Why Rahul Khullar does not want an IAS as his successor in Trai? Any thought?

RAHUL Khullar, a former IAS and chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, or Trai, wants an amendment to the TRAI Act to ensure that his successor in the telecom regulator does not come from an IAS cadre. Surprised? According to a article published in leading financial portal moneycontrol.com, Khullar articulated this view when he...

Manmohan Singh’s old hand Rahul Khullar could become India’s finance secretary

Rahul Khullar, a 1975 batch UT cadre IAS who worked closely with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in 1991-93, may become India’s next finance secretary after incumbent Ashok Chawla retires on January 31. Khullar who is currently the commerce secretary of the country, is a doctorate in economics and is also armed with a degree in economics from Boston University.

One of the few senior Delhiite IAS officers now, Khullar managed to get strategic ministries during his 35 years career in bureaucracy. Khullar, who is turning 58 in April next, had worked with Delhi chief minister’s office in 1979-81, and had a long innings in PMO as deputy secretary and then director (1985 to 1990), largely coinciding with Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure as PM.

Between 1991 and 1993, Khullar was the private secretary to then finance minister Manmohan Singh before taking up an economist’s post in Manila-based Asian Development Bank. During the NDA regime, he took up various assignments in Delhi government, and then in May 2004, joined the Union commerce ministry as a joint secretary. For the last six and half years, Khullar remained in the commerce ministry expect a 5-month period in 2009 when he became disinvestment secretary.

Significantly, if Khullar is made the finance secretary on January 31, 2011, he will take charge when the Finmin would be readying to present the general budget in the last week of February. Even last year, another 1975 batch IAS, Sunil Mitra, was appointed as the revenue secretary in place of PV Bhide amid the high-voltage of Budget preparation.

Khullar’s high profile batch-mates include telecom secretary Rentala Chandrasekhar, urban development secretary Navin Kumar, animal husbandry secretary Rudhra Gangadharan, food processing secretary Ashok Sinha, school education secretary Anshu Vaish, department of Public Enterprises secretary Bhaskar Chatterjee, textile secretary Rita Menon, revenue secretary Sunil Mitra, and the last but not the least his wife Sindhushree Khullar, the country’s sports secretary.

Know Your Babu: Disinvestment secretary Sunil Mitra

SUNIL Mitra, a 1975 batch West Bengal cadre IAS, has been appointed as secretary, department of disinvestment under the ministry of finance. Finance secretary Ashok Chawla has been overseeing the department directly after disinvestment secretary Rahul Khullar, also a 1975 batch IAS, was made commerce secretary.

Name: Sunil Mitra Cadre: IAS, West Bengal Batch: 1975 Date of Birth: June 24, 1951 Place of domicile: Delhi Mother Tongue: Bengali Educational Qualifications Graduate in chemistry, physics and mathematics. Key Postings a) Deputy secretary in the ministry of defence (From September 1, 1986 to June 1, 1989) b) Director, in the ministry of defence, (From July 1, 1989 to July 1, 1991) c) Principal secretary (JS Level) Industries d) Additional Chief Secretary, West Bengal (Secerary Level ) in Power Department (From May 1, 2008 till now) Foreign Training Nil

Finance secretary Ashok Chawla given additional charge of disinvestment; now controls 3 out of 5 Finmin departments

FINANCE secretary Ashok Chawla, a 1973 batch IAS from Gujarat cadre, has proved once more that he is one of the most powerful bureaucrats in the country holding additional charges of two departments which were earlier held by full-fledged secretaries. Mr Chawla, who was recently elevated from the post of secretary in the department of economic affairs (DEA) to finance secretary, has now been given additional charge of the post of secretary, department of disinvestment under the ministry of finance for a period of three months or until further orders, a government announcement said. The appointment, which gives Mr Chawla a conplete control of three out of five departments in finance ministry, is effective from June 11, 2009. The post was vacant after disinvestment secretary Rahul Khullar, a 1975 batch IAS, was made commerce secretary. Earlier, he was given additional charge of the department of financial services since May 1, 2009 where an additional secretary level officer, a 1977 batch IAS officer G C Chaturvedi, was appointed to lead the department. Now, out of five departments in finance ministry, only two has full-fledged IAS at the helm --- secretary Sushama Nath in the department of expenditure and revenue secretary P V Bhide. The bestowing of additional charge of the disinvestment department to Mr Chawla is a significant development in the backdrop of a possible announcement in forthcoming Budget that the government may take a slew of measures on divestment, thereby converting the department into an active zone. Significantly, Mr Chawla and urban development secretary M Ramachandran are the two key contenders for cabinet secretary’s post next year.

Back to North Block: GK Pillai to take over as new home secretary

INDIA'S two most important bureaucrats, cabinet secretary and home secretary, may now be able to discuss security related matters in Malayalam. There is no prize for guessing who is India’s next home secretary! Present commerce secretary G K Pillai, a 1972 batch Kerala cadre IAS, will move to North Block as an OSD (Home) now, and will finally take over as home secretary on June 30, 2009 when current incumbent Madhukar Gupta, a 1970 batch IAS, retires. Mr Pillai, who was also a contender for the post of cabinet secretary along with his wife labour secretary Sudha Pillai, will have a now have a two-year-term in North Block. The government had earlier given one year extension to K M Chandrasekhar, Mr Pillai’s senior from Kerala cadre. Mr Pillai is quite familiar with the home ministry where he was the joint secretary in charge of North East from 1996-2001 before becoming the principal secretary to Kerala CM A K Antony, now defence minister in Manmohan Singh’s cabinet. This has led people in power corridors speculate that Mr Pillai could be selected for defence secretary after the incumbent Vijay Singh retires next month. Now, there have already been speculations over who would become the next defence secretary. Keep reading Babu Blogger’s posts. Delhiite Khullar appointed as commerce secretary THE government has also appointed disinvestment secretary Rahul Khullar of 1975 batch as the next commerce secretary. The man who is one of the few senior officers belonging to the capital city of Delhi, had earlier worked in commerce ministry in various capacities including as joint secretary, additional secretary and special secretary. A doctorate in economics, Mr Khullar also completed a course in economics from Boston University, US. Babus In Demand THE government has asked for nominations for newly instituted “Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration” to acknowledge, recognize and reward the extraordinary and innovative work done by officers of Central and state governments. All officers of Central and state governments individually or as group or as organizations are eligible for consideration. The last date of receipt of nominations is August 17, 2009. For details, log onto http://darpg.nic.in/ or http://www.asci.org.in/ You can also pick up the phone to contact director (administrative reforms) in the department of administrative reforms and public grievances at 011-23362369