IAS Lalit Mohan Rayal is a 2011 Batch Officer currently posted as District Magistrate in Nainital, Uttarakhand. Handling one of the most dynamic and tourism centric district, he has placed focus on land reforms, Public service delivery and Infrastructure development. Alongside his administrative career,Rayal is also a noted Hindi author and his literary work has established him as a significant voice in regional literature.

One of his key priorities in Nainital is systematic cleaning and updating of land records,an area linked to long-term law and order.A major setback, he notes has been the prolonged delay in transfer of inheritance to the successor.To resolve this, his response has been to reverse the traditional system.“The public is not coming to the administration, the administration is going to the public” he explains. Revenue inspectors and patwaris are now holding evening chaupals in villages, collecting details on the spot. “Asking when did it happen, how many successors there are, and reporting it in realtime.” The impact has been immense, in just three months 5,000 such cases have been cleared.

Parallelly, the district administration has launched a focused land-measurement and dispute-resolution Abhiyan. Encroachments on pathways, lake areas and private land, along with errors in plot numbers and ownership entries have historically caused conflicts. To counter this “Every Saturday, dedicated teams under the supervision of revenue officers visit subdivisions, carry out on-the-spot measurements and resolve matters then and there. This drive is also ongoing.” 

Another intervention has been in birth and death registrations. “When there is a delay in death and birth registration, a lot of people’s claims stop like insurance, banking and welfare benefits.” He quoted. Rayal’s administration has tied certification to social practices: death certificates are delivered respectfully during post-ritual gatherings, while birth certificates are issued around naming or havan ceremonies.

Beyond this, Nainital being a tourist hub and with even emerging centres like Kainchi Dham witnessing massive footfall- bypass roads, bridges and basic amenities are being developed. Similarly strengthening of roads, drinking water systems, Sewage and civic infrastructure is underway “Haldwani is being developed keeping in mind the next 40-50 years with projects in road widening and more” he shared

IAS Lalit Mohan Rayal with his initiatives is strengthening the doorstep governance and building a future ready Nainital.

As many as 174 officers of Indian Police Service (IPS) of various cadres and batches are due to retire in 2026.

Name of Milind Jayant Mhaiskar, a 1992-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre who serves as the Additional Chief Secretary Forests is also doing the round for the post of Commissioner Bombay Municpal Corporation in March after the superannuation of Bhushan Gagrani.

Sanjeev Khirwar has been appointed as Commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Delhi. He is a 1994 batch IAS officer of AGMUT cadre.

Mrs Vrunda Manohar Desai has been posted as the Textile Commissioner, Mumbai. She is an ITrS officer. She was posted as Addl DGFT, Delhi. 

Telangana today stands out for its strong presence of women district collectors across the state. From the capital Hyderabad, headed by IAS Harichandana Dasari, to Warangal led by IAS Dr. Satya Sharada and Karimnagar led by IAS Pamela Satpathy, women officers are leading some of the state’s most significant administrative centres

Nirmal, headed by IAS Abhilasha Abhinav; Sangareddy, headed by IAS P. Pravinya; Hanamkonda, headed by IAS Sneha Shabarish; Nizamabad, led by IAS Ila Tripathi; Mahabubnagar, led by IAS Vizendira Boyi; Narayanpet, headed by IAS Sikta Patnaik; and Siddipet, led by IAS K. Hymavathi; Rajanna Sircilla led by IAS Garima Agrawal.

The government has invited financial bids for IDBI Bank’s strategic disinvestment, marking a key step toward completing the long-pending transaction. The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) issued the invitation after securing approval from the Finance Minister-led panel. Prospective bidders have been granted a month to submit their financial offers. Before this stage, DIPAM conducted multiple rounds of discussions with interested bidders and completed all essential approvals, including security clearance and the fit-and-proper evaluation by the concerned agencies. With due diligence and procedural clearances finalized, the government aims to fast-track the remaining process. Officials indicate that efforts are underway to complete the IDBI Bank sale by the end of FY26, aligning with the broader privatization agenda and fiscal consolidation goals. The move is seen as one of the major milestones in India’s banking sector reform and asset monetization pipeline.

