Corridor’s Tridev on This Poll Season: Meet election commissioners Sampath, Brahma and Zaidi

Brahma (left), Sampath and Zaidi (right)

FOR the next one and half months, these three former bureaucrats -- Veeravalli Sundaram Sampath, Harishankar Brahma and Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi will be India’s most powerful babus, as the country is witnessing a 9-phase-long general election beginning April 7 in which as many as 9,30,000 polling stations have been arranged for whopping 814 million voters. All these three election commissioners, Sampath being the chief election commissioner, are former IAS and ex-secretaries to the…

Question Time: Will Indian civil servants be evaluated by a third party?

IF you are a bureaucrat, you can't afford to miss the replies of these three questions that have been admitted to Lok Sabha for December 9, 2009. Whereas the first question pertains to "any proposal for a third party evaluation for civil servants", the second question is related to the admission criteria for Sanskriti School where children of most of civil servants study. The third question which babu blogger has listed as important for Indian bureaucrats is on Central Vigilance Commission (CVC)'s instructions if any to identify sensitive posts in various ministries/departments of the Union government. Here are the excerpts of the questions: 1) Sushil Kumar Singh (MP) asks (a) whether the in-house appraisal of civil servants fail to reward the performers; (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; (c) whether there is any proposal for a third party evaluation for civil servants; (d) if so, the details thereof; and (e) the measures taken by the government for making the appraisal of civil servants more objective? 2) Capt. Jai Naraian Prasad Nishad (MP) asks (a) the criteria laid down for admission in Sanskriti school; (b) whether the government is aware that only children of upper strata of society are getting admission in Sanskriti school; (c) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; (d) whether the government is providing any financial assistance to Sanskriti school; (e) if so, the details thereof during the last three years and the current year; and (f) the steps taken by the government for making Sanskriti school a centre of learning for all classes of society? 3) Dr M Jagannath (MP) asks (a) whether the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has issued any instructions to identify sensitive posts in various ministries/departments of the Union government; (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; (c) whether all ministries/departments these sensitive posts pursuant to the said instructions; (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; (e) the number of organizations yet to comply with the circular and the action taken by the CVC in this regard; and (f) the time by which the instructions of the CVC will be complied? Watch out for the minister's replies of these unstarred questions in Parliament on December 9.

Bureaucrats as Authors The new book “Energy Security and Climate Change” written by R V Shahi, former power secretary has just been released. The book was recently released in New Delhi by Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee. The function, presided over by Union minister of power Sushilkumar Shinde, was also attended by power secretary H S Brahma and chairperson of Central Electricity Authority Rakesh Nath. Mr Shahi's earlier works include “Indian Power Sector – Challenge and Response (2005)” and “Towards Powering India: Policy Initiatives and Implementation Strategy (2007)” BoI announcement: Posting Comments If you find a note saying "Comment could not be processed" while posting comments, don't get disheartened. Just give a second try, it would be immediately processed. Be a party to babu blogger's attempt to spot the right news in power corridors, and tell what does it mean for you and your life!

Ashok Chawla appointed as finance secretary of India

(Babu Blogger said it first on Tuesday, April 28, 2009) SECRETARY of department of economic affairs (DEA) Ashok Chawla has been appointed as finance secretary of India. The post was lying vacant after Arun Ramanathan retired on April 30, 2009. Finance ministry officials have confirmed the development. He has also been given Additional charge of the Department of Financial Services since May 1, 2009

Know Your Babu

Name: Ashok Chawla Cadre & Batch: Gujarat cadre of 1973 batch

Date of Birth: 08/01/1951

Place of Domicile: Delhi

Mother Tongue: Punjabi

Indian Languages Known: ENGLISH HINDI GUJARATI Educational Qualifications PG in English literature, First division

MA in Economics, Second division Addl Secetary, Ministry of Finance from April 25, 2005 to January 1, 2007 Special Secetary, Ministry of Finance from January 2, 2007 to January 31, 2007 Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation from February 1, 2007 to September 17, 2008 Secretary, DEA, under Finance ministry from September 17, 2008 till now Foreign Training: Nil

Brahma assumes charge as power secretary

H S Brahma assumed charge as power secretary on Tuesday. He was earlier special secretary, of National Disaster Management Authority in the ministry of home affairs. Brahma is the Andhra Pradesh cadre officer of the 1975 batch of the Indian Administrative Service.