Four Chief Secretaries: Atal Dulloo J&K; Usha Sharma Rajasthan; TVSN Prasad Haryana; Amitabh Jain Chhattisgarh and five DGPs: Shankar Jiwal Tamilnadu; GP Singh Assam; Prashant Kumar Uttar Pradesh; Sudhir Saxena, Madhya Pradesh and RR Swain J&K, have been awarded ‘Exemplary Leadership Certificate’ for their outstanding performance by the Election Commission of India at a National Voters' Day function held in New Delhi on January 25, 2025.President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu was the Chief Guest on the occasion.

Harish Kumar Gupta, DG Vigilance & Enforcement, has been assigned an additional charge of Director General of Police (DGP), Head of Police Force in Andhra Pradesh. He is a 1992 batch IPS officer of AP cadre.

(We said this on January 25, 2025)

The West Bengal Government is expected to raise the retirement age of Government employees from 60 to 62.

Dr Vidyut Vikash, SP, CBI, has been promoted as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

R Prakash has been appointed as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He is a 2008 batch IPS officer of Odisha cadre.

The tenure of Ms Neethu Kamal as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been extended upto March 25, 2027. He is a 2008 batch IPS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre.

The tenure of Abhinav Khare as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been extended upto March 22, 2027. He is a 2009 batch IPS officer of Karnataka cadre.

Ms Arti Bhatnagar, a 1989 batch IDAS officer, may get Apex grade in March this year. She is presently posted as Additional Secretary & Financial Advisor in the Ministry of Commerce and Industries.

Dr Mayank Sharma has taken over the charge of the Special CGDA at the HQ . He is an IDAS officer.

Vivek Sharma has been appointed as Managing Director in the Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI), Noida on deputation. He is an IRS-IT officer.

Mathew Varghese, Executive Director to Chairman, Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) is in the race for the post of Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL).

The Government of India has started searching for a successor to P M Prasad as Chairman & Managing Director (CMD), Coal India Limited retiring on October 31, 2025.

Aniruddha Mukherjee has been promoted to the CS grade in MP and posted as OSD-cum-Residential Commissioner, Madhya Pradesh Bhavan, New Delhi and assigned additional charge of ACS, Public Estate Management and MD, MP Estate Management Company, Bhopal. He is a 1993 batch IAS officer.

S R H Fahmi (YOA: 2008), presently Director in the Ministry of External Affairs, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Togolese Republic.

Ajaneesh Kumar, presently Ambassador of India to Estonia, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Argentine Republic. He is a 1996 batch IFS officer.

Sanjayan Kumar has been appointed to the post of Inspector General of Forests (IGF), National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), MoEF&CC, New Delhi for a period of 5 years under the Central Staffing Scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He is a 2002 batch IFoS officer of Kerala cadre.

Mani Shankar Bardoloi, DCIT, Dibrugarh, has resigned from the Indian Revenue Service-Income Tax.

Samir Kumar Naskar, ACIT, Kolkata, has resigned from the Indian Revenue Service-Income Tax.

Mahesh P Pamnani, JCIT, Mumbai, has resigned from the Indian Revenue Service-Income Tax.

As per information four senior Indian Trade Service Officers will retire this year. Mrs Rita Mahna is the forest officer who retires in February, Dr S K Bansal is scheduled to retire this year in April, Hardeep Singh will superannuate in August and Ms Shubhra will retire in September this year. All these officers are posted as Addl DGFT.

Top three APEX grade IDA officers will be superannuating this year. Mrs Devika Raghuvanshi, CGDA will retire in February while Sugata Ghosh Dastidar is schedule to retire in July. He is presently posted as Financial Advisor, Defence Accounts, MoD and newly appointed Spl CGDA Dr Mayank Sharma's retirement is in October this year.

Department of Social Justice and Empowerment is seeking Associate Professor, Library and Documentation Officer and more for Dr Ambedkar International Centre (DAIC), New Delhi.

Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC) has invited applications from eligible candidates for faculty posts (Professor and Associate Professors) for Bengaluru. Applications must reach before February 17, 2025.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has advertised for consultants (Planning and Coordination; M&E and Training), New Delhi. Applications must reach before February 10, 2025.