The upcoming Union Budget is expected to significantly scale up support for renewables, with a sharper focus on PM-KUSUM 2.0 and domestic battery manufacturing. Government discussions indicate that the next phase of PM-KUSUM may integrate battery storage with feeder-level solarisation, aligning farm power reform with grid-scale storage needs. Policy planners are weighing a consolidated clean energy and storage push, with proposals that could take the overall outlay for PM-KUSUM and associated decentralised renewable schemes beyond ₹50,000 crore over the coming years. This is likely to be backed by incentive-led financing and possible PLI-style support for advanced chemistry cell batteries and long-duration storage to reduce import dependence and build a domestic value chain. Together, these moves would position Budget 2026 as a key inflection point for India’s energy transition architecture.

Rajneesh Narain, Director (Finance), NCL, has been selected for the post of Director (Finance), Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) at a Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) meeting held on January 21, 2026. As many as eight persons were interviewed for the same.

Subodh Yadav, Additional Secretary, Water Resources, has been repatriated to his parent cadre on personal grounds. He is a 1999 batch IAS officer of Karnataka cadre.

The tenure of M Ramachandrudu as Director Census Operations has been extended for a period of three months. He is a 2009 batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre.

The central deputation tenure of Ms Aishvarya Singh working as Joint Secretary, Drinking Water has been extended for a period of one year beyond February 5, 2026. She is a 2008 batch IAS officer of Sikkim cadre.

The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) is holding interviews for the post of Director (Mining), Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) on January 23, 2026.

 The Allahabad High Court ruled that officers inducted into IAS/IPS on probation are entitled to benefits (like promotions) accruing to juniors in state service during their lien period, potentially influencing cadre management nationwide, including southern states.Directive on IPS central deputation is seen as a key development, potentially straining state cadres amid SC-mandated reductions.

The Defence Ministry discussed a Rs 3.25 lakh crore deal for 114 Rafale jets, with 80% to be built in India. This follows performance in Operation Sindoor.

 MHA flagged a renewed Pakistan-backed bid to lure Jammu & Kashmir youth across the LoC/PoK, based on intelligence reports. This has trended with calls for crackdowns, reflecting changing trends in cross-border security threats.

Dilip Gupta, who is presently posted as Chief Materials Manager (CMM/Electrical), North Central Railway, has been selected for appointment on deputation to the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) as General Manager (CPP(i)) at New Delhi for a period of five years. He is an Indian Railway Stores Service (IRSS) officer.

 

Munish Arora, who is presently posted in North Central Railway (NCR), has been selected for appointment on deputation to the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) as General Manager (PSU) at New Delhi for a period of five years or till the date of his superannuation, which is April 30, 2028. He is an Indian Railway Stores Service (IRSS) officer.

Himanshu Maheshwari, who is presently posted as Director, Electrical, Centre for Advanced Maintenance Technology (CAMTECH), Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), has been selected for appointment on deputation to the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) as Deputy Chief Project Manager (Electrical) at Mumbai for a period of five years. He is an Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE) officer.

Govt on Wednesday released the Draft National Electricity Policy (NEP) 2026 for public consultation, The daft outlining a comprehensive roadmap to transform India’s power sector in line with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. Once finalised, the new policy will replace the existing National Electricity Policy notified in 2005. It aims to raise per capita electricity consumption to 2,000 kWh by 2030 and over 4,000 kWh by 2047.The draft policy proposes several structural and regulatory reforms. The drat is available on the website of the Ministry of Power.

Sanjay Nigam has been transferred from Modern Coach Factory to South East Central Railway and posted in the cadre. He is an Indian Railway Stores Service (IRSS) officer.

 

Sanjay Kumar, who is returning from deputation to the Central Vigilance Commission, has been posted on Modern Coach Factory (MCF) in the cadre. He is an Indian Railway Stores Service (IRSS) officer.

Lakhpat Singh Choudhary, who is returning from deputation to the Ministry of Coal, has been posted on Western Railway in the cadre. He is an Indian Railway Stores Service (IRSS) officer.

Prafulla Pokhara, who is presently posted in South East Central Railway (SECR), has been transferred to West Central Railway (WCR) on his own request and posted in the cadre. He is an Indian Railway Stores Service (IRSS) officer.

Mrs Kiran Kaushal has been appointed as Commissioner, Integrated Education with additional charge of MD, Chhattisgarh Textbooks Corporation and Awanish Kumar Sharan was given an additional charge of CEO, Raipur Development Authority and Akash Chhikara is now Collector, Bastar in Chhattisgarh.

