India’s civil service appears to be over­stretched and losing experienced and senior officers make the situation even worse. The condition is more pathetic in the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) cadre. As per government data, as many as 853 officers of the IRS cadre have taken voluntary retirement in last decade. Analysing year-wise data, twenty IRS (Income Tax) Group A officers took VR in 2014, 19 in 2015, 14 in 2016, 15 in 2017, 35 in 2018, 31 in 2019, 23 in 2020, 53 in 2021, 58 in 2022, 58 in 2023 and 57 in 2024. Also, 24 IRS (Customs and Indirect Taxes) Group A officers took VR in 2014, 30 in 2015, 40 in 2016, 30 in 2017, 45 in 2018, 61 in 2019, 32 in 2020, 30 in 2021, 49 in 2022, 56 in 2023 and 73 in 2024. If this trend con­tin­ues, who will keep the machinery of gov­ernance running?.

Kotak Mahindra Bank is advancing discussions to potentially acquire IDBI Bank, marking a major development in the Indian banking sector. After a period of relative silence in the bidding process, Kotak has re-emerged as a strong contender alongside international players such as Emirates NBD, Fairfax Financial, and Oaktree Capital. The government, which currently holds a 45.48% stake in IDBI Bank while LIC controls 49.24%, is looking to divest a controlling 60.72% stake, valued between $8-10 billion. Kotak’s active engagement in the process, including final rounds of due diligence, signals serious intent, especially as final bids are expected within the next quarter and a decision by the financial year’s end is likely.

The acquisition would not only provide Kotak with a significant expansion of its banking footprint but also reshape the competitive landscape among Indian lenders, given the scale and strategic value of IDBI Bank. The deal is anticipated to be one of the largest in India’s banking history and would grant the winner considerable influence over IDBI’s operations, subject to regulatory limitations on voting rights.

Predictions indicate a “promotion wave” for 2015-2020 batch IAS in UP and Punjab by November 2025, filling 20% cadre gaps amid retirements (e.g., 21 IAS retirements in September 2025 nationwide.

Andhra is the “bright spot” for IAS talent production (highest per capita in India, per DoPT data).There are whispers of cadre fatigue in Kerala due to unresolved transfer litigations, predicting a mass IPS reshuffle post-Onam 2026 to address promotion backlogs

Net direct tax mop-up rose 6.3% to ₹11.89 lakh crore (as of September 30, 2025), driven by personal income tax; refunds dipped 16% due to stricter checks. ITR filing for AY 2025-26 closed September 16 with 7.5 crore returns, despite portal issues.

Speculation of “GST 3.0” rollout in 2026, including stricter ITC validation and CTO discretion on invalid credits, potentially adding penalties back to 2017. Predictions of higher evasion probes post-Diwali, with freebies (e.g., Ladli Behan, Bihar schemes) funding via expanded tax nets. Trend: Shift to AI-driven audits reducing human bias but increasing disputes.

The tenure of Rajesh Chandra, CVO, Defence Accounts, has been extended for a period of two years beyond December 11, 2025. He is an IDAS officer.

Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences  (CeNS), Bengaluru, has advertised the post of Director. Applications can be sent to gcchair@cens.res.in.

Sports Authority of India (SAI) has invited applications for the post of Junior Estimator and Quantity Surveyor on contract basis. Online applications can be submitted latest by November 1, 2025.

Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) has advertised the post of Chief Project Manager for Patna on deputation basis. . Applications must reach latest by November 6, 2025.

Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has invited third phase of applications for various posts on deputation basis. These posts include Senior Environmental Engineer, Environmental Engineer, Senior Scientist L-I, Assistant Environmental Engineer, Scientist-B, System Analyst and Programmer on deputation basis. Applications must reach latest by October 31, 2025.

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) has invited applications from IRSE/ Civil Engineering officers for the post of Additional General Manager/ Joint General Manager-Civil. The vacancies are for Yavatmal, Nagpur and Nanded. Applications can be sent to rvnl.deputation@rvnl.org.

Post of Additional Chief Executive Officer (ACEO) in Government eMarketplace (GeM) on deputation basis has been advertised.Applications must reach latest by November 12, 2025.

As many as 42 candidates have been recommended by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for 51 posts of Assistant Director of Operations in Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Civil Aviation. The interviews were held in September 2025.