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) has advertised for Chief Project Manager (Civil) for Bhubaneswar on deputation basis. IRSE Civil Engineering Department officers can apply after seeking details from www.rvnl.org.

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) has advertised for various posts including Deputy General Manager, Manager and Assistant Manager - Rail Neer for Jabalpur on deputation. Applications must reach on or before February 26, 2025.

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) is seeking Additional General Manager-Tourism for New Delhi on deputation basis. Applications must reach on or before February 26, 2025.

Eight candidates for the post of Director, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune on deputation basis have been shortlisted and interviewed. The screened-in candidates include Prof Shailendra Kumar Shukla, Dr Anguluri Suryachancra Rao, Dr Francis PA, Dr Sivananda Damodara Pai, Dr Thara Prabhakaran, Dr Dushmanta Ranjan Pattanaik, Dr Thota Narayana Rao and Dr Madineni Venkat Ratnam. Interview dates will be announced shortly.

Ratnakar Jha has been appointed as Additional Commissioner (Revenue), Ujjain Division. He is a 2012 batch IAS officer of MP cadre.

Minister of Culture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, felicitated CMD HUDCO, Sanjay Kulshrestha for supporting Lokrangam under 25th Bharat Rang Mahotsav by NSD. He appreciated HUDCO's efforts to promote India’s rich art & culture! A moment of pride, celebrating art, tradition, and the essence of Bharat!

Shantanu Thakur, Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Government of India, visited Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority - India’s Best Performing Port on Wednesday, January 29th, 2025. He was welcomed by Unmesh Sharad Wagh, IRS, Chairman, JNPA & CMD, VPPL. Unmesh Sharad Wagh, IRS, Chairman, JNPA and CMD, VPPL, delivered a comprehensive presentation on the progress of Vadhvan Port. He highlighted that the project is advancing ahead of schedule, underscoring the port’s strategic importance in enhancing India’s maritime trade capabilities. The Minister also felicitated Govind Bodke, IAS, District Collector, Palghar, and Shri Balasaheb Patil, IPS, Superintendent of Police, Palghar, for their instrumental contributions in facilitating environmental clearances, conducting public hearings, and laying the foundation stone for VPPL. It was followed by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing between Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University and Vadhvan Port Project Limited. Under this collaboration, the university will design and conduct essential skill-based programs tailored to the operational requirements of Vadhvan Port. The initiative will focus on developing training modules and creating employment opportunities for skilled students, thereby generating a future-ready workforce for the maritime sector. An agreement was also signed between VPPL and M/s ITD Cementation India Ltd. for the construction of Near Shore Reclamation and Shore Protection for the Greenfield Vadhvan Port. He addressed a stakeholders’ meeting, where he engaged with port users and trade representatives to understand their perspectives and discuss strategic initiatives to address the evolving needs of India’s maritime sector and facilitate smoother trade operations. Speaking at the occasion Shantanu Thakur, Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Government of India, said, “Ports are the gateways to a nation's economic growth, and JNPA is an example of India's maritime potential. Here I witnessed how infrastructure development and operational advancements are driving progress. Interactions with stakeholders highlighted important insights on the trade's evolving needs and expectations. With strategic projects like Vadhvan Port on the horizon, we are paving the way for enhanced trade capacity and global competitiveness. The government remains dedicated to creating policies and infrastructure that empower the maritime industry, streamline logistics, and bolster India's standing as a major player in global trade.” Additionally, during his visit, Shantanu Thakur performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the Construction of the Entrance Gate Building & Development of its Surrounding Area at the Landing jetty in JN Port. The building will include a recreational space for sunset views against the Mumbai skyline, an iconic landmark near the jetty, and increased seating with functional cafeterias. VVIP lounging areas, improved vehicular access, space for security personnel, and an information desk further enhance passenger comfort and site management. He also visited GTI, one of the most efficient container terminals at JNPA, where he was briefed on terminal operations by the CEO of GTI. The Minister’s tour included key infrastructure and operational facilities at JNPA, such as the Centralised Parking Plaza (CPP), JNPA SEZ, and the Free Trade Warehousing Zone (FTWZ) at SEZ.