As many as 20 IAS officers have been given assignments in Punjab. Accordingly, Vijay Mandeorao Zade has been appointed as Secretary Expenditure, while Ajit Balaji Joshi was made Secretary, Rural development and Abhinav Trikha was made Secretary, Finance. Similarly, Mrs Kanwal Preet Brar has been appointed as Secretary, Health; Kumar Amit as Speicial Secretary to Chief Minister; Vimal Kumar Setia as Secretary, Home Affairs; Puneet Goyal as Special Secretary, Medical Education; Mrs Syed Sehrish Asgar as Special Secretary, Power; Mrs Sakshi Sawhney as Chief Administrator, Greater Mohali area Development Authority; Mrs Preeti Yadav as MD, MARKFED; Paramvir Singh as Special Secretary, Revenue; Mrs Amandeep Kaur as Special Secretary, NRI Affairs; Gulpreet Singh Aulakh as Deputy Commissioner, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar; Mrs Neeru Katyal Gupta as Commissioner, Ludhiana Municipal Corporation; Varjeet Walia as Deputy Commissioner, Patiala; Ankurjeet Singh as Additional Secretary, Home Affairs; T Benith as Additional Secretary, Revenue; Harpreet Singh as Deputy Commissioner Barnala and Mrs Aparna M B was made Chief Administrator, Patiala.

Eight IPS officers have been reshuffled in Punjab. Naresh Arora has been posted as Special DGP, Human Rights, Punjab, Chandigarh, while retaining additional charge of Special DGP, Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC), Chandigarh, while SS Srivastava is shifted as Special DGP, Headquarters, Punjab, Chandigarh. Similarly, P K Sinha has been appointed as Chief Director, Vigilance Bureau, Punjab; Dr Kaustubh Sharma as ADGP, Security, Punjab, Chandigarh; Dr Sukhchain Singh as IGP, Intelligence, Punjab, SAS Nagar; Sandeep Goel as DIG, AGTF-2, Ludhiana and will continue to hold additional charge of DIG, Border Range, Amritsar; Maninder Singh as AIG, Welfare, Punjab with additional charge of SSP, Ropar and Kanwaldeep Singh will join as AIG, Personnel-1, Punjab, Chandigarh.

IRCON International Limited has advertised the post of Additional General Manager-Civil for Sivok-Rangpo Rail Project, Siliguri, West Bengal on deputation basis. Applications must reach latest by February 8, 2026.

Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) has advertised the post of General Manager (Technical) at Corporate Office, Noida on deputation basis. Details can be availed from http://dfccil.gov.in/. 

Lieutenant General Abhay Krishna has been empanelled for appointment as IEMs. He is a 1980 batch IRS officer and at the time of retirement served as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (Army Commander

Aditya Kumar Mittal has been empanelled for appointment as IEMs. He is a 1980 batch IRS officer and at the time of retirement served as Member Engineering/ Railway Board. He was a 1978 batch IRSE officer.

Pramod Shripad Phalnikar and Dolly Chakrabarty have been empanelled for appointment as IEMs.  Both are from AI Assets Holding Limited (AIAHL).

P R Ravi Kumar and Satish Chander have been empanelled for appointment as IEMs. Both are from Airports Authority of India (AAI).

 World Bank has advertised the post of ET Consultant for Djibouti. Applications must reach latest by February 3, 2026.

 World Bank has advertised the post of Regional Industry Director, Agribusiness, MAS, Africa for Dakar, Senegal. Applications must reach latest by January 27, 2026. 

 Vikas Chadha appointed as Global CEO of TVS Supply Chain Solutions (India-based logistics MNC) effective January 22, 2026.

 Sandeep Saxena elevated to Chief Growth Officer – Growth Markets, of HCL Technologies (India-based MNC with USA, UK, Europe operations), signaling focus on India expansion.

ACME Solar Holdings (India-based renewable energy firm) Chief Commercial Officer resigned effective January 20, 2026.

 Krsnaa Diagnostics (India-based healthcare firm) CFO, Pawan Daga resigned.

Albinder Singh Dhindsa has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Eternal Limited with effect from February 1, 2026.

Deepinder Goyal has been appointed as Vice Chairman and Director of Eternal Limited.

Aman Mehta has been appointed as Additional Director and Managing Director of JB Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Limited.

V S Amarnath has been appointed as Chairman & Managing Director of Global Infratech and Finance Limited.

