Know Your Babu: Chhattisgarh’s new chief secretary Sunil Kujur

IN A sudden decision, the newly-installed government of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday night appointed 1986 batch IAS, Sunil Kumar Kujur, as the state’s new chief secretary. Kujur will be the first tribal chief secretary in the state which was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in 2000. About 30% of the state's population is tribal. 

Kujur replaced Ajay Singh, a 1983 batch IAS, who in turn was made the new chairman of Revenue Board, Bilaspur. Here are 10 things you may like to know about new chief secretary Kujur:

Know Your Babu: 10 things about Delhi’s new chief secretary Vijay Kumar Dev

Vijay Kumar Dev, 1987 batch IAS AGMUT cadre IAS officer, was appointed on Thursday as the new chief secretary of Delhi. He will succeed Anshu Prakash who was allegedly attacked by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators at a meeting held in chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence in February this year, leading to a prolonged tussle between the AAP leaders and the IAS officers. Here below are 10 things you may like to know about Vijay Kumar Dev:

Know Your Babu: Andhra Pradesh’s new chief secretary Anil Chandra Punetha

THE Andhra Pradesh government on Friday announced that the state’s new chief secretary -- Anil Chandra Punetha, a 1984 batch IAS. He was serving as the chief commissioner of land administration (CCLA) in the state. Here below are more about the new Andhra chief secretary:

Kejriwal slams Delhi IAS for continuing strike; IAS AGMUT Association says there’s no strike, work is on with “written communications”

DELHI chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, deputy CM Manish Sisodia and two other cabinet ministers spent the Monday night at the waiting room of the Lt Governor’s residence, protesting against what they claimed the LG’s inaction to end the bureaucrats’ strike in Delhi. “In the history of independent India, this is the first time that IAS officers on strike for four months. Why?” — Kejriwal tweeted on Monday. IAS AGMUT Association strongly refuted the charges, saying that no officer…

NHAI chairman Deepak Kumar prematurely repatriated; is Kumar the new Bihar chief secretary?

Deepak Kumar

IN A major bureaucratic reshuffle, the government on Wednesday prematurely repatriated chairman of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and 1984 batch Bihar cadre IAS, Deepak Kumar, to his parent cadre with “immediate effect”. By the same order, Kumar was replaced by Yudhvir Singh Malik, who will hold the NHAI chairman’s post in addition to…

IAS Association, two others suspect assault on Delhi chief secretary Anshu Prakash as “pre-planned”; AAP denies allegation

THREE bureaucrats’ associations including the Delhi IAS Association have suspected that the physical assault on chief secretary of Delhi, Anshu Prakash, was pre-planned as the meeting was convened at midnight and the chief secretary was called alone whereas there was a large number of MLAs of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party for the meeting at the chief minister’s camp office. In a resolution of three associations — IAS Association, DANICS Association, DASS Association — said on Tuesday that the meeting was called to pressurise the chief secretary to release…

Know more about 103 years old ICS officer Valluri Kameshwara Rao

ON SATURDAY last, the oldest ICS officer Valluri Kameshwara Rao or VK Rao as he is popularly known, turned 103. A 1937 batch Indian Civil Service officer, Rao was chief secretary of Andhra Pradesh and principal secretary to the President N Sanjeeva Reddy et al. In a message in a social media post, the IAS Association said: “Warm greetings to the oldest ICS officer Shri VK Rao ICS who turns 103 today on July 15. #Amazing #ICS #IAS #Salute #Respect”. The British-day ICS later came to be known as IAS, or Indian Administrative Service. A product of Loyola College and Cambridge University, Rao was first posted at...

PM suggests young officers to visit states to understand best practices; “writing of Gazettes by officers should be made compulsory in districts”

A section of chief secretaries while listening to PM

A TEAM of young officers from across states should deliberate and learn from the best practices of each state by visiting those states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested while interacting with chief secretaries of states and union territories in New Delhi on Monday. Some of the best practices highlighted by chief secretaries during the interaction included…themes such as rural development, skill development, crop insurance, health insurance, tertiary healthcare, welfare of divyang children, reducing infant mortality, tribal welfare, solid waste management, sanitation, drinking water, river conservation, water management, e-governance, pension reform, emergency services, development of mineral-rich areas, PDS reform, direct benefit transfer of subsidy, solar energy, cluster development, good governance and ease of doing business. He further said that writing of Gazettes by officers should be made compulsory in the districts. PM in his speech highlighted the following 10 points among others:

A day after I-T raid, P Rama Mohana Rao is out; Know more about new Tamil Nadu chief secretary Girija Vaidyanathan

Girija Vaidyanathan

Ms Girija Vaidyanathan, a 1981 batch IAS officer, was on Thursday appointed as the new chief secretary of Tamil Nadu in place of P Rama Mohana Rao on whose residence and office Income-Tax sleuths had raided yesterday and reportedly seized Rs 30 lakh in cash and five kilograms of gold. Rao, a 1985 batch IAS, was handpicked by the then chief minister J Jayalalithaa in June this year to head Tamil Nadu bureaucracy. In that process Rao superseded a number of his seniors including Ms Vaidyanathan, his four-batch senior in IAS. Ms Vaidyanathan is currently…

Know more about UP’s new chief secretary — Rahul Prasad Bhatnagar

UTTAR Pradesh has a new chief secretary — 1983 batch IAS Rahul Prasad Bhatnagar. State chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday appointed Bhatnagar as the state’s top bureaucrat after he had removed 1982-batch IAS officer Deepak Singhal from the post. Singhal is believed to be close to CM’s uncle and minister Shivpal Singh Yadav with whom CM’s relations have deteriorated over the last three months. Setting aside the politics within the Yadav family, BoI here talks about the new man at the helm of bureaucracy in Uttar Pradesh, the state that’s going for polls early next year. Hailing from Delhi, Bhatnagar…

