CBDT Chairman Ravi Agarwal has been re-appointed as CBDT Chairman on contract basis for six more months. He is 1988 batch  IRS(C&CT) officer.

The service of Anurag Rastogi, Chief Secretary, Haryana, has been further extended for a period of six months from July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026. Rastogi is a 1990 batch IAS officer of Haryana cadre.

Whispers in tax circles point to potential senior-level adjustments in CBDT and CBIC after upcoming cabinet reshuffle, focusing on digital compliance and AI enforcement experts for GST/Customs/DRI zones. Mid-2026 promotions for mid-level IRS officers are predicted to address retirement gaps.

Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, P.K. Mishra, has underlined the need to treat administrative data as a “national asset,” signalling a sharper push toward data-driven governance. The appeal comes amid the government’s ongoing effort to digitise public records, integrate databases, and improve policy targeting through real-time analytics. In principle, the shift promises more efficient welfare delivery, tighter fiscal monitoring, and evidence-based decision-making.

However, the real test lies within the bureaucracy itself. India’s administrative machinery—particularly its senior layers—has long functioned through siloed information systems, discretionary control over data, and cautious file-based processes. For many, data ownership is power, and sharing it horizontally or standardising it centrally may be seen as a loss of institutional leverage.

There are also structural hurdles: legacy systems, uneven digitisation across states, and capacity gaps in data management. While younger officers and technocrats are more receptive to integrated platforms, resistance—both passive and procedural—could slow implementation.

Ultimately, compliance will depend on incentives and enforcement. Without clear accountability, interoperability mandates, and political backing, the transformation from data collection to data utilisation may remain aspirational rather than systemic.

The interview letter for the post of Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of NTPC has been issued on Monday evening. The selection interview is scheduled to be held on Saturday, 4th July 2026, between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM.

The Public Enterprise Selection Board has advertised the post of Chairman in Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC). The applications must reach by July 21, 2026.

Atul Gupta has been appointed  as  Chairman and Managing Director (CMD)  of Engineers India Limited (EIL) following approval from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. 

Sukhvinder Singh, who was formerly serving as Chief Electrical Engineer/Loco (CEE/Loco), Patiala Locomotive Works (PLW), has been deputed to Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (HRIDC) as Managing Director (MD) for a period of three years. He is an Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE) officer.

Vineet Joshi, Secretary, Department of Higher Education, has been assigned additional charge of Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy.  He is a 1992 batch IAS officer of Manipur cadre.

Ravi Joseph Lokku, ADG, BPR&D, has been assigned additional charge of the post of Director General, Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) upon superannuation of Alok Ranjan. Lokku is a 1995 batch IPS officer of UP cadre.

Sanjay Mathur, IG, NCRB, has been assigned aadditional charge of the post of Director, National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB). He is a 1994 batch IPS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre.

Amit Kumar, Special DG, CRPF, has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in Special Protection Group (SPG), on completion of tenure of IPS Alok Sharma on March 31, 2027. He is a 1994 batch IPS officer of Bihar cadre.

The ACC has approved the promotion/upgradation of 3 Scientists ‘F’ of the Standardization, Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) Directorate, to the grade of Scientist ‘G’, in Level 14 of the Pay Matrix

The West Bengal govt has entrusted the additional charge of Additional Chief Secretary, Co-operation department to ACS, Youth Services & Sports department, Rajesh Pandey (IAS-WB: 1995) till further orders.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs is stepping up efforts to reinvigorate BIMSTEC, with a renewed focus on hard connectivity and regional infrastructure projects, according to sources familiar with the developments. The push is aimed at positioning the Bay of Bengal grouping as a more effective platform for regional cooperation amid ongoing geopolitical flux and limitations within SAARC.

At the center of this strategy is the long-delayed India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway, which officials view as a critical artery for trade, mobility, and strategic outreach into Southeast Asia. Work is also being aligned with broader plans for multimodal transport corridors, port-led connectivity, and energy grid integration across member states.

