Ajit K Seth’s Extension as Cabinet Secretary: 5 meanings to this surprise move

CORRIDOR'S speculation on who could be Narendra Modi’s pick for cabinet secretary ended on Monday, at least for now, after the government in a surprise move extended incumbent Ajit K Seth’s term for six more months till December 13, 2014, his second extension after getting appointed as cabinet secretary in June 2011. Many believe Seth was originally handpicked by Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s confidant and his own batch-mate Pulok Chatterji who eventually became principal secretary to PM, and Pulokaseth, as BoI called the duo, had worked as a team with no visible evidence of…

Know Pulokaseth of Delhi’s corridors? Chatterji-Seth combo ranked as 3rd most powerful bureaucrat

Seth-Chatterji

BoI has always called this combo, of principal secretary to PM Pulok Chatterji and his batch-mate, friend and cabinet secretary Ajit Kumar Seth, as Pulokaseth. Between the two, Chatterji is more authoritative and decisive. But Seth’s indispensability had emerged when the Prime Minister took a call to extend his two-year tenure by one more year in May last, even as then DoPT secretary PK Misra was considered...

Cabinet secretary Ajit K Seth gets 1 year extension; what worked in his favour

Seth at a textile function (File Photo)

THERE was no surprise element or wow factor when appointments committee of the cabinet (ACC) has decided to give one-year-extension to cabinet secretary and 1974 batch UP cadre IAS Ajit Kumar Seth. The low-profile bureaucrat, who studied chemistry in St Stephen’s college in early 1970s, has maintained an excellent rapport with Pulok Chatterji, the man who matters in the corridors. Understandably, the Prime Minister is averse to…

With Pranab Mukherjee resigning as FM, PMO is back in North Block

Senior officials giving farewell to Pranab Mukherjee on July25

WITH Congress’ Presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee resigning as finance minister today, Prime Minister’s Office will have a major foothold in North Block. For the last three years, Cabinet secretariat and PMO did not interfere much in affairs of the finance ministry mainly because of the stature Mukherjee enjoyed both in government and the Congress Party. But things will change now. Here are 5 likely changes that will emerge after Mukherjee’s exit...

Bahuguna or Pati: Who Pulokaseth zeroed in to be new agriculture secretary?

FOR 1978 batch secretary-empanelled officers, there are both anxieties and excitements. There are excitements because every month end, one or more secretaries will retire and the posts have to be filled up from their pool alone. But there are anxieties too: what’s if Pulokaseth (plural of Pulok Chatterji and AK Seth) decide to allot a department to someone which he or she really does not like to go? Also, will the process get delayed if more and more secretaries get extension? DEA secretary R Gopalan got an extension for three months, and coal secretary Alok Perti may get one.
This month, secretaries of agriculture, and food and civil supplies will retire, paving the way of two officers of 1978 batch securing independent departments. Here are the two contenders for the post of agriculture secretary, and why they should or should not be considered: