whispers in the corridors
Will there be a coalition Government in Bihar ?
Political watchers do not rule out the possibility of a coalition Government in Bihar. A fierce political battle is going on in the state.
Will Mohan Bhagwat step down on September 11 ?
Rumours are rife that RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat is going to step down on his birthday September 11 after attaining the age of 75. One can wait and watch.
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In all probability UP Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh is getting an extension in service on July 31. He is a 1989 batch IAS officer.
Puneet Kumar Goel has been appointed the new chief secretary of Manipur . He is a 1991-batch officer of the AGMUT cadre.
(WE SAID THIS ONLY YESTERDAY )
Shyam Bhagat Negi who is currently on central deputation is expected to return to the parent cadre Himachal Pradesh to take over as DGP. He is 1990 batch IPS officer.
Tenure of Gurdeep Singh, chairman and managing director (CMD) of the NTPC has been extended by another year till 31 July 2026.
(WE SAID THIS ON JUNE 19, 2025)
Sangram Kumar Mishra, DGM, Engineers India Limited, has been selected for the post of Chairman & Managing Director, Hindustan Organic Chemicals Limited (HOCL) at a Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) meeting held on July 16, 2025. As many as seven persons were interviewed for the same.
The Union Health Ministry has selected 24 part-time members of the National Medical Commission (NMC) and its four autonomous boards by draw of lots. According to the rules, 10 part-time members of the NMC are selected from the nominees of the state/ UT government in the Medical Advisory Council.
Five officers in the grade of Principal Chief Commissioner of Customs and Indirect Taxes (PCCCIT)have been posted on promotion. Accordingly, A R S Kumar has been posted to Customs Zone, Chennai, while Rimjhim Prasad was shifted to DGPM. Similarly, Rajesh Jindal has been moved to DG Systems and Data Management; Rajeev Gupta to CGST & CX Vadodara Zone and Simmi Jain was shifted to DG Audit.
Ten officers in the grade of Chief Commissioner of Customs and Indirect Taxes (CCCIT) have been given new postings. Madan Mohan Singh has been transferred to CGST & CX Chennai Zone; Arti A Srinivas to DGARM; Shubhagata Kumar to DGHRD (HRM); Manish Kumar to Customs Zone Delhi; V Sangeeta to CGST & CX Hyderabad Zone; S Thirunavukkarasu to DGGI SNU West, Mumbai; Paul Rajendra Lakra to CGST & CX Bhubaneswar Zone; Ramavath Srinivasa Naik to Customs Zone Kolkata; M R R Reddy to DGGI, SNU North, Gurugram and Sandeep M S Puri has been shifted to CGST & CX Nagpur Zone.
Prashant Kumar Singh has been appointed as Secretary, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) in the rank and pay of Secretary to GoI. He is a 1993 batch IAS officer of Manipur cadre.
Tenure of inter cadre deputation (ICD) of Abhishek Sharma from Chhattisgarh cadre to Joint AGMUT cadre (J&K Segment) has been extended for a period of one year beyond July 8, 2025. He is a 2018 batch IAS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre.
Ajit Kumar Sinha, formerly posted as Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (Sr. DCM), FS, Northern Railway (NR), has been given an extension in his deputation tenure to Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) as Chief Regional Manager, IRCTC, Lucknow, for the fourth and fifth year, i.e., up to August 3, 2026. He is an Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer.
Rahul Kapoor, Executive Director (ED), F(PPP&RM), Railway Board, has been given additional charge of Director (Finance), Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL), with effect from April 8, 2025. He is an Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS) officer.
Sanjeev Kumar, Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer (Sr. DEE), Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU), Jaipur Division, East Central Railway (ECR), has been selected for deputation to Patna Metro Rail Corporation Limited (PMRCL) as General Manager (GM) (Administration & Human Resources) for a period of three years. He is an Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE) officer.
JP Singh, Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer (SrDEE), Traction Rolling Stock (TRS), Barauni Division, East Central Railway (ECR), has been selected for deputation to Patna Metro Rail Corporation Limited (PMRCL) as General Manager (Depot) for a period of three years. He is an Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE) officer.
Dr. Tapas Mazumdar, who is presently working as Assistant Chief Medical Superintendent (ACMS), South Eastern Railway, has been transferred to Metro Railway on his own request and posted in the same capacity. He is an Indian Railway Health Service (IRHS) officer.
The DoT has transferred Vikas to Punjab LSA, He is a STS level ITS officer. He was posted at the HQ in Delhi.
The DoT has transferred 7 JAG level ITS officers. Accordingly, Himanshu Sharma has been posted in Punjab LSA while Mahendra Prakash Gupta will join, DBN. Similarly, GV Manoj Kumar goes to BSNL, K/ Ram Manohar AP LSA, Srinivas Rao A, Odisha LSA, Akmal Hasan, Kerala LSA and Anurodh Kumar has been transferred to West Bengal LSA.
The DoT has approved the NFU to two IP&TAFS officers. They are- Sardendu Kumar Pandey and Manish Kumar Gupta w e f March 21 this year. Panday is on deputation with the DAR&PG while Gupta is posted as Joint CCA in Haryana.
11 IDAS officers have been accorded NFU in the HAG w e f April 18, 2025. They are- Puskal Upadhyay, Manish Tripathi, Hari Har Mishra, Anjali E, Shankar, Sanjay Verma, Sudhir Rangappa Narayan, Rajalakshmi Devraj, Dr Sudhir Kumar Bhadra, Parneet Singh, Manoharan Sankar and Anant Prakash.
Four CSS officers have been transferred from the DGFT and posted as Section Officers at different Ministries/departments. They are- Ms Seema, Anwarul Haque Ansari, Kailash Kumar and Krishna Bodra.
Director (Finance) post in Shipping Corporation of India Limited (SCI) will fall vacant in April 2026. Applications must reach latest by August 7, 2025.
Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has advertised for the post of Consultant (Business Development) for Patna Regional Office. Applications must reach latest by August 10, 2025.
Director (Finance) post in SJVN Limited fell vacant in May 2025. Applications must reach latest by August 11, 2025.
Container Corporation of India Limited (CONCOR) has advertised for five posts of Group General Manager and five posts of Senior General Manager/ General Manager in C&O Department. Applications must reach latest by August 13, 2025.
UNESCO Staffing Team, Paris, France has re-advertised the post of Senior Operations Officer (P-4) at Yaoundé Cameroon. Applications must reach latest by August 8, 2025.
National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) is seeking Group General Manager/Chief Project Manager (Civil) on deputation basis. Applications must reach latest by July 20, 2025.
Eighteen candidates for the post of Scientist- Civil Engineering in Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Khadakwasla, Pune have been shortlisted.
World Bank has advertised for Senior Partnership Specialist, Private Sector and Foundations, GPE.
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has advertised for Donor Retention Officer, New Delhi.
MicroSave Consulting (MSC) is looking for Manager: Health & Nutrition, New Delhi.
15 IAS officers of 2023 batch belonging to AGMUT cadre have been posted following completion of IAS Phase-II training. Accordingly, Tharun Patnaik Madala and Chandrakant Bagoria have been posted to Mizoram, while Ms Pallavi Mishra, Prince Kumar and Ms Swati Sheemar were posted to J&K. Similarly, Dabholkar Vasant Prasad is posted to Goa; Jarad Pratik Anil, Ms Anuja Trivedi and Piyush Kumar to Delhi; Namneet Singh and Ms Pebika Lego to Arunachal Pradesh; Ankit Kumar and Ms Pooja M to Puducherry; Omkar Rajendra Gundage to Ladakh and Dinesh Kumar Muhal was shifted to DNH&DD.
Nitin Gupta, former Chairman, CBDT, has been appointed as Chairperson, National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA). He is a 1986 batch retired IRS-IT officer.
Ms Smita Jhingran has been appointed as Full-Time Member, National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA).She is a 1986 batch retired IRS-IT officer.
P Daniel has been appointed as Full-Time Member, National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA).He is a 1989 batch retired IDES officer.
Sushil Kumar Jaiswal has been appointed as Full-Time Member, National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA). He is a 1993 batch retired IA&AS officer.
The tenure of Dr Vaidya Rajeshwari Singh as Consultant in Digital Health and Innovation (DHI), World Health Organization (WHO), has been extended upto June 30, 2026.
Purushottam Parashar has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty to Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister for Communications and DoNER at Director level.
Ms Madhubala Kalluri, GM, MIDHANI, has been appointed as Director (Finance), Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI).
