Ex-industry secretary Ajay Shankar appointed as member secretary in NMCC

The Power Couple Shankars with Hillary Clinton

Ajay Shankar, a 1973 batch Uttar Pradesh cadre retired IAS, has been appointed as Member Secretary in National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council (NMCC) on a contract basis for three years. Mr Shankar, who is the husband of former Indian ambassador to US Meera Shankar, was in Washington DC for over one and half years after he had retired as industry secretary in December 31, 2009. He has been a non-executive independent director of Tata Global Beverages Limited since April 30, 2010. According to the company’s disclosure, Mr Shankar’s total calculated compensation in Tata Global Beverages is $90,000, or roughly Rs 45 lakh.

While appointing Mr Shankar for the post of NMCC’s Member Secretary, the Prime Minister-headed Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) decided to terminate the appointment of 1967 batch retired IAS V Govindarajan as Member Secretary of the Council.

Significantly, a former industry secretary V Krishnamurthy who is still known for his stint as chairman and CEO of Maruti Udyog between 1981 and 1990, is the chairman of the Council.

An MA in political science from Allahabad University and MA in economics from Georgetown University, Washington DC, Shankar had earlier served as principal adviser in the Planning Commission, additional secretary in the ministry of power, CEO of Greater NOIDA Industrial Development Authority and secretary to the Lt Governor of Delhi.

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Action and Appointments  

a) Home secretary RK Singh will meet his Bangladesh counterpart Monzur Hussain on Friday to sort out security and border management-related issues between the two countries. The agenda of the meeting also include police to police co-operation in capacity building and training.

House of Shankars: Mr Ambassador welcomes Manmohan Singh in US

ON Sunday, Indian government issued this official photograph saying “The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh being received on his arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, to attend the Nuclear Security Summit, in Washington on April 11, 2010”, without actually naming who is the one shaking hands with the PM and welcoming him in the airport.

In fact, the man in the photograph is Ajay Shankar, a 1973 batch Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS officer, who retired as industry secretary in December last year. No prize for guessing what he is doing in US, and more significantly, why is he welcoming the PM and his wife in the Maryland Air Force base?

Yes, you must have guessed it right by now. Mr Shankar is the husband of Indian ambassador to US Meera Shankar, a 1973 batch IFS, and has been staying in US after his retirement on December 31, 2009. Where is Mrs Shankar then? If you enlarge the photograph, you will notice ambassador Shankar in a yellow Sari behind PM’s wife.

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Meera Shankar is one of the Top 3 women bureaucrats 

PM's Salad Bowl in Meera Shankar's party in Washington 

Meera Shankar's letter on Railway officers and dollar bribe

A bureaucrat and a diplomat in Washington

Pandey is back in Maya House

The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday reshuffled the postings of four IAS officers, including Vijay Shankar Pandey, a 1979 batch IAS, who was shunted out of the chief minister’s secretariat last month after Mayawati got upset about bad publicity over the Rs 200-cr B-Day extravaganza. Now, Mr Pandey will again be re-associated with the CM secretariat as he is attached to Mayawati’s residential office. In addition, he will be the principal secretary Food and Drug Authority (FDA).

On Sunday, Mayawati administration transferred 21 senior IPS officers, including eight Inspector General of Police.

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Pandey declares bank deposit of Rs 1.17 lac

Who is this anonymous Reddy?

Just a few days after one assistant agriculture officer SV Rao from Karnataka’s Hindupur, was arrested for impersonating as an IAS officer in order to avail better facilities, the police seems to be clueless about who is Dr Srinivas Reddy? A man identifying himself as Dr Srinivas Reddy, has been e-mailing a senior IAS officer, E Rajshekarappa, Director, Economic and Statistics, Karnataka Agriculture Commission seeking information. The man has even e-mailed Karnataka chief minister PS Yeddyurappa, media reports said.

