asked “former bureaucrats with IAS background and former members of judiciary” among others to apply for its advisory board which will function as “think-tank” and will closely work with its CEOs. The advisory boards are being formed for Vedanta Group companies such as Hindustan Zinc (Rajasthan), BALCO (Chhattisgarh), Vedanta Aluminium (Orissa), Sesa Goa and Sterlite Industries India Ltd (Tamil Nadu). The appointment will be for a two year term, and “remuneration and rewards will be befitting the role and stature” the advertisement says. Any doubt? You need to contact at 022-28302454.

Also Read
Retired Korean bureaucrats clinch high paying bank jobs
Retired Korean bureaucrats spotted for grabbing plum posts
No Amakudari for Japanese bureaucrats

Action and Appointments

a) Mathew C. Kunnamkal, a 1976 batch Kerala cadre IAS, presently special secretary and financial adviser in the department of chemicals and petrochemicals in the ministry of chemicals and fertilizers has been appointed as Director General, National Institute of Rural Development in place of BK Sinha, a 1975 batch Bihar cadre IAS.

b) The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the premature repatriation of Avani Vaish, a 1975 batch MP cadre IAS and Managing Director of TRIFED to his cadre with immediate effect.

c) TS Kripanidhi, 1982 batch IDAS officer has been appointed as Director (Finance), NSG and financial adviser, CRPF (joint secretary level) under the ministry of home affairs.

Music and dance competition for bureaucrats

The Central Civil Service Cultural and Sports Board is organizing an inter-ministry music, dance and short play competition between February 22 to 25, 2010 at Mavalankar Auditorium, Rafi Marg, New Delhi. The last date of entry is February 15, 2010.

For entire rules and regulations of the competition, read this 12-page CIRCULAR

Welcome to North Block: Pranab Mukherjee gets Bengal officer Sunil Mitra as new revenue secretary, Sumit Bose for disinvestment

Sunil Mitra, a 1975 batch West Bengal cadre IAS and currently secretary in the department of disinvestment in the ministry of finance, has been appointed as the next revenue secretary in place of PV Bhide, a 1973 batch Andhra Pradesh cadre IAS who is retiring on January 31, 2010. Mr Mitra’s elevation as revenue secretary is happening at a time when finance minister Pranab Mukherjee’s team has been working hard on the Budget proposals to be presented on February 26, and India is targeting to achieve Rs 4 lakh crore only as direct tax collection. Significantly, the current revenue secretary Mr Bhide has not been very popular among senior IRS officers and the rift between the super taxmen in the North Block and revenue secretary came out quite in open in many occasions including during the adoption of the new direct tax code.

Meanwhile, another Bengali babu Sumit Bose, a 1976 batch MP cadre IAS and presently secretary, 13th Finance Commission, has been appointed as secretary in the department of disinvestment in the ministry of finance in place of Sunil Mitra.

Profile: New revenue secretary Sunil Mitra

In Picture: The camel contingent at the rehearsal for the Beating the Retreat Ceremony, near North Block in New Delhi on January 21.

Other Appointments

a) BK Sinha, a 1975 batch Bihar cadre IAS, presently director general, national institute of rural development, has been appointment as secretary in department of rural development in place of Ms Rita Sharma, a 1974 batch UP cadre IAS, who is retiring on January 31, 2010.

b) Mathew C Kunnamkal, a 1976 batch Kerala cadre IAS, presently special secretary and financial adviser in the department of chemicals and petrochemicals, has been appointed as Director General, National Institute of Rural Development in place of BK Sinha, a 1975 batch Bihar cadre IAS.

Lieutenant General VK Singh will be India’s next Army chief

Lt Gen VK Singh, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC, presently GOC-in-C, Eastern Command has been appointed the next chief of the Army staff in the rank of General with effect from March 31, 2010 in place of General Deepak Kapoor.

Lt General VK Singh was commissioned into the Rajput Regiment on June 14, 1970. He participated in the 1971 war and IPKF operations against LTTE militants in Sri Lanka. He is presently serving as the Eastern Army Commander.

Besides being an ‘Honours Graduate’ of the US Army Infantry School, Georgia, USA, Lt Gen Singh studied at the Defence Services Staff College, the Army War College and the US Army War College, Carlisle.

He is married to Mrs Bharati and they have two daughters, the elder one is married to an Army officer. The younger daughter is working in the corporate sector.

Shiv Shankar Menon to have a status of a minister of state

The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Shiv Shankar Menon, a retired IFS of 1972 batch as the National Security Adviser in place of MK Narayanan who is moving into West Bengal Raj Bhawan. The man who superseded over a dozen officers to become the country’s foreign secretary in September 2006, is back in the South Block, this time with a status of a minister of state.

UIDAI jobs: Nilekani finds it tough to attract senior government officers; DoPT admits lack of interest for JS level posts

IT’S now official. The much talked about Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) headed by corporate honcho and former Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani has failed to attract government talent as sufficient number of IAS, IPS and officers of other group A services have not shown interest in joining this unique project of giving an identification number to every Indian citizen.

In a candid admission, the department of personnel and training (DoPT) in a wireless message dated January 18, and marked to all state chief secretaries, said: “sufficient nominations have not been received to fill up the posts of deputy director generals (DDG at Joint Secretary level) in each of the regional offices of UIDAI located at Lucknow, Mumbai, Ranchi, Guwahati and Chandigarh”. Earlier, the DoPT in a message dated October 7, 2009, had asked state chief secretaries and other cadre controlling authorities to send names of officers to fill up these posts. The department has now appealed once again that the names of willing officers who are empanelled to hold joint secretary or equivalent posts should be recommended for filling up the UIDAI’s DDG posts. Over a month ago, the government sent a reminder to cadre controlling authorities about vacancies at the level of assistant director generals.

The DoPT’s current message has been marked to home secretary GK Pillai, secretary of environment and forests Vijay Sharma and other cadre controlling authorities of group A officers.

DoPT's wireless message on UIDIA jobs, dated January 18, 2010
JS level officers required at UIDAI
UIDAI'S Structure
Govt sends reminder on UIDAI vacancies

Babus in Demand: 6 posts of executive directors up for grabs in NHAI

The DoPT has written to all chief secretaries to recommend names of officers for filling up six vacancies in National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). According to the DoPT’s letter dated January 19, 2010, the vacancies at the level of joint secretaries (Pay band of Rs 37400-67000, PB 4, and grade pay of Rs 10,000) have arisen at Kolkata, Lucknow, Guwahati, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Bhopal. The nominations should reach in four weeks beginning January 19, 2010.

DoPT’s message on NHAI vacancy, January 19, 2010 

Action and Appointments

a) The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved in-situ elevation of S Manoharan, a 1975 batch Assam cadre IAS, presently additional secretary in the ministry of water resources, as special secretary in the same ministry with effect from July 31, 2009

b) The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of SK Srivastava, a 1978 batch Assam cadre IAS, presently holding the post of additional secretary in the ministry of labour and employment of in-situ elevation basis, as additional secretary in the same ministry in the vacancy of S Krishnan, a 1975 batch Uttarakhand cadre IAS.

c) KS Money, a 1976 batch Rajasthan cadre IAS, presently member (administration) in National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has been appointed as Secretary General, National Human Rights Commission, in the rank and pay of secretary in place of AK Jain, a 1973 batch West Bengal cadre IAS who has retired recently.