Babus Over Netas: Story of 4 former bureaucrats getting berths in Modi’s ministry

IAS-turned-politician KJ Alphons while taking oath

ON SUNDAY, four former bureaucrats — two IAS, one IFS and one IPS — were made ministers at the Centre giving a clear signal that Prime Minister Narendra Modi banks more on former bureaucrats than typical Netas when it comes to performances. Whereas former Kerala cadre IAS KJ Alphons was given independent charge of the ministry of tourism, former IFS Hardeep Singh Puri will now handle urban affairs, independently. Also, former home secretary Raj Kumar Singh will handle two ministries -- power and the ministry of new and renewable energy; and ex-Mumbai police commissioner Satyapal Singh has been made the MoS in two ministries -- HRD and water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation. Here are more about these four babu-turned Netas:

Political Udaan: IPS Kanchan Chaudhary is an AAP candidate; ex-Mumbai police commissioner gets BJP ticket

Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya, India’s first woman Director General of Police (DGP) and the one who was just a batch junior to first woman IPS officer Kiran Bedi, has been nominated by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to contest from Haridwar. The name of this former Uttarakhand DGP, on whose life a popular Hindi TV serial Udaan (Fight) was aired by DD National in 1989–91, was announced by AAP as its Lok Sabha candidate on Saturday, the day the BJP too announced the…

IPS officer reviewing Anna Hazare's security is a yoga freak, friend of Baba Ramdev

Dr Satyapal Singh, Additional Director General of Police in Maharashtra and the man who is personally reviewing the security of anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare by visiting Anna’s native village in Ralegan Siddhi is an unusual police officer. His domain knowledge and understanding of Yoga, Vedas and Swami Vivekananda could make many religious experts envious.

And that has made him closer to many civil society activists and spiritual gurus over the years. Have a close look at this file photo. Satyapal Singh with his family had shared a happy moment with Baba Ramdev, Yoga guru and anti-corruption activist. The IPS officer was then Pune’s police commissioner.

Only a few days ago, Singh as additional DGP (law and order) visited Ralegan Siddhi and tried to persuade him to enhance the security cover. In the backdrop of attacks on Team Anna members, Prashant Bhushan and Arvind Kejriwal, it was originally suggested that Anna should be given Z category security which would have meant the deployment of 22 security personnel round the clock. But Anna had refused the suggestion. Finally, it was decided Anna will have 11 security men, as against the four who are being currently deployed. Metal detectors at the entrances of his home, Padmavati temple and his office were also installed.

As people close to the development say IPS Singh struck cords with Anna Hazare too. Born at Meerut, Singh was an M.Phil in chemistry from Delhi University, but he always developed a better chemistry with spiritualism and ancient India, particularly the Vedic age. While in service, Singh did his PhD in Naxalism, and an MBA from an Australian university.

In his blog, the IPS officer writes that guidance or instructions for individuals are actually provided in the Vedas in some form or the other. “Every minute and meaningful knowledge of the Universe, guidance or instructions for individuals, domestic, social, national or international harmonious, sustainable and holistic development are provided in the Vedas in seed forms… Vedas are encoded with scientific and technological insights, experiments and riddles,” Singh believes.

Action and Appointments

a) The ACC has approved the extension of Central deputation tenure of the following officers for a period of six months beyond the dates of completion of their normal tenure:

(i) Arvind Mayaram, a 1978 batch Rajasthan cadre IAS and additional secretary and financial adviser, ministry of rural development;

(ii) Sanjay Kothari, a 1978 batch Haryana cadre IAS and additional secretary, ministry of tourism.

Indiafirst banks on brand police to sell insurance products

THE brand police is back on Indian streets. Despite Indian police personnel suffering an image crisis thanks to day-to-day experiences of ordinary citizens, a newly set-up insurance company has put up huge hoardings along the roads of major Indian cities featuring two police officers. The message is to drive home a nationalistic feeling and connect to the audience that India comes first.

While launching IndiaFirst Life Insurance, a joint venture among Bank of Baroda, Andhra Bank and UK-based Legal and General Group, advertising agency Mudra Connext has played up the fact that Indian police officers sacrifice their lives for the nation. Yes, several Bollywood movies have made outstanding police officers, or rather police inspectors, as central characters, but it’s rare to spot a company selling their products through “brand police”.

Yet, unlike Indian Army which has a highly nationalistic brand image, Indian police officers suffer from that. It’s not that Indian police officers are non-nationalists, or lack spirit, but their daily brush with common people creates a situation where police are feared, but not respected. Also, the sacrifice made by the police is often belittled by an image like teen molester cop SPS Rathore, which symbolizes arrogance, corruption and misuse of the system.

Many police officers often blame the media for bringing in a bad reputation to the police, but the fact is that the TRP-dependent India’s television would not have highlighted Rathore’s case so much if they find no audience for that!

Indiafirst surely takes a well-designed risk in highlighting “brand police” to sell their products, but that could be the beginning of a changed image for Indian police. If not anything else, it should act like a morale booster for the IPS community to work on brand police more seriously.

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Police Booth

a) Maoists attacked joint forces camp in West Bengal’s Sealdah area of West Midnapore District on Monday evening and killed 14 security personnel on the spot.

b) The media personnel covering the Pune German Bakery blast accused the city police commissioner Satyapal Singh, a 1980 batch Maharashtra cadre IPS, of discrimination against them by not allowing them to visit the site whereas permitting Shiv Sena leaders to do the same. For the record, Singh is an outstanding officer, and is armed with a number of degrees such as MSc and M.Phil in chemistry, MA and PhD in public administration and MBA to boot.