Taste of Time: Job in Ministry of Road

It does not matter whether you have a taste for good food or not? If you are in government service for 6 years in the pre-revised scale of Rs 3200-4900 per month, you can try your luck to be a canteen manager. Click at CANTEEN MANAGER’S JOB.

Also, if you are scouting for a government job, Insider’s posts in http://www.jobcorridor.com/ are ready references. 

PM uses the metaphor of salad bowl in Meera Shankar-hosted dinner in Washington

ON Wednesday night, Indian Ambassador to US Meera Shankar hosted a reception in Washington's Marriot Wardman Park Hotel in honour of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Ms Shankar who has been the newsmaker-bureaucrat this week thanks to her perfect execution of the behind-the-scene preparation for PM's most high-profile visit to US as President Obama's state guest, made it a point to convert the party into a meaningful dialogue between Prime Minister of India and prominent Indian Americans coming from across the continent. Prime Minister Singh on his part said how metaphors such as salad bowl, melting pot and the rainbow are used to describe Indian and American societies. "I want to see a true intellectual and business partnership between Indians and Americans in years to come. We are similar in so many ways. We are both free and open societies. We are both plural, multi-ethnic, multi-racial and multi-religious societies. Metaphors like salad bowl, melting pot and the rainbow have been used to describe both our societies. We are constantly dealing with issues like coalition building, dealing with civil society organizations, non-governmental activism and the free consumer – of goods and ideas", he said. The PM also said how India needs more "brain gain". "More than the resources, however, we will require imagination and innovation to succeed. People of Indian origin worldwide can contribute mightily to this effort. In the past few years we have already experienced what has been called a “reverse brain-drain”. I would prefer to call this “brain gain” or, indeed, a meeting of minds," he said. Significantly, in July this year, Senate India Caucus gave a rare reception for the Indian Ambassador Meera Shankar for which nearly two-dozen Senators turned up. (In picture: Ambassador Ms Shankar (in middle) with PM and his wife; on extreme right is Ambassador's husband and India's industry secretary Ajay Shankar) Read: Follow-up of Meera Shankar's letter: Who are officials in the Indian Railway Board who took dollar bribe? (October 16, 2009) Also Read: BoI Ranking: India’s Top 3 Most Powerful Woman Bureaucrats are Nirupama Rao, Meera Shankar & Sudha Pillai (October 19, 2009) Also Read: Full text of PM's speech Ministry of culture to appoint non-bureaucrats in important posts The ministry of culture has changed its recruitment rules in respect of the posts of heads of eight attached and subordinate offices so as to induct professionals at the helm of affairs. The rules have been changed to provide a search-cum-selection procedure in place of selection procedure earlier and ensure appointment on contract basis in addition to the existing modes of promotion and deputation basis. The recruitment rules in respect of posts of director general, Archaeological Survey of India, director general, National Museum, director general, National Archives of India and director, National Library have already been revised and that of director, Anthropological Survey of India is under revision, minister of state for planning and parliamentary affairs V Narayanasamy said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Thursday. At present, the post of director general, Archaeological Survey of India is held by an officer of additional secretary level on regular appointment basis and the post of director general, National Museum is held by a joint secretary in the ministry of culture on additional charge basis.

CVC recommends major penalty proceedings against 70 officers

THE Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) advised imposition of major penalty against 70 officers including 11 from Public Sector Banks, eight from Central Board of Excise and Customs, seven from MCD, six from Department of Telecommunications, five each from United India Insurance Co. Ltd. & ministry of defence, four each from Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan & ministry of railways, three from Central Board of Direct Taxes, two each from National Insurance Co. Ltd., Central Coalfields Ltd., CPWD & DDA, a government release said. The Commission disposed of 472 cases during September 2009 referred to it for advice. Of these, 987 complaints were sent for necessary action/ATR whereas 144 complaints were sent for investigation and report. On the Commission’s recommendations, the competent authorities issued sanctions for prosecution against 26 officers including 18 from CBEC, 3 from ministry of personnel, public grievances & pensions, 2 from CBDT and one each from home affairs, BSNL & ministry of railways. Major penalty was imposed on 47 officers. These included 16 from Public Sector Banks, 14 from ministry of railways, 7 MCD and 3 from DDA. Also, conducting of technical examination of some departments led to the recoveries to the tune of Rs 61.25 crore.