Know more about Tamil Nadu’s new chief secretary P Rama Mohana Rao; also about 5 key bureaucrats in Jayalalithaa’s CMO

THE AIADMK government on Wednesday undertook a major bureaucratic reshuffle in Tamil Nadu, the key highlight being the appointment of 1985 batch IAS P Rama Mohana Rao after relocating incumbent K Gnanadesikan as the CMD of Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO). According to the order, new chief secretary Rao will also discharge his duties as the vigilance commissioner and commissioner for administrative reforms. This is the first bureaucratic reshuffle after J Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK came back to power in last month’s assembly poll bunking anti-incumbency sentiments. Rao’s batch mate and Andhra Pradesh’s principal finance secretary PV Ramesh took to Twitter to say:

Commerce minister Sitharaman praises IAS officers -- Vikram Kapur, Latha and Tamil Nadu chief secretary

UNION minister of state for commerce and industry (independent charge)  Nirmala Sitharaman has praised at least three IAS officers of Tamil Nadu cadre -- state chief secretary K Gnanadesikan, principal secretary and commissioner of Chennai Corporation Vikram Kapur and nodal officer of the zone where Ambattur Industrial Estate falls, Ms Latha, IAS. First, let’s have a look at this photo where Sitharaman’s convoy is seen on a flood-hit bye-lane of Ambattur Industrial Estate, Chennai on Monday. Here is what the minister wrote in a social media site:

Iqbal Khanday who objected “officers’ transfers like shuttlecocks” puts in his papers as J&K chief secretary

Dal Lake of Kashmir Valley

IN AN unusual move, Jammu and Kashmir chief secretary and 1978 batch IAS Mohammad Iqbal Khanday sought voluntary retirement three months ahead of his retirement, reportedly over his differences with Mufti Muhammad Sayeed-led PDP government which has been shuffling officers without his consent. According to some TV reports, Khanday objected to IAS officers’ transfer like “shuttlecocks”. Khanday, by the way, knows Sanskrit, apart from…

Know Your Babu: 1984 batch IAS Ramesh Negi may be new chief secretary of Delhi; who all will he supersede?

IN A press statement (somewhat bizarre in use of language) issued by the government of Arunachal Pradesh in January last year, 1984 batch AGMUT cadre IAS officer Ramesh Negi was praised for his hard-working nature. Now, Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government in Delhi has reportedly recommended his name to the Centre as the next Delhi chief secretary. In fact, incumbent chief secretary DM Spolia is scheduled to retire on February 28. First, let’s find out what that press statement had to say about Negi:

As Assam burned with violence, chief secretary Jitesh Khosla was spotted enjoying an elephant ride in Kaziranga

A TV grab of Khosla's elephant ride (poor photo quality)

ON TUESDAY, Assam witnessed one of the worst massacres of the recent time when armed NDFB(S) militants cowardly fired upon innocent villagers in three districts, killing 78 people including women and children. On Wednesday, the state chief secretary and 1979 batch IAS Jitesh Khosla was spotted while enjoying an elephant ride in Kaziranga. As Khosla’s leisure trip amid bloodshed in the state was televised in local news channels, state chief minister Tarun Gogoi was forced to say that he did not...

Know Your Babu: 1978 batch IAS and known scrabble player Mohan Verghese Chunkath is Tamil Nadu's new chief secretary

Chunkath's book

Mohan Verghese Chunkath, 58, is taking over as the new chief secretary of Tamil Nadu. A well-known scrabble player who had won many a tournament, Verghese Chunkath will now be judged on his skills of placing the right officer in the right place so as to keep Tamil Nadu’s administration in order. Incumbent chief secretary and 1976 batch IAS Sheela Balakrishnan will continue to serve the state, now as an…

Know Your Aam Babu: Decks cleared for SK Srivastava as Delhi’s new chief secretary

THE decks have been cleared for 1980 batch AGMU cadre IAS Sanjay Kumar Srivastava to be appointed as the new chief secretary of Delhi. State chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has reportedly chosen him as the top bureaucrat of the state, prompting the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet repatriating…

Karnataka’s new chief secretary Kaushik Mukherjee, his agenda, his love for casual wear

For a change? Mukherjee in formal suit

WHEN 1978 batch IAS Kaushik Mukherjee was named as the new chief secretary of Karnataka, he had something special to ask for, from chief minister Siddaramaiah. Amid discussion about how to improve better administration at grassroots and development of Bangalore city, Mukherjee told the CM that he would like to attend office wearing casuals. But yes, when…

Sikkim’s women, bride price & Rinchen Ongmu as first woman chief secretary

Draupadi: A symbol of empowerment?

THE official website of the Government of Sikkim is running a ticker announcing that Ms Rinchen Ongmu, IAS has taken over as the “first woman chief secretary” of the state. For the rest of India, which has witnessed many a woman chief secretary, (India is however yet to get a woman cabinet secretary) this piece of news may sound uninspiring. But BoI takes you through a few factoids of Sikkim’s womanhood which will actually make…

Ex-PMO official Sanjay Mitra to be new West Bengal chief secretary

WEST Bengal will have a relatively young officer, 1982 batch IAS and ex-PMO hand Sanjay Mitra as the new chief secretary. The 53-year old officer who enjoys good personal rapport with Mamata Banerjee’s confidante Gautam Sanyal (Read: Sanyal is Mamata's Pulok), was one of the two prominent Mitras handpicked by Banerjee when she moved from Delhi to Kolkata last year to take over as West Bengal CM. No prize for guessing...