Collector Hyderabad is redefining what compassionate governance looks like by bringing together the energy of youth and experience of its elderly. Leading this shift is IAS Harichandana Dasari, the 2010-batch Telangana cadre officer currently serving as Collector of Hyderabad.

Known for making governance more accessible, empathetic and rooted in real community needs, her recent initiative “Senior Saathi” has quickly become a standout effort offering practical and emotional support to senior citizens in a fast-changing urban landscape. “I am particularly passionate about our Senior Saathis program.” She shared 

Senior Saathi: A Compassionate Bridge Between Generations 

The Senior Saathi initiative is a first-of-its-kind intergenerational companionship programme designed to address one of the most overlooked challenges in urban India, lack of  companionship and purpose during old age. “13.4% of older adults (aged 60+) reported frequent feelings of loneliness & depression, associated with illnesses like Alzheimers, dementia, and cognitive decline.”

Recognizing that a rapidly modernising city like Hyderabad, where children often live abroad and nuclear families are the norm, thousands of elderly residents quietly navigate long days without companionship. Loneliness, digital helplessness and fear of online frauds have become struggles for many.

To counter this, the programme brings together youth volunteers called Saath is and senior citizens for meaningful weekend interactions. Young people commit four hours a week to spend time with the elderly in community halls, parks, senior citizen clubs or designated gathering spaces. These engagements range from casual conversations, playing indoor games and taking walks to learning digital tools such as using mobile phones, navigating WhatsApp or avoiding online scams.

Based on a simple philosophy of Companionship Over Caregiving , the initiative is not meant to provide caregiving, but companionship rooted in empathy and dignity. Elders share life experiences, skills and knowledge while youth offer energy, time and a sense of connection-creating a mutual exchange that enriches both generations.

To ensure safety and trust, volunteers undergo training and basic background checks. In coordination with the Hyderabad District Collector’s Office, interactions are monitored with the support of Resident Welfare Associations,the Senior Citizens Welfare Department and organisations like Youngistaan Foundation. The design of the programme emphasises dignity, boundaries and comfort-no medical duties, no financial involvement and no home entry unless mutually agreed upon. “This is a multi-stakeholder initiative, Everyone has a role to play, and the programme is designed to be deeply impactful.”

WhatsApp Administration: Governance at Citizens’ Fingertips

Another major step under Dasari leadership is the introduction of WhatsApp-based public service delivery, making Hyderabad one of the most digitally accessible districts in India. Citizens can now obtain services such as caste certificates, birth certificates, revenue petitions, pensions and more through a simple WhatsApp chat. “The platform is user-friendly, disabled-friendly, and available in Telugu and Hindi, ensuring seamless access for diverse populations” She shared 

IAS Harichandana Dasari is not just improving living standards but the overall quality of life, showing that true progress is measured not only in development but in how a city cares for its people. Through every weekend conversation and every WhatsApp interaction, Hyderabad is steadily building a more inclusive and compassionate future.

Manisha Sinha has been empanelled for holding Secretary and equivalent posts in the Government of India. Sinha is a 1992 batch IPoS officer.

Ramesh Krishnamurthi has been empanelled for holding Secretary and Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1992 batch IRS-IT officer.

Vishvajit Sahay has been empanelled for holding Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1990 batch IDAS officer.

Asit Gopal has been empanelled for holding Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1990 batch IFoS officer of MP cadre.

Suchindra Misra has been empanelled for holding Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1992 batch IDAS officer.

Vandana Jain has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary and Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. She is a 1991 batch CSS officer.

Nidhi Pandey has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary and Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. She is a 1991 batch IIS officer.

Arvind Kumar Nautiyal has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary and Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1992 batch IRSME officer.

Sanjay Aggarwal has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary and Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1992 batch IRSS officer.

Satinder Kumar Bhalla has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary and Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1992 batch ITS officer.

Ansuman Pattnaik has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary and Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1942 batch IRS-IT officer.

Manoj Kumar has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary and Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1994 batch IRS-IT officer.

Ateesh Kumar Singh has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary and Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1994 batch IRTS officer.

