IAS Sandeep G R ,a 2013 Batch Officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre and currently posted as Collector of Sagar has been leading a series of innovative initiatives aimed at improving nutrition, education, livelihood and environmental sustainability. His approach focuses on practical, community-driven solutions through multiple government schemes and local participation.

One of the most ambitious initiatives under his leadership is the Fruit Forest project, which began during his earlier tenure in Chhatarpur and is now being expanded in Sagar.Instead of conventional plantations where saplings often fail to survive, the administration adopted a permaculture based three-layer plantation model consisting of canopy trees like mango, mid-layer fruit trees such as guava and shrubs like lemon.

Under this encroached government land along lakes and water bodies was cleared and desilted before the plantation was carried out. Additionally proper fencing and drip irrigation is done to improve survival rates. Women Self-Help Groups have also been involved, growing vegetables between the young trees until the fruit trees mature.

So far, around five lakh fruit trees have been planted,with a target of reaching ten lakh trees in three years.Additionally it has also started attracting migratory birds adding to the biodiversity of the region. The project has also found its mention in Prime Minister’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’.

“The idea came from the fact that if the government is planting trees, why not plant fruit trees that can also address nutrition and hunger while creating livelihoods.” Sandeep G R quoted

Looking ahead the administration aims to turn the region into a fruit processing hub attracting small industries such as jam and ice-cream producers inturn strengthening the district’s local economy.

Project Udaan

Education remains another key priority through Project Udaan,which aims to support students preparing for competitive examinations such as IIT-JEE,NEET and also promote non-traditional exams.The initiative focuses particularly on students in tribal hostels who often lack access to quality coaching and learning spaces.

As part of the initiative, a modern state-of-the-art public library has been developed encouraging a culture of reading and learning. Explaining the vision behind the project, Sandeep says“The most important building in a city should be a place where children come to learn and grow.”

Rangeen Roti Campaign

In health,a unique concept has been introduced the Rangeen Roti campaign to tackle anaemia and improve nutrition among women and children.Under this initiative,rotis are prepared using iron-rich ingredients such as moringa leaves, spinach and beetroot.The colourful rotis make it easy to monitor whether nutritious ingredients are being added while also improving haemoglobin levels through better iron intake.

Project Shraddhanjali

Last but not least, on the administrative side Project Shraddhanjali has set a testament of compassionate governance by streamlining appointments for families of deceased government employees.By closely monitoring applications and simplifying the process, the district has facilitated over 100 compassionate appointments within eight months ensuring timely support to affected families.“It is a small but important way of showing respect to our employees by ensuring their families are taken care of”.

Mahesh Chandra Laddha has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of AP cadre.

Malothu Ramulu Naik has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Bihar cadre.

Ratn Sanjay Katiyar has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Bihar cadre.

Amit Kumar has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre.

Patel Piyush Purusottam Das has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Gujarat cadre.

Rajiv Ranjan Bhagat has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Gujarat cadre.

Dinesh Kumar Yadav has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of HP cadre.

Vikas Kumar Arora has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Haryana cadre.

Ashok Yadav has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Kerala cadre.

Dinendra Kashyap has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Kerala cadre.

H Venkatesh has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Kerala cadre.

Pankaj Kumar Thakur has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Karnataka cadre.

Soumendu Mukherjee has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Karnataka cadre.

Rajesh Kumar has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Maharashtra cadre.

Santosh Rastogi has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Maharashtra cadre.

Anshuman Yadav has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre.

Sajid Farid Shapoo has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre.

S Dev Dutta Singh has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Odisha cadre.

Nilabh Kishore has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Punjab cadre.

Vikram Singh Mann has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Telangana cadre.

Avi Prakash has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre.

Vidya Jayant Kulkarni has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre.

Arvinder Singh has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Tripura cadre.

Rajesh Shrihari Kamble has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Tripura cadre.

Ajay Prakash Anshuman has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Uttarakhand cadre.

Piyush Mordia has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) and Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre.

Vineet Agarwal has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1994 batch IPS officer of Maharashtra cadre.

Sanjay Mathur has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1994 batch IPS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre.

Narendra Singh Bundela has been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of AGMUT cadre.

Gopesh Aggarwalhas been empaneled for holding Additional Director General (ADG) equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IPS officer of Kerala cadre.

Dr Vijay Suryawanshi has been posted as Municipal Commissioner, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, Pimpri, Pune, while Bapu Pawar was Chief Executive Officer, Maharashtra Medical Goods Procurement Authority, Mumbai and Mahesh Awhad is Chairman and Managing Director, Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited.

The man is none other than Mukesh Ambani, showcasing his increasing prominence in the country. Recent meet and greet of Dignitaries at Ambani’s residence has gained quite a momentum and is a clear indication of this.

The central deputation tenure of Ms Pallavi Singh working as Director in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has been extended for a period of two years upto April 11, 2028. She is a 2008 batch IRPS officer.

Prashant Kumar Mishra has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to C R Patil, Minister for Jal Shakti at Deputy Secretary level. He is a 2014 batch IAS officer of Karnataka cadre.

Two IAS officers have been given additional charge in Rajasthan. Mrs Garima Narula, SDO and SDM, Ajmer, will also hold charge of SDO and SDM, Kishangarh (Ajmer) up to March 26, while Arun Kumar Jain, Assistant Collector, Bhilwara, was assigned additional charge of SDO and SDM, Bhilwara up to March 26. Besides, services of Rajat Yadav and Akshat Kumar Singh have been handed over to Rajasthan State Civil Service War Room, Jaipur up to March 26.

Cadre of Vidyanshu Shekhar Jha has been transferred from Jharkhand to Uttar Pradesh on grounds of marriage to IAS Ms Sweta. He is a 2025 batch IAS officer

Four IAS officers have been given new responsibilities in W Bengal. Shashank Sethi has been appointed as Additional DG, Netaji Subhas Administrative Institute, while Mrs R Vimala will join as MD, WBSIDC, Department of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises and Textiles (MSME & T). Similarly, Vibhu Goel was made State Project Director, Sarba Shiksha Mission, School Education Department and Rajesh Pandey, ACS, Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Textiles will also handle charge of ACS, Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department, in addition to his present duties.

No empanelment of 1995 batch IAS officer for holding either Secretary or Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India from Uttarakhand cadre.

No empanelment of 2001 batch IAS officer for holding either Additional Secretary or Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India from Tamil Nadu cadre.

The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) is holding interviews for the post of Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA)) on March 16, 2026.

The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) is holding interviews for the post of Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL) on March 16, 2026.

 The Supreme Court approved the Central government’s proposal to extend the terms of chairpersons and members of various national tribunals (e.g., under the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal, National Green Tribunal) who are set to retire soon, till September 8, 2026. This interim measure addresses vacancies while a new tribunal law is prepared. Chief Justice Surya Kant stressed accountability, questioning extensions for underperforming members.

 The Supreme Court granted all women judges in First and Second Level Courts (including High Courts and district courts) a day off on March 9, 2026, as part of International Women’s Day observances, promoting work-life balance and gender inclusivity in judicial functioning.

 A few social media posts criticised the IAS as “modern feudalism,” predicting external pressures (e.g., economic shifts in southern states) could force reforms like mandatory private-sector deputations for IPS officers in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

 

 Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced progress on training 85,000 engineers in semiconductor design by 2030, with southern states (Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana) as hubs. This involves IAS/IFoS deputations to ISM projects; 20,000 engineers have been trained in Phase 1.

Whispers in the region highlight southern states’ (Tamil Nadu’s manufacturing, Kerala’s remittances, Karnataka’s tech) disproportionate tax contributions vs. returns. Speculations are rife that this could lead to IAS-led policy lobbies for better fund devolution, with new projects like Tamil Nadu’s Global Tourism Summit 2026. Odisha has focussed on Green energy deputations for IFoS officers.

