NSA Ajit Doval given the rank of a cabinet minister

NATIONAL Security Adviser (NSA), Ajit Doval, who is credited with perfectly strategising the surgical trikes of 2016 and then the Balakot airstrikes in Pakistan on February 26 this year, has been elevated to the rank of a Union cabinet minister, the newly-installed Modi Sarkar-2 announced on today (Monday). NSA is usually given the rank of an MoS rank and is required to co-ordinate with various security-related ministries and agencies, but it’s…

IFS-IPS combo at driver’s seat: IB chief Nehchal Sandhu is new Dy NSA

Nehchal Sandhu (R) with his would-be boss Menon (File photo)

BIHAR cadre IPS officer and current director of Intelligence Bureau (IB) Nehchal Sandhu will be the next deputy National Security Adviser in place of Vijaya Latha Reddy, a 1975 batch IFS officer who is completing her term in March next year. Traditionally dominated by IFS officers, except during veteran police officer…

1972 batch bureaucrats continue to take the centre-stage of India’s power corridors

IN January this year, babusofindia.com (BoI) presented the rise of 1972 batch officers with a tagline of “Numerological Influence” after bureaucrats of that batch continuously scripted success stories in grabbing key government posts including national security adviser (NSA), RBI Governor, home and defence secretaries and Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) just to name a few.

Now, with Sudha Pillai (In Picture) of 1972 batch becoming Member Secretary of Planning Commission with a rank of a Minister of State post retirement, and urban development secretary and her batch-mate M Ramachandran emerging as the top contender for the cabinet secretary’s post that will be vacant next month, it may not just be numerological influence, but sheer indispensability of some bureaucrats for whom retirement age of 60 is strictly not applicable.

But the bigger question here is what makes some officers so indispensable in the government that Prime Minister and his spin doctors don’t want them to lose whereas hundreds of other bureaucrats simply retire and go into oblivion. Ms Pillai, who has already made a mark in social sectors, first as labour secretary and then as Planning Commission secretary, there is no surprise in the decision of the top brass of the government to keep her engaged even after retirement.

Or for that matter, RBI Governor and the topper of 1972 batch Duvvuri Subbarao is unlikely to be out of action even after his tenure in the central bank ends. If the earlier trends continue, GK Pillai who is now on a two-year fixed term as home secretary, could emerge as strong contenders for gubernatorial positions in any North-East state!

High Five

Wish to see a photograph of five young and stylish IAS officers of 1972 batch during their Army attachment period? Just click at this PUBLICLY AVAILABLE LINK, then scroll it down to the eighth black and white picture. One in the middle with spectacles and tight trouser is home secretary GK Pillai (husband of Sudha Pillai) who is flanked by former agriculture secretary T Nanda Kumar, urban development secretary M Ramachandran, and former Maharashtra chief secretary Johny Joseph. 

Numerological Influence? 1972 batch bureaucrats continue to grab key posts from RBI Governor, NSA, Home and Defence secretaries...

CALL it sheer talent or influence of numerological calculation, 1972 batch bureaucrats have continuously scripted success stories in occupying key government posts. With Shiv Shankar Menon, a 1972 batch retired Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer getting picked up for the coveted post of national security adviser (NSA) in place of MK Narayanan, and the next cabinet secretary in all probability is going to be a 1972 batch IAS, the journey of the men of that batch in securing important posts may continue for sometime more.

In fact, 1972 batch civil service topper and former finance secretary Dr D Subbarao of Andhra Pradesh cadre was already appointed as the 22nd Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, and two of his batch-mates, GK Pillai of Kerala cadre and Pradeep Kumar of Haryana cadre are India’s home and defence secretaries respectively for a period of two years.

As two of the senior IAS of 1972 batch will continue as secretaries in two of the most important ministries, home and defence, the government is unlikely to spring a surprise and appoint someone from 1973 batch (finance secretary Ashok Chawla is a contender) as the next cabinet secretary when current incumbent KM Chandrasekhar, a 1970 batch Kerala cadre IAS, is retiring in mid-June this year. Urban development secretary M Ramachandran, a 1972 batch Kerala cadre IAS is the top contender so far, but there is a rumour doing the rounds that the appointment for the next cabinet secretary could be advanced by a fortnight so as to facilitate Planning Commission secretary and 1972 batch Kerala cadre IAS Sudha Pillai becoming the India’s first woman cabinet secretary. Ms Pillai is retiring on May 31, 2010, but once appointed, she would get a fixed tenure of two years.

There are a few other officers of the batch including Central Information Commissioner and former Information and Broadcasting secretary Sushma Singh, who have managed decent post-retirement postings. Interestingly, the only high profile officer of 1972 batch who has not secured any key post so far is former IPS Kiran Bedi.

Read: Sudha Pillai still a contender for cabinet secretary's post

In Pictures: Menon (top) and Subbarao taking charge as foreign secretary and RBI Guv respectively 

Action and Appointments

a) AK Mangotra, a 1978 batch Manipur-Tripura cadre IAS and presently additional secretary and financial adviser in the department of food and public distribution has been appointed as additional secretary in the department of commerce in place of R Gopalan, a 1976 batch Tamil Nadu cadre IAS.

b) Desh Deepak Verma, a 1978 batch UP cadre IAS and presently in the cadre, has been appointed as additional secretary and financial adviser in the department of food and public distribution.

c) The proposal of the department of AYUSH for the extension of Central deputation tenure of B Anand, a 1987 bacth Tamil Nadu cadre IAS, as Joint Secretary in that department beyond January 30, 2010 has been rejected.

d) The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the period of overstay of AK Dubey, a 1982 batch Kerala cadre IAS, for the period from April 19, 2008 to March 4, 2009, while on deputation to Delhi University as Registrar, as a deputation under Rule 6 (1) of the IAS (cadre) Rules 1954 (deputation under Non-Central Staffing Scheme) on ex-post facto basis.