Sources indicate that New Delhi is seeking to accelerate project execution timelines while enhancing coordination with partner countries, particularly Myanmar and Thailand, where delays have persisted due to political and logistical constraints. There is also a parallel emphasis on digital connectivity and capacity-building initiatives.

The renewed BIMSTEC focus reflects India’s broader Act East policy recalibration, with connectivity-led diplomacy emerging as a key lever to counterbalance regional uncertainties and deepen economic integration.

The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) will hold interviews for the post of Chairman & Managing Director (CMD), Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL - Schedule B) on 8th July 2026, through video conferencing.A panel of 12 senior executives from various Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) has been shortlisted. The candidates called for the interview are: Om Prakash Mishra - Executive Director (Community Development), Coal India Limited, Pawan Kumar Mishra - Director (Finance), Central Coalfields Limited, Md Anzar Alam - Director (Finance), Eastern Coalfields Limited, Darla Sunil Kumar - Director (Finance) - Finance HOD, South Eastern Coalfields Limited, Chandra Shekhar Tiwari - Director (Technical & Operations), Central Coalfields Limited, Ramesh Chandra Mohapatra - Director (Technical) / Director Technical (Project & Planning), South Eastern Coalfields Limited, Ashutosh Dwivedi - Director (Technical), Operation, Northern Coalfields Limited, Rajeev Kumar Sinha - Director (Technical / Engineering Services), Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Limited, Pankaj Kumar Sharma - Director (Production), National Aluminium Company Limited, Piyush Mittal - Executive Director & State Head (Telangana & Andhra Pradesh), Indian Oil Corporation Limited, N Franklin Jayakumar - Director (Technical), South Eastern Coalfields Limited and Anup Kumar Satpathy - Chief Safety Officer, South East Central Railway

The PESB has recommended the name of Akhilesh Pathak, Executive Director (Project Management), to be elevated to the post of Director (Projects), Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (Schedule A).

Two posts of Part Time Member are still lying vacant since November 2025  in the Prasar Bharati Board.

Anand Bantia, presently serving as Integrated Financial Adviser (Director level) [IFA], Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) on deputation, has been appointed as Private Secretary to the Minister of State for Corporate Affairs and Road Transport & Highways (Shri Harsh Malhotra) in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs at Director level. He is an Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS) officer.

SBI has opened applications for Specialist Cadre Officers in roles such as Law, Medical Officer, and Probationary Officers, with key windows running from June 24 to July 14, 2026.

Advisory issued mandating 2-Factor Authentication for Central Excise, SBS & HSNS taxpayers. CBIC also issued circulars on Reviewing/Revisional/Appellate Authorities for DGGI orders and DIN generation on communications.

Sources said the Lok Sabha Secretariat nowadays receives several RTI queries related to the TMC rebel case.  

The DoT has granted NFSG to Ramesh Vishwakarma, Senior Architect, to next grade. He is a P&TBWS officer.

Sanjeev Gupta has been promoted to HAG+ from July 1, 2026 on regular basis. Now he will be Advisor at the DoT HQ. He is an ITS officer.

The DGDE has transferred two IDES officers to new places. Accordingly,  Vivek Kumar, Dy. Director General, DE, is transferred and posted as Joint Director, DE, Eastern Command, Kolkata, against an existing vacancy of Director.  Satyam Mohan, Chief Executive Officer, Varanasi, is transferred and posted as Asstt. Director General DE in DGDE HQrs, against an existing vacancy.

In a significant move to bolster field operations and administrative efficiency, the Telangana government has executed a comprehensive reshuffle involving 12 Indian Forest Service (IFoS) officers. The overhaul focuses on District Forest Officer (DFO)-level changes and strategic reassignments aimed at strengthening departmental oversight across key districts. Key DFO Postings and Transfers Include: Siddharth Vikram Singh was transferred from Nizamabad and posted as DFO of Bhadradri Kothagudem, G. Kishta Gowd moved from Bhadradri Kothagudem to serve as DFO of Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Shiv Aasheesh Singh was transferred from Mahabubnagar to take over as DFO of Rangareddy, M. Naveen Reddy shifted from Jayashankar Bhupalpally to serve as DFO of Mahabubnagar. Prashanth Baji Rao Patil moved from Adilabad and was posted as the new DFO of Nizamabad. Additionally, Chinna Vishwanath Bhusa Reddy retained his current role while being assigned additional charge (FAC) as DFO of Adilabad.

Rajkumar Singh, presently serving as Executive Director, EE (M), Railway Board, has been posted as Executive Director/Electrical Engineering (Development-I) [ED/EE (Dev-I)], Railway Board. He is an Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE) officer.

Prasanna Katyayan, presently serving in North Eastern Railway (NER), has been transferred to Railway Board and posted as Joint Director, Movement (Food), Department of Food & Public Distribution, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. He is an Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer.

Sunil Kumar, presently serving as Chief Technical Officer (CTO), East Central Railway (ECR), has been transferred to Railway Board, and appointed as Additional Member (Production Units). He is an Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME) officer.

Rikhai Prasad Nirala, presently serving in Southern Railway (SR), has been appointed as Chief Engineer (Track Machine Cell) [CE/TMC] on the Railway itself. He is an Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRSE) officer.

T Vishnu Bhusan, on being relieved from the post of Additional Divisional Railway Manager (ADRM), Hubballi (UBL), has been posted as Chief Track Engineer (CTE) on South Western Railway (SWR). He is an Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRSE) officer.

Om Prakash, presently serving in Central Organisation for Modernisation of Workshops (COFMOW), has been transferred to Northern Railway (NR), and posted as Officer on Special Duty/Information Technology (OSD/IT). He is an Indian Railway Stores Service (IRSS) officer.

Vijay Kumar Srivastava, presently serving as Principal Chief Materials Manager (PCMM), Modern Coach Factory (MCF), has been transferred to Northern Railway (NR) on his own request and posted as Principal Chief Materials Manager (PCMM). He is an Indian Railway Stores Service (IRSS) officer.

Vinay Kumar Pathak, presently serving in Modern Coach Factory (MCF), has been appointed as Principal Chief Materials Manager (PCMM) on the factory itself. He is an Indian Railway Stores Service (IRSS) officer.

The Karnataka govt on Tuesday posted Abhiram G. Shankar (IAS-2011) as the Managing Director, Karnataka Mining Environment Restoration Corporation (KMERC), Bengaluru. He was waiting for his postings.

Avinash Menon Rajendran, IAS (KN-2013) who was waiting for his promotion has been posted by the Karnataka govt as Director, Information Technology and Bio-Technology, Bengaluru. He has also been entrusted with the concurrent charge of MD, Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Limited (KEONICS), Bengaluru.

Yogesh A. M. (IAS-KN-2013) who was also waiting for his posting has been posted as Director, Department of Agricultural Marketing, Bengaluru. With Yogesh assuming charge, Prasanna H. who was holding the additional charge would be relieved of the responsibility.

Ms. Divya Prabhu (IAS-KN:2014) has been posted as the Commissioner, Rural Development, Bengaluru. Ms. Arundhathi Chandrasekhar, who was holding the concurrent charge of Commissioner, RD will be relieved of the charge from the day Ms. Divya assumes charge.

G Venkataraman has been appointed as DGP/ Director, Fire and Rescue Services, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He is an IPS officer.

As many as 11 officers of Central Secretariat Service have been included in the Senior Selection Grade (Director) Select List (SSGSL). The promoted officers are: Manoj Kumar Rai (Defence), Vinita Talwar (Telecommunication), Bhuvaneswari Hariharan (Water Resources, RD & GR), Arun Kumar (Coal), Manish Kumar Lal (on deputation), Rajendra Singh Bora (Culture), Parveen Jargar (Personnel & Training), V Sridhar (Defence), T G K Jagannadham (Commerce), Shailesh Gautam (UPSC) and Ambuj Sharma (Civil Aviation).