Babus In Demand: One vacancy in CAT, Jaipur

Applications are invited from suitable officers for one vacancy of Administrative Member in Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) at Jaipur occurring on June, 2010. A Member shall hold office for a term of five years, extendable by one more term of five years. But no Member shall hold office after he attains the age of 65 years. The conditions of service of Chairman and Members shall be the same as applicable to Judges of the High Court. For details check the DoPT Circular DIPP secretary & WIPO DG sign MoU Ajay Shankar, secretary, department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) and Dr Francis Gurry, director general of World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation. The areas of cooperation envisaged include, assisting India in implementing its national IP and innovation strategy; empowering knowledge creators in the use of IP; building awareness on IP as a critical tool for promoting innovation and creativity through public outreach activities, a government release said. The MOU also provides for cooperation between the WIPO Worldwide Academy (WMA) and the National Institute for Intellectual Property Management, Nagpur.

BoI Ranking: India’s Top 3 Most Powerful Woman Bureaucrats are Nirupama Rao, Meera Shankar & Sudha Pillai

HAD current secretary to Planning Commission Sudha Pillai made it to the top as cabinet secretary, India’s top two bureaucrats today would have been women making history in India’s power corridors. Despite being at the top in the merit-cum-seniority list of IAS officers, Ms Pillai missed the bus as the incumbent K M Chandrasekhar was given one year’s extension after the new government was formed. Nevertheless, Nirupama Rao became the foreign secretary in July this year after another powerful IFS and Rao’s batch-mate Meera Shankar (See Picture with US Prez) was made India’s ambassador to US. After BoI’s (babus of india) selection of 5 most powerful bureaucrats, which incidentally had no woman contender, here is the list of top 3 most powerful woman bureaucrats based on feedback of politicians and senior bureaucrats who have an insight of the country’s power corridors. Interestingly, it’s a mere co-incidence that spouses of all three most powerful women bureaucrats who BoI has selected, happen to be senior IAS --- Sudhakar Rao, Ajay Shankar and G K Pillai respectively.

No 1: Nirupama Rao Being the number one Indian Foreign Service officer and only the second woman in the history to become India’s foreign secretary, Nirupama Rao is India’s most powerful bureaucrat today. An MA in English literature, this 1973 batch IFS from Kerala has held key diplomatic positions including minister for press affairs at the Indian Embassy in Washington, deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of India, Moscow, MEA’s official spokesperson and India’s ambassador to China, and yes, she proved her mettle in every important post. No wonder, she was a favourite officer of former external affairs minister Jaswant Singh, and was considered highly efficient during BJP’s regime too. Her biggest challenge today is not just to ensure meaningful diplomacy with Pakistan, but to keep China engaged in a continuous dialogue process. Read: Rao’s take on art of diplomacy (August 25, 2009) No 2: Meera Shankar India’s ambassador to US Meera Shankar who has recently become a newsmaker for writing a letter to Prime Minister’s principal secretary TKA Nair giving details about US companies bribing Indian government officers, is BoI’s choice to be the second most powerful woman bureaucrat today. Born on October 9, 1950, this 1973 batch IFS was earlier India’s ambassador to Germany, and had an earlier innings at Washington (1991-’95) when India liberalized its economy under Dr Manmohan Singh’s tenure as the country’s finance minister. Wife of India’s industry secretary Ajay Shankar, a 1973 batch UP cadre IAS, Mr Shankar’s biggest challenge today is to muster the country’s economic diplomacy and help India achieve a higher than expected growth rate. No 3: Sudha Pillai This 1972 batch Kerala cadre IAS is still considered to be an asset by Team Manmohan Singh, though many in power corridors strongly believe that it was intentional on the part of the government for not giving the highly-sensitive post of cabinet secretary to a woman officer who has better understanding of only social sectors. Her biggest challenger in the race for the post of cabinet secretary was her husband and batch-mate from the same cadre G K Pillai who too lost out after the incumbent Mr Chandrasekhar was given extension. Mr Pillai was then made home secretary with a two-year-term. There’s no doubt that Ms Pillai is still the most powerful women IAS officer today, and keeping in mind her grip on India’s social sector, she is tipped to become the member secretary in the Planning Commission with a rank of a minister! Read: Pati, Patni and Post: It’s Pillai Vs Pillai for next cabinet secretary (May 11, 2009) Read: India’s Top 5 Most Powerful Bureaucrats (August 24, 2009)