As many as 12 officers of State Forest Service in Maharashtra have been promoted to Indian Forest Service (IFoS) against Select List (SL) of 2024 and allocated Maharashtra Cadre. Officers promoted are: Vijaysingh Shankarro Deshmukh, Vijay Sahadeorao Bhakre, Trigun Shamrao Kulkarni, Gajanana Dhondiram Patil, Pankaj Santosh Deore, Manjiree Madhusudan Manolkar, Asha Afzal Khan Pathan, Rajlaxmi Shafique Shah, Sonali Nilkanth Muley, Gajendra Chintamanrao Bawane, Mahesh Bhaskarrao Patil and Pratibha Samadhan Ingle.
Kapil Raj, Additional Commissioner of Customs & Indirect Taxes, currently Additional Director, DGGI, Delhi Zonal Unit, has resigned from the Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes) w e f July 17.
Asheesh Kumar, GM, CIL, has been appointed as Director (Business Development), Coal India Limited (CIL).
Asheesh Kumar, GM, CIL, has been appointed as Director (Business Development), Coal India Limited (CIL).
Three IAS officers have been given new postings in Punjab. Aravind Kumar M K has been posted as Director, Treasury & Accounts and given additional charge as Special Secretary, School Education and Director General, School Education, while Girish Dayalan takes over as Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Punjab and Harpreet Singh Sudan was appointed as Director, Sports & Youth Services and gets additional charge of Director, Higher Education.
Chandran Durai Daniel, GM, SCI, has been selected for the post of Director (Bulk Carriers & Tankers), The Shipping Corporation of India Limited (SCI) at a Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) meeting held on July 17, 2025. As many as six persons were interviewed for the same.
South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) has taken a landmark initiative to foster women’s empowerment and technical leadership: on 17 July 2025, the Condition Based Monitoring (CBM) Laboratory at the Central Excavation Workshop (CEWS), Gevra was officially launched as an all women run facility. The lab was formally inaugurated by SECL CMD Harish Duhan, in the esteemed presence of Director (Technical – Operations & Planning/Projects) Mr N.
What is the CBM Lab and Why Does It Matter? The CBM Lab plays a critical role in maintaining the heavy machinery and vehicles used in mining operations. By analyzing lubricant oil samples taken from equipment, the lab determines the internal condition of components, pinpoints where wear is occurring, and identifies parts that may be at risk of failure. Four principal tests are performed on each oil sample: Elemental Analysis – Detects metallic particles, additives, and contaminants Kinematic Viscosity – Gauges the oil’s thickness and flow characteristics Chemical Properties Analysis – Assesses overall chemical quality Particle Count – Measures debris generated by machine components. These tests enable early fault detection, dramatically reducing unexpected breakdowns. As a result, unnecessary repairs can be avoided, production interruptions minimized, operating costs lowered, and root cause solutions implemented for long term reliability.
Strengthening Both Technology and Inclusion
By placing the CBM Lab entirely under women’s management, SECL is not only enhancing routine monitoring and maintenance of mining equipment but also expanding female participation in technical domains—making operations safer, more efficient, and more cost effective.
During the programme, Mr Duhan and the directors toured the facility and met with Lab in Charge Mrs Babita Patwal, Assistant Manager (Excavation), and her all women team, commending their leadership and offering guidance for future excellence.
This historic initiative advances both technical proficiency and women’s empowerment, adding a new dimension to Coal India’s commitment to inclusive growth.
The event was attended by Mr A.K. Tyagi (General Manager, Gevra Area), Mr Sanjay Mishra (General Manager, Dipka Area), Mr R.K. Gupta (General Manager, Korba Area), Mr A.K. Singh (Works Manager, CEWS Gevra), members of JCC, Welfare and Safety Committees, and other officers and employees.
IPS officers in the rank of IG and DIG in CISF have been given new postings. Vijay Prakash, IG, has been posted to NCR Sector HQ New Delhi, while Senthil Avoodai Krishna Raj, IG, is shifted to APS-I HQ New Delhi and G Sivakuma, DIG was posted to ASG New Delhi. Similarly, Babu Ram, DIG, was transferred to DMRC, Delhi; Sanjay Kumar Sain, DIG, to PHC New Delhi; Digvijay Kumar Singh, DIG, to ADG/South HQ Mumbai; Jitendra Kumar Tiwari, DIG, to BCCL, Dhanbad; Neeti Mittal, Senior Commandant (Against the post of DIG), to BSL Bokaro and Nellore Perumallu, Senior Commandant (Against the post of DIG) has been shifted to ES HQ Ranchi.
The Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meeting for the promotion of State Police Service (SPS) officers to the Indian Police Service (IPS) cadre in Uttar Pradesh was held in New Delhi. Principal Secretary Home Sanjay Prasad attended the meeting. Over 20 SPS officers from the 1997 and 1998 batches are likely to receive the elevation.
Neeraj Kumar has been appointed as Executive Director and Chairman on the Board of JWIL, a subsidiary of JITF Infralogistics Limited, with effect from August 1, 2025.
Rachid Ayari has been appointed as Interim Managing Director of Sanofi India Limited, in addition to his role as Chief Financial Officer, for a term of six months from July 21, 2025.
Achal Kapoor has been appointed as Additional Director (Non-Executive Independent) of Davangere Sugar Company Limited.
Ketan Harsukhlal Sanghvi has been re-appointed as Non-Executive Independent Director of Trustedge Capital Limited.
Ms Chaitali Kalpataru Shah has been appointed as Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of Bacil Pharma Limited.
Ms Manisha Chandra has been appointed as Non-Executive Director (Government Nominee) on the Board of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
Parin Shirishkumar Bhavsar has resigned from the post of Independent Director of Worldwide Aluminium Limited.
Dhwani Nagar has been appointed as Additional Independent Director of VMS Industries Limited.
Rodolfo Hrosz has ceased to be Managing Director of Sanofi India Limited with effect from April 30, 2025.
Amit Satija has ceased to be Non-Executive Director (Government Nominee) of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited on completion of his tenure.
Murari Agarawal has resigned from the post of Independent Director of VMS Industries Limited.
Poverty, Samosa & Jalebi
Institutions like the ICMR are trusted for scientific advice to the public. Its advice on jalebi & samosa is well taken, even though even these humble eats are “luxury” for the poor. Blocking their market in the name of science would be anti-commerce for the nation as millions of hands (both men & women) are gainfully engaged on them (more than on tobacco). More than that it would destroy a unique Indian Food Technology Virasat seriously. Poor quality ingredients should not be blamed for harmful effects of a final product of common consumption, samosa, jalebi, gulab jamun or others on the list of special instructions. I know that eating chocolates, biscuits etc is dangerous for health in comparison to gulab jamun or jalebi. Some brand names deserve to be catalogued by the ministry of food processing for technological archives and research. Beria ki desi ghee jalebi (Pratapgarh-Raj), Mava Mishri (Kota-Raj) or Valushayee/Gulab Jamun/Imarti (Karauli-Raj). Isn’t Golgappa a technological marvel of the food industry?
M L Gupta
Cumbersome and incoherent content in the RTI application
The appellant sought details of non-compliance towards certain appeals communicated to CIC. The CIC observed that the case is premised on cumbersome and incoherent contents placed on record by the Appellant and the grouse of the Appellant is his alleged pending appeal(s)/letter(s). The CIC noted that the averred replies were mere reference letters quoted by the Appellant in the preface to his RTI Application and yet the Appellant chose to argue at length against these replies in the First Appeal when these were not even the actual RTI queries. The CIC commented on the sheer enormity of the jumbled contents of the instant RTI Application and the fact that it is framed as though the Appellant is filing a grievance petition, and not being clear about what exactly the reference letter(s) are. The CIC pointed to the preface to the RTI Application which refered to different letter(s), thus causing much of unwarranted confusion and making the task of deciphering the desired information onerous. The CIC dismissed the appeal remarking that RTI Act did not envisage the exercise of right to information in such a frivolous manner.
Comments
Sometimes a PIO comes across an application containing ramblings making it nearly impossible to comprehend what is the information being sought. Such inarticulate disjoined applications makes it nearly difficult to provide any meaningful information.
Citation: B Parameshwar v. Central Information Commission, CIC/CICOM/A/2024/113340; Date of Decision: 23.05.2025
Dr Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is a RTI Consultant currently working with IIM Vishakhapatnam. She has co-authored the books PIO’s Guide to RTI and Right to Information – Law and Practice. Her weekly article is being published since 2008 on this site. She offers consultancy on RTI matters and third party audit to individuals / organisations. Her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation at the link https://www.rtifoundationofindia.com