Jayant Singh has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary and Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1994 batch IRTS officer.

Rakesh Mittal has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary and Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1995 batch IDES officer.

Alok Prem Nagar has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary and Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1995 batch IFoS officer of HP cadre.

D Sai Amutha Devi has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary and Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. Devi is a 1995 batch IP&TA&FS officer.

Chetan Prakash Jain has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary and Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1995 batch IRPS officer.

Kesang Yangzom Sherpa has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary and Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1995 batch IRS-IT officer.

Nigar Fatima Husain has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary and Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. She is a 1996 batch IDES officer.

Aparna Bhatia has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary and Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. She is a 1996 batch IES officer.

Ballepu Radhika Chakravarthy has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary and Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. She is a 1996 batch IPoS officer.

Satwant Atwal Trivedi has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary and Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1996 batch IPS officer of HP cadre.

Vedveer Arya has been empaneled for holding Additional Secretary and Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1997 batch IDAS officer.

Hari Har Mishra has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary and Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IDAS officer.

Manish Tripathi has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary and Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1998 batch IDAS officer.

Veena Kumari Dermal has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary and Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. Dermal is a 1998 batch IPoS officer.

D Saibaba has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. Dermal is a 1992 batch IRSME officer.

Dinesh Mahur has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. Dermal is a 1992 batch ITS officer.

Mukesh Mangal has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1992 batch ITS officer.

Meenaxi Rawat has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. Rawat is a 1993 batch IES officer.

Kumar Sanjay Bariar has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. Bariar is a 1993 batch IP&TA&FS officer.

Mayank Tiwari has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1993 batch IRSME officer.

Archana Sharma Awasthi has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. She is a 1994 batch IRS-IT officer.

Nitesh Kumar Mishra has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1995 batch ICAS officer.

Anupam Mishra has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1995 batch IES officer.

Yashvir Singh has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1995 batch IES officer.

Anu Nagar has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. Nagar is a 1995 batch IFoS officer of HP cadre.

Anita Karn has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. Karn is a 1997 batch IFoS officer of Gujarat cadre.

Debolina Thakur has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. Thakur is a 1998 batch IA&AS officer.

The Government of India has released a list of cadre allocation for the candidates cleared UPSC Civil Services Examination-2024. The names of the candidates are at following link: https://whispersinthecorridors.com/uploads/pdf/CSE-2024.pdf

The central deputation tenure of Shoyabahmed Kalal working as Director, NITI Aayog has been extended upto December 6, 2027. He is a 2011 batch IES officer.

Ms Sandhya Bhullar, Joint Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade, has been given premature repatriation to her parent cadre. She is a 2003 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre.

Lochan Sehra, Joint Secretary, IN-SPACe, Ahmedabad, has been given premature repatriation to his parent cadre. He is a 2002 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre.

Vinit Kumar, CVO, NEPA Limited, Nepanagar in Madhya Pradesh, has been given premature repatriation to his parent cadre on personal grounds. He is a 2013 batch IRS-C&CE officer.

The central deputation tenure of Ms Nishtha Tiwari working as Director in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been extended upto December 9, 2027. She is a 2005 batch IRS-IT officer.

Dr Vishal has been appointed as Secretary, Infrastructure Development Department while Dr Vishal R was given additional charge of Secretary, Fiscal Reforms and Mrs Jyothi K is Secretary, Karnataka PSC, Bengaluru in Karnataka.

As many as six IAS officers of 2012 batch have been promoted to Selection Grade in Karnataka. The officers are: Basavarajendra H, Dr Gopala Krishna, Dr Shiva Shankara N,  Karee Gowda, Mrs Kavitha S Mannikeri, Shivananda Kapashi.

As many as 127 IRS (C&IT) officers working in Junior Administrative Grade in the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs have been granted Non-Functional Selection Grade (NFSG) in the rank of Additional Commissioner of Customs and Indirect Taxes. Click the link below for the complete list: https://whispersinthecorridors.com/uploads/pdf/127IRS.pdf

Consequent upon allocation to the Indian Police Service (IPS) on the basis of the result of Civil Services Examination-2024, the DGFT has accepted the Technical Resignation of Ms. N. Chetana Reddy, (Probationer) from the Indian Trade Service (ITS).

