Coming Soon: Afghan civil servants in Delhi's corridors of power

NEXT time, you notice an Afghan officer occupying a babu’s chair in a government of India ministry, just don’t get surprised. According to an MoU signed between the two countries on Monday, Afghan civil servants would come on deputation to India for on-the-job training in government ministries.

What’s is also planned is to arrange exposure visits of Afghan civil servants to Indian government ministries and undertake short term international training of Afghan civil servants at the training institutes of government of India and other institutions in India.

A number of Indian civil servants would have a chance to explore the turbulent land as India would assist in setting up and strengthening training institutes of Afghanistan, and also share its publications, technical know-how etc. with them. The technical support includes areas such as national accounts, survey designing and planning, presentation of data, training of trainers, development of official statistics in areas like education, health, environment, births, deaths, etc.

Marriages prompt 2 IAS couples change cadres

Abhisek Prakash, a 2006 batch Nagaland cadre IAS has been transferred from Nagaland to Uttar Pradesh cadre on the ground of marriage to Ms Aditi Singh, a 2009 batch UP cadre IAS. Meanwhile, Ms Isha, a Sikkim cadre IAS and Dr Sumeet Jarangal, a 2009 batch Haryana cadre IAS have been transferred from their respective cadres to Punjab cadre on the ground of marriage. The change of cadre is a rare phenomenon, and in these cases, Rule 5 of the Indian Administrative Service (Cadre) Rules, 1954 were used.

Action and Appointments

a) DV Prasad, a 1984 batch Karnataka cadre IAS, has been appointed as joint secretary in the department of industrial policy and promotion in place of Ms Renu Sharma, a 1988 batch UT cadre IAS.

b) Ms Shubhra Singh, a 1989 batch Rajasthan cadre IAS currently working as director (census operations), Rajasthan has been appointed as joint secretary in the department of industrial policy and promotion in place of V Bhaskar, a 1981 batch Andhra Pradesh. 

Babus in Demand: Indian bureaucrats wanted for mentoring Afghan civil servants

IF YOU are a civil servant with 10 years of work experience, you have a chance to venture out to Afghanistan for a year’s project and mentor Afghan civil servants. The government is looking for suitable civil servants for sending to Afghanistan under the National Institute Building Programme (NIBP) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The deputation will be for a period of one year. India has been assisting the government of Afghanistan in capacity building progammes of the war-ravaged Asian nation.

The requirement under the project will be for areas like policy and strategy development, project management, financial management, procurement, human resource management and other technical areas. The focus of the NIBP shall be on advisory services for policy development and systems and procedures improvement apart from coaching and mentoring as a tool for capacity development of Afghanistan civil service.

The DoPT issued a circular dated March 4, 2011 with the regard and gave copies to all secretaries of Government of India and chief secretaries of the state governments.

Some of the eligibility criteria include the candidate’s ability to carry out tasks independently, develop concepts, action plans, strategies, programmes etc. Also, fluency in one of the Afghan languages such as Dari and Pashtu is considered to be assets.

Action and Appointments

a) Anup Wadhawan, a 1985 batch Uttarakhand cadre IAS has been appointed as joint secretary in the department of commerce in place of Anil G Mukim, a 1987 batch Gujarat cadre IAS who has been appointed as CVO of HUDCO.

b) Ms G Madhumita Das, a 1996 batch Indian Postal Service officer has been appointed as director in the department of revenue under the ministry of finance. 

A few Indian civil servants to be posted in Afghanistan for a year to develop system and mentor their bureaucrats

IMAGINE an Indian civil servant with fluency in one of the Afghan languages like Dari and Pashtu! As the hunt for a few officers to be sent to Afghanistan in an UNDP programme has begun, “fluency in Dari or Pashtu” is considered to be an “asset,” according to a circular dated July 6, 2010.

In fact, Indian civil servants with 10 years of services and an ability to carry out tasks independently, should apply for the post. The selected candidates will have to develop concepts, action plans, strategies and programmes on their own during the period of deputation in Afghanistan, which is likely to be one year.

The postings will be under National Institute Building Programme (NIBP) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). For continuing Indian assistance in capacity building of Afghan government institution, a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) has recently been signed between the UNDP, government of India (ministry of external affairs) and the government of Afghanistan under the NIBP.

According to the government circular, the requirement under the project will be for areas like policy and strategy development, project management, financial management, procurement, human resource management and other technical areas. The focus of the NIBP shall be on advisory services for policy development and systems and procedures improvement, in addition to coaching and mentoring as a tool for capacity development of Afghanistan Civil Service.

Action and Appointments

a) The extension of Central deputation tenure of RK Mishra, a 1986 batch Bihar cadre IPS and Inspector General (IG), CISF for a period of 3 months beyond July 30, has been approved.

b) The competent authority has approved the assignment of additional charge of the post of chairman, Staff Selection Commission to Dr SK Sarkar, a 1979 batch West Bengal cadre IAS who is now additional secretary in the department of personnel and training.

c) The chairperson of National Women Commissions, Dr Girija Vyas and the chairpersons and member secretaries of the State Women Commissions met President Pratibha Devisingh Patil at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on Tuesday.

d) Secretary, department of public enterprises Bhaskar Chatterjee and the director general, ICPE, Dr Stefan Salej (See Picture) exchanged signed documents of the MoU between Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) and the International Centre for Promotion of Enterprises (ICPE), government  of Republic of Slovenia in New Delhi on Wednesday.