The Telangana government has executed a comprehensive reshuffle involving 12 Indian Forest Service (IFoS) officers. The overhaul focuses on District Forest Officer (DFO)-level changes. Siddharth Vikram Singh from Nizamabad to DFO Bhadradri Kothagudem, G. Kishta Gowd from Bhadradri Kothagudem to DFO Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Shiv Aasheesh Singh from Mahabubnagar to DFO Rangareddy, M. Naveen Reddy from Jayashankar Bhupalpally to DFO Mahabubnagar. Prashanth Baji Rao Patil from Adilabad to new DFO of Nizamabad. Additionally, Chinna Vishwanath Bhusa Reddy retained his current role while being assigned additional charge (FAC) as DFO of Adilabad.

Kerala’s anti-corruption crusader and firebrand officer, Raju Narayana Swamy, (KL-IAS-1991), stressed upon the need to build cutting edge organizations that are agile and responsive, capable of quickly moving to take advantage of new opportunities and remaining ahead of change. . He was addressing an august gathering at The Indian Society for Training & Development (ISTD) Kozhikode Chapter.

Dr. Swamy also reminded that there are critical skill shortages and talent deficits that act as obstacles to speedy recovery of the Indian economy. According to him, manpower and technology are the prime drivers of industrial progress. Abundant manpower underlines India’s comparative advantage especially in an era where India is in a phase of unprecedented demographic change. We need to become a more vibrant, dynamic and prosperous nation, he opined.

The senior IAS officer stressed on the fact the need to shift to lifelong learning with an urge to identify new skills to master and actively seek out resources to achieve them. He was of the view that India needs to develop capabilities of our social sector to ensure efficient delivery of services with equity and social justice. The lecture ended with the famous quotation of Benjamin Franklin "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." The ending words were very clear: let us commit to fostering a culture of feedback and knowledge sharing within our teams. Mr.Shoukat Ali Eroth, President, ISTD, Kozhikode presided over the function.

Launched as the organization's 55th chapter, the ISTD regularly hosts workshops, seminars, and networking events for people capability building.

A dozen IPS officers have been given new responsibilities in West Bengal. Anjan Chakraborty has been appointed as Administrator, FSL in the rank of IG, while Sumanjit Ray joins as IGP (Border), IB. Similarly, Rashid Munir Khan is posted as IGP HQ; Zafar Ajmal Kidwai as Jt CP (Modernization), Kolkata; Pradeep Kumar Yadav as DC, 4th Bn., Kolkata; Amlan Kusum Ghosh as DC, STF, Kolkata; Mrs Charu Sharma as DCP, West, Siliguri and Krishna Gopal Meena was made DCP, HQ, Asansol, Durgapur. Further, Raspreet Singh will take charge as DCP East, Asansol, Durgapur; Sambhav Jain as DC, Traffic, Kolkata; Arka Banerjee as Dy CO, SAP, 3rd Bn. and Savita Goyal was appointed Addl SS (CID), WB.

Somnath Ghosh, presently Consul General, Consulate General of India, Chicago, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Malaysia. He is a 1997 batch IFS officer.

Air Marshal Tejinder Singh has taken over as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC)

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, PVSM, AVSM, VM, VSM, took over as Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Indian Air Force, on July 1. Prior to assuming charge as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff, the Air Marshal served as Air Officer Commanding in Chief, Central Air Command, and thereafter as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS).

The Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) has on Tuesday acquired the Project Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), Kakinada-I Transmission Limited through competitive bidding.

Under the project, POWERGRID, a Maharatna CPSE under Ministry of Power, Government of India, will establish a new 765/400 kV Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) at Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, with 3×1500 MVA transformation capacity, along with a 240 MVAr Bus Reactor and associated works. The project scope also includes LILO of the Vemagiri–Srikakulam 765 kV D/C transmission line at Kakinada Substation and installation of a ±300 MVAr STATCOM with 2×125 MVAr MSC. The project is an Inter-State Transmission System and is scheduled to be commissioned within 30 months from the date of SPV acquisition. It will facilitate power supply to the proposed Green Hydrogen / Green Ammonia projects in the Kakinada region.