Two officers-Ms Kriti Chugh and Pyare Lal Meen have joined the DGFT as Dy DGFT and FTDO respectively in October this year but the HQ issued the order on Dec 4, 2025 which says that both officers are taken on strength of the DGFT on October 13, 2025.

The CGDA has transferred two IDAS officers. Now, Rajendra Pratap Singh, 1999 batch, will be CDA(Navy/CG), New Delhi and Ms Mini Sri Bisht , 2001 batch, has been posted as CDA(IDS) New Delhi. Both are SAG level officers.

Vijay Kumar Singh has been empanelled for holding Additional Secretary equivalent posts in the Government of India. He is a 1995 batch ICAS officer.

DoNER Ministry allocated ₹15,905.86 crore to NE states over the last five years (revised estimates), with focus on SRE for IPS-led security. Calls for AFSPA review in Manipur/Nagaland amid peace talks

 In the winter session, the government confirmed OPS benefits for 5,356 out of 26,324 retired employees (including IAS/IPS retirees), addressing arrears delayed by central funds. This upgrades post-retirement financial security.

Speculation on Winter Session passage to merge UGC/AICTE/others into single regulator, predicting faster reforms but state autonomy concerns.

Mumbai Port Authority (MPA) has advertised the post of Deputy Chief Mechanical Engineer. Applications for the same must reach latest by January 21, 2026.

Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) has advertised the posts of Joint General Manager and Deputy General Manager (F&A) for Delhi. Applications for the same must reach latest by January 7, 2026.

RITES Limited has invited applications from IRSME officers to fill the post of General Manager and Group General Manager - Mechanical at Gurugram. CVs can be sent at sbu.hr2rites.com and kapil.soni3@rites.com.

Ministry of Civil Aviation is hiring two Young Professionals (YPs) for Domestic Transport Division on contract basis. Details can be availed from https://www.civilaviation.gov.in/.

Ministry of Jal Shakti has advertised the post of Chairman, National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), New Delhi on deputation basis. Details can be availed from https://www.jalshakti-dowr.gov.in. CVs can be emailed at persinfotech@nic.in and diracc@nic.in.

World Bank is seeking Senior IT Officer, Business Solutions I (Senior Solutions Architect) for Chennai. Applications must reach latest by December 22, 2025.

IAS officers have been assigned new responsibilities in Bihar. K Senthil Kumar, Principal Secretary, Planning and Development Department, with additional charge of Secretary, Bihar State Planning Board and Project Director, Bihar Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Society, will also hold charge of PS, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Welfare Department and will continue as CEO, Mahadalit Vikas Mission and MD, Bihar State SC Cooperative Development Corporation. Similarly, Pankaj Kumar Pal, Secretary, Public Health Engineering Department, has been given additional responsibility of Secretary, Road Construction Department; Abhay Kumar Singh has been transferred as Secretary, Food and Consumer Protection and will continue to serve as Secretary, IT Department and MD, BELTRON; Divesh Sehra will join as Secretary, Rural Works Department and will continue to hold additional charges in the GAD and Mineral Development Corporation; Saravanan M will join General Administration Department and Sandeep Kumar Pudakalakatti was shifted as Secretary, Urban Development and Housing Department and will continue to hold charge of MD, Patna Metro Rail Corporation.

As many as 13 IAS officers have been given field posting as Collector and District Magistrate of various districts. Shrikant Shastri has been appointed as Collector and District Magistrate (DM), Begusarai, while Taranjot Singh will join as Collector and DM, West Champaran, Bettiah and Vivek Ranjan Maitreya is now Collector and DM, Siwan. Similarly, Mrs Abhilasha Sharma is posted as Collector and DM, Aurangabad; Ashutosh Dwivedi as Collector and DM, Katihar; Mrs Pratima Rani as Collector and DM, Shivhar; Vaibhav Srivastava as Collector and DM, Saran (Chhapra); Vinod Duhan as Collector and DM, Araria; Abhishek Ranjan as Collector and DM, Madhepura; Shekhar Anand as Collector and DM, Sheikhpura; Anusha Bais as  Collector and DM, Arwal; Mrs Sahila as Collector and DM, Buxar and Nitin Kumar Singh has been shifted as Collector and DM of Kaimur (Bhabua).