Ravindra Kumar Tyagi, Chairman & Managing Director, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), a Maharatna CPSU under Ministry of Power, Govt. of India, has been conferred the degree of Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) by Punjab Engineering College (deemed to be University), Chandigarh, in recognition of his outstanding contributions in the growth of Power Sector in India including contributions in the field of Electrical Engineering, Science & Technology. The honorary doctorate was bestowed upon Shri R. K. Tyagi by Shri Gulab Chand Kataria, Hon’ble Governor of Punjab and Administrator, UT Chandigarh, during the 55th Convocation Ceremony of the institution held at Chandigarh. Tyagi has pioneered 1200 kV systems, environment friendly transformers, AI-based asset management and process-based substations. He has represented India in several international committees and chaired multiple technical bodies such as Electrotechnical division, BIS and CIGRE study groups, which has contributed to the development of international technical standards in power sector. He has also authored multiple high impact papers for reputed national and international journals. He is a recipient of numerous awards, such as CBIP Individual Award 2025, PSU Leadership Award 2025, ET Energy Leadership Award, International Electrotechnical Commission 1906 Award and International Council on Large Electric System Paris Award. Tyagi is an Electrical Engineer from Punjab Engineering College (PEC), Chandigarh and has completed M. (Tech) in Energy Studies from IIT Delhi. He is a “Fulbright Scholar” from Carnegie Mellon University, USA. During his 35 years of industry rich experience in Power Sector, he held various key positions in leading power CPSUs. He has handled multi-disciplinary works in various business areas of POWERGRID, such as, Asset Management, Engineering, Business Development (domestic and overseas), Telecom, Load Despatch & Communication, NTAMC, DMS etc.

Ashutosh Singh has been inducted as Superintendent of Police (SP) in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a period of five years. He is a 2012 batch IPS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre.

Saurabh Gupta has been inducted as Superintendent of Police (SP) in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a period of five years. He is a 2018 batch IPS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre.

Vijay Kumar Singh has been appointed as Principal Chief Controller of Accounts, Ministry of PSW and Ministry of RTH, New Delhi. He is a HAG level 1995 batch ICAS officer.

Dr Ajay Shanker Singh has been appointed as Principal Chief Controller of Accounts, Ministry of Home Affairs. He is a HAG level 1994 batch ICAS officer.

India added 6 new unicorns in 2025 (as of October 14), reaching 123 total, led by consumer (57) and retail (40) sectors. Recent: Navi (fintech unicorn, September 11, 2025). Funding: $12.8B across 1.51K rounds till October. Predictions: 10 more unicorns by year-end, driven by AI and EV.

Reo.dev raised $4M (October 12, 2025) for AI-native GTM platform targeting DevTools; Dhan topped $331M funding week (October 6-11). India Accelerator launched 10,000 sq ft Surat incubator for 50-60 startups/year.

Zomato is reportedly  piloting ad spaces on delivery bags with CARS24.

Arpit Agarwal has been appointed as Managing Director of National Fittings Limited.

 

Jayaram Govindarajan has been appointed as Joint Managing Director of National Fittings Limited.

Anil Kumar Agarwal has been appointed as Additional Director of National Fittings Limited. 

Ms. Nithyalakshmi Subramanian has been appointed as Additional Director (Non-Executive Independent Woman) of Royal Orchid Hotels Limited.

Natrajan Ramkrishna has ceased to be Non-Executive Independent Director of Solar Industries India Limited upon completion of his tenure.

Sudhir Kumar Jain has ceased to be Independent Director of Gujarat State Petronet Limited.

Bhadresh Mehta has ceased to be Independent Director of Gujarat State Petronet Limited

Diwali greetings 

Diwali wishes to entire Whispers family 

Krishna Garg

Time limit for replying to the RTI application not followed

Vide RTI application dated 29.04.2024, the appellant sought information about the Provident Fund Statement, PF trust being declared unexempted, his PF amount transferred to EPFO department etc. but did not receive any response. During hearing, upon the CIC’s query on not replying to the appellant within stipulated time limit, the respondent submitted that the earlier CPIO retired, and he has recently joined the respondent’s office and was not aware of the online RTI application. To this, the CIC questioned how an online RTI application can go unnoticed. In terms of the information to be furnished, the CIC observed that the respondent gave an appropriate reply to the appellant vide written submission dated 07.10.2025. Therefore, no further intervention of the Commission is required. Further, the CIC took a serious view of the fact that the respondent did not reply to the appellant within stipulated time limit as per the RTI Act and issued a show cause notice to the CPIO as to why action should not be initiated against him/her for not replying to the appellant’s RTI request within prescribed time limit.

Comments

One of the basic tenets of the RTI Act is that an applicant should receive a reply within the prescribed time limit. With the digital tracking of the RTI Application, it is incumbent upon the PIO to reply as per the prescribed time period or face consequences.

Citation: Biju Soman v. Hindustan Antibiotics Limited, Second Appeal No. CIC/HINAL/A/2024/134731; Date of Decision:15.10.2025

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

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