Guruprasad Srinivasan has been appointed as Whole-time Director designated as Executive Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of QUESS Winning Together with effect from February 10, 2025.

Gajendra Singh Rathore has been appointed as Chief Financial officer, DSL Deepak Spinners Limited.

Pranay Aggarwal has been appointed as Additional Director in the capacity of Non-Executive Director of SMC Global Securities Ltd.

Shekhar Ramamurthy has been appointed as Whole Time Director (Executive Deputy Chairman) of the Company, ABD Allied Blenders & Distillers.

Sridhar Ramachandran has been appointed as Additional Director categorized as Non-Executive and Independent Director of Arihant Superstructures Ltd for a period of 5 years.

Anurag Roy has been appointed as Managing Director & Key Managerial Personnel of Elantas Beck India Ltd.

Vaibhav Somani has been appointed as Acting Chief Financial Officer (in the category of Key Managerial Personnel as well as Senior Management Personnel) 3i Infotech Limitless Excellence.

Ms Manjiri Barve has been appointed as Head-HR and CSR of the Fino Payments Bank.

Remove the problems in 'MGNREGA'

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, which is called the lifeline for rural livelihood, is once again struggling with lack of funds. There is no doubt that the MNREGA has played an important role in reducing visible and invisible unemployment in rural areas. While on the one hand this scheme has played an important role in providing employment to rural consumers near their villages, it has also reduced inter-state migration, and the purchasing power of rural consumers has also increased. The government should make a practical budget for MNREGA. Along with this, priority should be given to removing administrative hurdles for transparent implementation of the scheme. Undoubtedly, the allocation of funds in MNREGA is continuously decreasing in proportion to the demand. This is the reason why the expected crisis is arising in the middle of the year due to lack of funds.

Raj Singh Ahirwar

Compensation by the Department of Social Welfare

A complaint dated 17.12.2024 for non-compliance of CIC’s order dated 22.07.2024 was heard by the CIC. In the order dated 22.07.2024, the CIC had admonished the casual conduct of Mr. RP Yadav, Supt.-cum PIO, Social Welfare (South), GNCTD, Delhi and had directed to revisit the RTI Application and provide a revised reply. The CIC noted that there is a substantial delay in compliance with the order and the respondent failed to explain the reasons for the delay. The CIC referred to the criteria for processing or sanctioning of the application, under the Financial Assistance to Persons with Special Needs (popularly known as Disability Pension). The CIC noted that Ms. Madhu (Appellant’s niece) is a physically challenged person; an orphan; a member of scheduled caste; a girl child; unmarried who cannot carry out her daily activities without assistance; and has no independent means of livelihood. The CIC observed that “The extraordinary circumstances and adverse conditions faced by Ms. Madhu establish her as the weakest of the weak and poorest of the poor, being the most deprived citizen whose case deserved extra sensitivity, and it certainly could not have been dealt with in an ordinary manner by the respondent public authority in the department of Social Welfare. The appellant, being her aunt, is the only support Ms. Madhu has”. For the loss, harassment and detriment suffered by her, the Department of Social Welfare was directed by the CIC to pay a compensation of Rs. 92,000/- to the appellant within a week.

Comments

In this case, the application for compensation of Disability Pension to Ms. Madhu was forwarded to the Deputy Director (FAS), New Delhi and was pending on the date of hearing. The case was dealt with in a very casual and insensitive manner as per the CIC and the action was condemned. The CIC observed in the order that the insensitivity as established based on the records is appalling to put it most euphemistically.

Citation: Ms. Devki v. Supdt. (South), Department of Social Welfare, New Delhi, CIC/DSWGD/A/2023/119725; Order dated 14.01.2025

Citation: Piyush Sharma v. O/o the Executive Engineer (E), PWD, New Delhi, File No: CIC/PWDDL/A/2023/132711; Date of Decision : 29.10.2024

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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