A Meeting was held in parliament house on Wednesday noon to select , CVC & CIC,  PM Modi chaired the meeting,  LOP Rahul Gandhi & Home Minister Amit Shah were also present in the meeting. Details are yet to be known.

Building on the notable success of SAKSHAM 1.0, HURL signed an MoU at its Corporate Office to launch SAKSHAM 2.0, a transformative CSR skill development initiative designed to uplift unemployed and underprivileged youth from Gorakhpur, Sindri, Dhanbad, Barauni and Begusarai. The ceremony was graced by Dr Siba Prasad Mohanty, Managing Director, HURL, in the presence of senior officials from HURL and CIPET, whose partnership forms the backbone of this impactful initiative. Under SAKSHAM 2.0, HURL and CIPET will together train 418 young beneficiaries across industry-relevant trades including plastics processing, injection moulding, recycling, and tool-room operations. The fully residential four-month programme provides structured training, accommodation, certification, industry exposure, and a monthly stipend, ensuring a complete and supportive learning ecosystem. With a strong focus on employability, the programme promises maximum placement assistance, backed by CIPET’s extensive industry linkages. This collaboration will open pathways to meaningful careers and contribute to long-term socio-economic upliftment across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand. Through SAKSHAM 2.0, HURL, together with CIPET, reaffirms its commitment to building skilled manpower, empowering communities, and enabling India’s youth to move confidently toward a brighter and self-reliant future.

GTT Data signed a MoU for 100% acquisition of Insurants AI. Vijaypd Ceutical acquired 95% of Zen Pharmaceuticals for ₹45 lakh. DreamFolks acquired 60% in Dubai-based Easy to Travel (international expansion).

Another attempt at regime change?

 A “did not go airline”, “we, not the ordinary people”, “India’s flying public”, “taxi drivers going hungry for days”, “loss of millions of hours wages for the gig workers”, “price of voters’ choice to weaken a functioning government”, “failed bureaucracy”, “regime change attempts”, “business disruption”, “ causing public inconvenience nonchalantly”, “politicians bargaining for aviation portfolio”, “ bureaucratic hankering for top posts”: end result failures galore! Indigo was no accidental occurrence, it had been brewing for days, yet no preventive measures were taken. Is that how a minister manages the ministry? Is this how a Secretary runs his ministry? Had the airline been monitored rightly, not even an hour’s disruption could have taken place. Unfortunate and ominous!

M L Gupta

Is it mandatory to have SEBI registered license for teaching about stock market?

The Appellant filed an application seeking information whether it is mandatory to have SEBI Registered License with person or company who teaching about stock market and whether SEBI takes Complaint against stock market educator person or company who is Non Registered with SEBI. The PIO replied that it cannot be construed as "information", as defined u/s 2(f) of the RTI Act as it is in the nature of seeking clarification. The CIC observed that outstretching the interpretation of Section 2(f) of the RTI Act to include deductions and inferences to be drawn by the CPIO is unwarranted and upheld that reply provided by the PIO.

Comments

Under Section 6 of the RTI Act, an applicant is entitled to get only such information which can be accessed by the public authority under any other law for the time being in force. A public authority is not required to furnish information which require drawing of inferences and/or making of assumptions. It is also not required to provide `advice' or `opinion' to an applicant, nor required to obtain and furnish any `opinion' or `advice' to an applicant. The reference to `opinion' or `advice' in the definition of `information' in section 2(f) of the Act, only refers to such material available in the records of the public authority. Further, many public authorities provide advice, guidance and opinion to the citizens as a public relation exercise. But the same is purely voluntary and should not be confused with any obligation under the RTI Act.

Citation: Akshay Vasani v. Securities And Exchange Board of India, Second Appeal No. CIC/SEBIH/A/2024/644498; Date of Decision: 31.10.2025

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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