Amal Kelshikar has been appointed as Additional Non-Executive Non-Independent Director of JB Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Limited.

 

Hasmukh Patel has been appointed as Additional Non-Executive Non-Independent Director of JB Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Limited.

Sudhir Menon has been appointed as Additional Non-Executive Non-Independent Director of JB Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Limited.

 

Ganesh Lakshminarayanan has been appointed as Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer (Designate) of Tata Communications Limited.

Ms. Shruti Shrivastava has been re-appointed as Independent Director of Jindal Stainless Limited.

Dr Aarti Gupta has been re-appointed as Independent Director of Jindal Stainless Limited.

Ajay Mankotia has been re-appointed as Independent Director of Jindal Stainless Limited.
 

Dr Naushad Darius Forbes has been appointed as Additional Non-Executive Independent Director of Pidilite Industries Limited.

Sunil Kumar Ranjan, Deputy Director General (Coordination & Administration), Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has been appointed as Government Nominee Director of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited.

Deepinder Goyal has resigned from the position of Director, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Eternal Limited with effect from February 1, 2026.

Sudip Banerjee has ceased to be Independent Director of L&T Technology Services Limited on completion of his tenure.

Mohit Bajaj has resigned from the position of Managing Director of Global Infratech and Finance Limited.

“ India needs a major foreign policy shift”

Both India and China celebrated 2025 as the year of 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.Looking back,China’s foreign minister had  suggested at a press conference in Beijing  that the “dragon and the elephant should dance together and that the ballet would be the only right choice for both India and China”. Do these not signal China’s desire to improve relations with India?

Catching these signals, the BJP had recently extended a red carpet welcome to China's communist party at BJP Hq in Delhi.Was it not justified?

No doubt,holding a contrarian view, some experts do believe that China could never be trusted.But,what about Trump’s tariff war? How could the US force India to import arms ,crude oil, agricultural /dairy,fisheries  and genetically modified products from it .This will adversely impact indian farmers and fishermen.

How could India ignore its national interests in the fast changing dynamics of international geopolitics?Did any country foresee the standoff between the US and eight european countries over former’s insistence on annexing Greenland?

Both,Russia and China are  already suspicious about Pakistan’s growing proximity with the US.

All things considered,under such geopolitical compulsions,India needs to play its card carefully by strengthening the BRICS for creating a new currency for trade, despite US’s opposition to it, calling it a step towards “ de-dollarisation”.

China has border issues with all its neighbours.India must address these issues firmly and cautiously in the new world order.China is also expected to shun its claims on Aksaichin,Arunachal Pradesh and the latest Shaksgam valley as its territories. Shaksgam valley  was illegally ceded by Pakistan to China

India should put its best foot forward in the emerging multi-polar world order and continue as member of the QUAD.

And finally,India must also support Russia’s proposal of forming the Russia-India-China troika (RIC troika) as a trilateral grouping to counter western dominance.

There seems to be no other option for it in the present chaotic and confused situation.

A K Saxena (Former civil servant)

Public interest in disclosure of enrollment details of an Advocate

The appellant sought details of enrolment of Mr. Ram Pat Garg who claims to be an Advocate of the Bar Council of Delhi. He sought the copies of all documents submitted by Mr. Ram Pat Garg to get himself enrolled as an Advocate with the Bar Council, including his Declarations, Enrolment Form, Affidavits. Education Credentials, etc. The PIO informed that as per records, Mr. Ram Pat Garg was provisionally enrolled as an Advocate vide Enrolment No. D/11197/2022. Further, other information cannot be provided as the same is duly exempted under the Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act, 2005, as it is a third-party information and no larger public interest has been disclosed. The Appellant contended that there is larger public interest in the information sought as the said person Ram Pat Garg is in judicial custody and that creates a reasonable suspicion on him in justifying disclosure of the sought documents. The respondent contended that the appellant can raise a formal complaint against the said third-party in contention if he doubts the enrollment of the third-party. The CIC ruled that there is no material on record to ascribe larger public interest in the disclosure of the information related to the third party in any of the above-referred contexts.

Comments

Mere making an allegation is not enough, the applicant must establish the larger public interest in the disclosure of the information related to the third party.

Citation: Rishabh Sharma v. Bar Council of Delhi, Second Appeal No. CIC/BCOIN/A/2025/107213; Date of Decision: 12.12.2025

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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