 On March 6, 2026, Secretary Saurabh Garg (IAS) announced expansion of high-frequency indicators, including a new Index of Services Production (ISP) to track southern economies (e.g., Kerala’s services sector). This involves IPS/IFoS data integration projects, trending as a “data-for-development” initiative. 14

Echoing national pushes, it has been noted that J&K’s DDO training model (6,478 officers on IFMS/SNA-SPARSH), speculated for replication in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana by Q2 2026 to upgrade IAS financial skills. This shows a decline in Punjab’s IAS/IPS contributions, shifting reliance to southern talent pools.

Move from zonal to grouped cadres promotes mobility, reducing “home-state bias” in postings—beneficial for Odisha/Kerala’s vacancy-prone areas.

Tech upskilling (semiconductors) and data-driven governance are rising, with southern states as pilots. UPSC’s 2026 attempt curbs may diversify officer profiles.

Alok Verma, Director in-charge (Rourkela Steel Plant), is in the race for the post of Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) falling vacant on April 3, 2026.

The Ministry of Defence inked two contracts worth ₹5,083 crore: ₹2,901 crore with HAL for six Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) Mk-III for the Indian Coast Guard (enhancing maritime surveillance and SAR ops), and ₹2,182 crore with Russia’s Rosoboronexport for Shtil vertical-launch surface-to-air missile systems for Navy warships. These involve 200+ MSMEs and 65 lakh man-hours, aligning with Atmanirbhar Bharat. Deliveries start 2027; whispers suggest this paves way for joint Indo-Russian drone integrations.

Proposals were submitted to the Railway Board for final location surveys of six new railway lines and high-speed rail corridors in Andhra Pradesh, focusing on improved regional connectivity. Key proposed lines include Hyderabad to Markapuram via Srisailam (290 km) for pilgrimage routes, Macherla–Gadwal (184 km), Nellore–Rajampet (120 km), Samarlakota–Chinturu (150 km), and Kalyandurg–Anantapur (58 km). These developments aim to boost economic integration and freight movement in southern India.

 Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Dharwad signed an MoU with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad—an ISRO unit—to foster joint research in remote sensing, geospatial data analytics, and satellite applications. The agreement promotes academic exchanges, capacity building, and societal applications like disaster management and environmental monitoring. NRSC Director Dr. Prakash Chauhan delivered a keynote on satellite data advancements during the signing event, attended by IIT Dharwad Director Prof. Venkappayya R. Desai and faculty. This builds on ISRO’s push for tech transfer to academic institutes.

In all, 16 institutional initiatives under NEP 2020 to integrate Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) into higher education curricula and research. These span IITs, IIMs, and central universities, focusing on Sanskrit, Ayurveda, and holistic sciences.

Credentials may lose monopoly to “outcome warranties” in education; foreign university TNE enrolments up 7.8%, but “fake data” scandals (e.g., Galgotias robotic dog claim) fuel skepticism. Budget hikes mask equity issues, per February analyses. Rumours predicts ISRO-AIIMS MoU as precursor to more health-space tie-ups.

Mrs. Neelu Garg was appointed as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on central deputation by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on March 5, 2026. A 2005-batch IPS officer of Uttarakhand cadre, she was serving as IG at the time of her deputation.

 The Central Government notified the transfer of Justice Lisa Gill from the Punjab and Haryana High Court to the Andhra Pradesh High Court. This move is part of inter-high court reshuffles to balance judicial workload and expertise.

The Bombay High Court released a select list of judicial officers for promotion to the post of District Judge through accelerated promotion (10% quota) in Maharashtra. This upgradation recognises meritorious service and addresses judicial vacancies.

The Delhi High Court designated several practitioners as Senior Advocates, granting them expanded privileges in court proceedings and recognising their contributions to legal advocacy. This upgradation bolsters the pool of expert counsel for higher judiciary matters.

Ministry of Home Affairs has advertised the post of Deputy Director (Solution Security) (Delhi, Bengaluru) in National Intelligence Grid. Details can be availed from the Ministry’s website.

National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC), New Delhi on behalf of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare is seeking applications from qualified candidates for the post of Consultant-Laboratory, National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme, MoHFW. Applications must reach latest by March 24, 2026.

