The 360-degree method of empanelment of officers, which opened the window for retired officers to influence the careers of some of the best serving officers, is once again in focus, thanks to the bold decision taken by the ACC to not necessarily act on the advice of the 360-degree committees, and going to the extent of rejecting their advice as and when required. In this regard, UT cadre officers cite the case of G Narendra Kumar (IAS:1989:UT) whose name finally appeared in the list of the ...

The list of headless departments/organizations has been expanding of late. One may call it a usual sloppiness in filling the vacancies or a deliberate decision but it can not be given a discount on the pretext of COVId impact. By any means, this sort of drift is never conducive to governance or fostering quality administration, much less for the image of the government. The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has been headless for more than a month; National Company Law Appellate Tri...

The Railway Board on Monday (12.10.20) effected a major reshuffling of the senior officers as Divisional Railway Manager : Joginder Singh Lakra (IRSE) posted as DRM, North East Frontier Railway, vice Ram Bahadur Rai (IRSE). A.G Srinivas (IRSE) posted as DRM, Southern Railway, vice US Rao (IRSME). ...

Former CBI Director Ashwani Kumar's (1973 Batch IPS) suicide at his Himachal residence has shocked a lot of people around the country. Echoing their sentiments, Prof. Varun Arya, a distinguished educationist and Professor at Aravali Gurukul Ashram at Kaparda near Jodhpur in Rajasthan, has penned an interesting story of his association with the deceased. He writes: ...

The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) is headless for over a month now. It has seen five chairmen in the last five years (between June 2015 and April 2020) and the chair has successively become fragile and unstable. Keeping in view the designated three years term (or till 65 yrs of age) of its chairman, PESB would have ideally had only two chairmen between 2015-2021, but the story is quite different. If one goes by the incumbency chart of PESB Chairman frequent changes at the top m...

Old administrative misdeeds often fail to die down and keep giving nightmares to several others within the system. Something similar appears in Uttar Pradesh Police as well. Recently Dr Nutan Thakur, a social activist and wife of former IPS officer Amitabh Thakur, demanded the Yogi Govt for an immediate investigation against former UP DGP O P Singh for his alleged role in the field posting of senior police officers that the SIT had revealed in January this year. It may be recalled th...

Modi 2.0 continues with disrupting the power structure and its patronage system built over the last 50 years. This has made the power and pelf seeking rentier class go helter-skelter and turned them into bitter critics of the NDA dispensation. While Modi 1.0 was limited in its disruptive game to demonetization/remonetization that overnight turned the assets of the political, business, and intellectual rentier class into naught, thus crippling their ability to bring about a regime change in ...

Modi 2.0 continues with disrupting the power structure and its patronage system built over the last 50 years. This has made the power and pelf seeking rentier class go helter-skelter and turned them into bitter critics of the NDA dispensation. While Modi 1.0 was limited in its disruptive game to demonetization/remonetization that overnight turned the assets of the political, business, and intellectual rentier class into naught, thus crippling their ability to bring about a regime change in ...

The President of India is reported to have accepted the resignation tendered by the Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa (Retd IAS:1980: HY) with effect from Aug 31 following which the appointment of the new Election Commissioner is expected in a couple of days. Lavasa is set to proceed as Vice Chairman, Asian Development Bank (ADB). Amid the unfolding scenario, the incumbent Union Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey (IAS:1985: MH) is said to have been the frontrunner for the post but there...

The development which is currently undercurrent may further bolster the Union Government’s claim that it moves and decisions were correct and judicious in Jammu and Kashmir. Early in 2019, Dr Shah Faesal announced his resignation from the IAS and became a vocal critic of the government terming few incidents in violations of the right to freedom speech and human rights. Now he is keen to rejoin IAS. Probably the Centre knew that Faesal should/would go through self-realization against his ...