Incredible! Amitabh Kant is front-runner for DMICDC's CEO; may handle USD 90 billion project

FORMER tourism joint secretary and 1980 batch Kerala cadre IAS Amitabh Kant is now the front-runner for heading Delhi Mumbai industrial corridor development corporation (DMICDC) which is the nodal body to execute USD 90 billion India-Japan friendship project, sources close to the development told babu blogger. Mr Kant, who is best known for his six-year-old (2001-2007) stint as joint secretary of tourism ministry, is credited with championing the ‘Incredible India’ campaign (See photograph above). Last month, Tata group chairman Ratan Tata released a book – “Branding India-An Incredible Journey”-- authored by Mr Kant who is now principal secretary and special commissioner (industries) of Government of Kerala. Significantly, the government short-listed a number of infrastructure honchos for the post of chief executive of DMICDC last year, and interviews were conducted in September 2008. But Mr Kant was nowhere in the picture when a search committee including cabinet secretary K M Chandrasekhar, DIPP secretary Ajay Shankar and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) MD E Sreedharan, screened a few possible names for the post. The main contenders then included senior director of ICICI Venture and former IAS Shailesh Pathak, L&T infrastructure finance’s CEO Suneet Maheshwari, Gammon India’s MD Parvez Umrigar, I D International’s Hong Kong-based director Alok Jain, Ascendas Property Management Services India’s head, IT-SEZ, Rajeev Chadha, former IAS and currently CEO of Tata Realty and Infrastructure Sanjay G Ubale, KEC International’s CEO Ramesh Chandak and Petronet MHB’s MD S B Pandey. But a number of them including Mr Pathak and Mr Ubale were not so keen in taking up the job then. In fact, former industry secretary Ajay Dua was instrumental in shaping the concept of DMICDC, and it was widely believed that Mr Dua would be appointed as its chief executive post retirement. But the government decided to put an age-cap making it impossible for any retired person to contest for the post. It now remains to be seen whether Mr Kant, an officer from Kerala, clicks in power corridors of Delhi when Kerala is the ultimate flavour of the season in Raisina Hill!

Powerless Corridors: Officials in commerce & industry ministries felt the heat as there was a day-long power cut on Monday

Don’t call them power corridors anymore. Top bureaucrats and other employees of Delhi’s Udyog Bhawan housing the ministries of commerce and industry felt the heat, literally, on Monday, May 18, as there was a major power failure for over eight hours crippling AC plants, telecommunication, computers to name a few. The work in the two crucial ministries virtually came to a grinding halt on a day when many officials of these two pro-industry ministries would have rejoiced the 30-stock BSE index Sensex surging a record high of over 2000 points. No wonder, even the senior bureaucrats had to call their peons themselves as even calling bells were not functioning. Whereas secretary of DIPP (Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion) Ajay Shankar was lucky as he was in US on a personal visit, his counterpart in commerce ministry G K Pillai had no choice but to undergo the sufferings. Despite the near-emergency situation in the building, and a virtual blackout in corridors of the two ministries, a section of officials including Mr Pillai and their support staff had to prepare for the special meeting called by cabinet secretary K M Chandrasekhar on action plan of the first 100 days of Dr Manmohan Singh’s second innings.