Cadaba Devnath Balaji and Raghunath Prasad Tripathi have been empanelled for appointment as IEMs. Both are from Government e Marketplace (GeM).

Sanjeev Behari and B Siddhartha Kumar have been empanelled for appointment as IEMs. Both are from Green Gas Limited (GGL).

Dr M Malakondaiah has been empanelled for appointment as IEM. He is a 1985 batch IPS officer and retired as DGP, AP (HOPF).

M Akhaya has been empanelled for appointment as IEM. He is a 1988 batch IPS officer and retired as DG, Fire Services, CG, HG & Dir Civil Defence.

Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited is seeking to fill five posts of General Manager (Coordination) for Bhusaval/Jalgaon, Nagpur, Raipur, Jharsaguda & Tatanagar. Applications must reach latest by April 1, 2026.

World bank is seeking Associate Information Management Officer for Sofia, Bulgaria. Applications must reach latest by March 23, 2026.

World bank has advertised the post of AI Solutions Analyst for Washington, DC, United States. Applications must reach latest by March 20, 2026.

Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SIFO) has advertised the post of Sr Asstt Director (Capital Market) for Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai on deputation basis. Applications must reach latest by April 30, 2026.

Gajbhiye Prashant Kumar P, who is presently posted as Senior Divisional Operations Manager (Sr. DOM/B), Central Railway (CR), has been selected for deputation to Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) as Regional General Manager (RGM)/Mumbai/EPS for a period of five years. He is an Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer.

Brij Lal Meena, a Group ‘B’ officer of the Civil Engineering Department of Northeast Frontier Railway (Construction), has been transferred to North Western Railway (NWR), on his own request and posted in the cadre.

Sheikh Sami Ur Rahman, who is presently posted in North Eastern Railway (NER), has been transferred to South East Central Railway (SECR), on his own request and posted in the cadre. He is an Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer.

Dheeraj Agarwal, who is presently posted in South Western Railway (SWR), has been transferred to North Central Railway (NCR), on his own request and posted in the cadre. He is an Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer.

T Krishnakumar has been re-appointed as Independent Director of EID Parry (India) Limited with effect from May 6, 2026.

Sourabh Parnami has been appointed as Additional Director (Non-Executive Independent) of Raconteur Global Resources Limited

Ms Amarveer Kaur Chadha has been re-appointed as Whole-time Director of Worth Peripherals Limited.

Bhupinder Kumar has been appointed as Government Nominee Director on the Board of Oil India Limited.

Rajinder Kumar Verma has resigned from the position of Non-Executive Independent Director of Archies Limited.

Satish Heda has resigned from the position of Independent Director of Shiva Granito Export Limited.

Anand Pravin Pande has resigned from the position of Non-Executive Director of Icodex Publishing Solutions Limited with effect from February 4, 2026.

Choose someone from Army

If SAIL has to survive Govt. Should find out someone from Army instead of these people

Raj B. Gupta.

Personnel are not honest

Indian Management personnel are not honest be they from top institutes. They will sell PSU banks secretly to their known people and vanish. Another wasteful exercise. Ex is Civil services. Have you seen their qualities?

V S Balassubramanian

Allegation that the South Eastern Coalfields Ltd did not allow him to appear in the first appeal

The appellant sought certified copy of compassionate appointment order, entire application process etc. of a third-party and the same was denied under section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act. The respondent submitted that the appellant was informed of the first appeal hearing scheduled on 25.04.2024 vide letter dated 16.04.2024 but, he did not come for the hearing and has wrongly alleged in the instant second appeal that they did not allow him to appear in first appeal. The CIC observed that the respondent gave an appropriate reply to the appellant and dismissed the appeal holding that no further intervention is required.

Comments

To make the RTI Act effective, both the appellant and the respondent should maintain transparency in their conduct.

Citation: D. K. Soni v. South Eastern Coalfields Limited, Second Appeal No. CIC/SECFL/A/2024/117153; Date of Decision:05.12.2025.

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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