POWERGRID, through its various Project SPVs acquired through the tariff-based bidding route, is implementing several transmission projects on a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) basis. These projects will strengthen India’s transmission infrastructure for evacuation of green energy to the national grid, thereby reducing dependence on fossil fuels and supporting the GOI’s vision of achieving 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030.

As on May 31, 2026, POWERGRID has commissioned and is operating 291 substations, over 1,85,750 circuit kilometres of transmission lines, and 6,30,516 MVA of transformation capacity and has maintained an average transmission system availability of over 99.84% with use of advanced technology.

Rohan Verma has been appointed as Joint Managing Director of C.E. Info Systems Limited.

Santosh Hambare has been appointed as Managing Director of Avance Technologies Limited.

Latesh Poojary has been re-designated from Managing Director to Non-Executive Director of Avance Technologies Limited.

Dipak Gaikwad has been appointed as Additional Non-Executive Independent Director of Avance Technologies Limited.

Sushil Kumar Goyal has been re-appointed as Managing Director of Ajanta Soya Limited, effective July 26, 2026.

Abhey Goyal has been re-appointed as Whole-Time Director of Ajanta Soya Limited, effective July 1, 2026.

Kartik Bharat Ram has been re-appointed as Joint Managing Director of SRF Limited, effective June 1, 2026.

Pramod Gopaldas Gujarathi has been re-appointed as Director (Safety & Environment) & Occupier of SRF Limited, effective April 1, 2026.

Bharat Bhushan has been appointed as Independent Director of Signatureglobal (India) Limited, effective May 13, 2026.

Jai Kishan has been appointed as Additional Director (Non-Executive Independent) of Skyrix Ventures Private Limited.

Paresh Ramanlal Desai has been re-appointed as Independent Director of Vishvprabha Ventures Limited.

Bijoy Philipose has been appointed as Additional Director designated as Non-Executive Independent Director of Kitex Garments Limited

Man Mohan Goel has resigned from the position of Independent Director of VVIP Infratech Limited.

Second transfer

I have a question here. Why was Lt Gen. Sandeep Jain given a second transfer in just three months? He was appointed GOC-in-C Southern Command and took charge on 1 April, and now on 1 July, he left Southern Command for his new post as Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS). Why only three months for a three-star officer? Three-star officers usually serve anywhere between 1-2.5 years in a C-in-C post.

K Anandan

Promotional correspondence and clarifications regarding the Rules and Procedures followed

The appellant sought Promotional correspondence records and concerned certified copies claiming that issue stands clarified by DoPT under OM No 36012/12/2013-Estt (Res) dated 24th July 2020. The CIC noted that the Appellant sought inspection of all records and correspondence relating to his promotion and certain clarifications regarding the Rules and Procedures followed by the Respondent organization, including details concerning DoPT OMs. The PIO informed the Appellant that inspection of all relevant files had already been offered to him in the past and, pursuant to the directions of the CIC in an earlier matter, he had in fact inspected the files on 18.10.2023, whereafter certified copies were also provided to him. With respect to the remaining queries, the PIO clarified that the information sought was vague and appeared to require interpretation or clarification of rules, which does not fall within the definition of “information” under Section 2(f) of the RTI Act. The CIC observed that several of the queries raised in the RTI application seek interpretation of Rules and reasons for administrative decisions, which is beyond the mandate of the RTI Act. The CIC further noted that the Appellant has remained absent during the hearing and has continued to file repetitive RTI applications relating to his service grievance, which cannot be adjudicated under the provisions of the RTI Act. The CIC also noted that the promotional issue underlying these RTI applications now stands resolved as the Appellant has already been promoted and has assumed charge.

Comments

The RTI Act defines “information” under Section 2(f) and the seeking clarification is not covered under the provisions of the Act. However, with ingenuity, the RTI Act can be used to nudge the public authority to perform certain actions.

Citation:C M Nimje v. Central Water and Power Research Station; File No: CIC/CWPRS/A/2024/625204; Date of Decision: 11.12.2025

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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