Archive | General

15 May 2023 ~ Comments Off on What’s Kishor’s next move? Can he actually pose threat to Nitish?

What’s Kishor’s next move? Can he actually pose threat to Nitish?

What are retired IAS and IPS officers doing with ace poll strategist-turned-neta Prashant Kishor? Given the man’s track record of working with some of India’s biggest political parties, including the BJP, Congress and TMC, it is not surprising that there is speculation about his next move, after his year-long padyatra through seven districts of Bihar […]

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28 April 2023 ~ Comments Off on Delhi top cop in the race to become DGP of Tamil Nadu

Delhi top cop in the race to become DGP of Tamil Nadu

The race is on to succeed the Director General of Police (DGP) of Tamil Nadu C. Sylendra Babu who is due for superannuation at the end of June. The buzz in Delhi seems to suggest that Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora is a sure-shot winner, being the most favoured to succeed Babu as Tamil Nadu’s […]

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21 April 2023 ~ Comments Off on Karnataka’s voter data theft case resurfaces ahead of Assembly polls

Karnataka’s voter data theft case resurfaces ahead of Assembly polls

The voter data theft case in Karnataka (reported in this column on December 29, 2022) has come alive again, just when the state is about to go to polls. A probe by the Election Commission, conducted by IAS officer Amlan Aditya Biswas, Regional Commissioner, Bengaluru Division, has found that many officials of the Bruhat Bengaluru […]

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17 April 2023 ~ Comments Off on Should officers prioritize Centre over the cadre of their own state?

Should officers prioritize Centre over the cadre of their own state?

Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi has trodden on many toes in the state government and the ruling party, be it withholding important bills or speaking his mind on Centre-state relations. Some may say that the situation seems to mirror a similar tussle in neighbouring Kerala, also a non-BJP-ruled state. The latest salvo from the Governor […]

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12 April 2023 ~ Comments Off on More secys quit: Is lateral entry losing its sheen?

More secys quit: Is lateral entry losing its sheen?

Lateral entry was a much-awaited administrative reform introduced in 2018 as part of Modi sarkar’s larger civil services reform agenda. The noble aim was to bring in fresh perspectives, expertise and efficiency into the government system. The bold experiment is now being seen as losing its sheen. Saurabh Mishra, joint secretary in the Department of […]

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04 April 2023 ~ Comments Off on Ex-babus to probe corruption among serving IAS officers

Ex-babus to probe corruption among serving IAS officers

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT)’s decision to invite retired IAS officers to investigate allegations against serving IAS officers comes at a time when corruption charges and other violations of service rules have been on the rise among the country’s babus. With its eyes on the 2024 general elections, the Centre is hoping this […]

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17 March 2023 ~ Comments Off on Mantris, babus concentrate on development at Chinese border

Mantris, babus concentrate on development at Chinese border

Some 70 ministers are heading to the India-China border, not to fight the enemy but to ensure that the huge number of border villages are given the kind of support that they need. According to sources, 1,400 border villages have been identified and Union ministers will visit to understand the issues faced by the people […]

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10 March 2023 ~ Comments Off on SC plans to revisit ruling on remit of HC in WB ex-chief secy case.

SC plans to revisit ruling on remit of HC in WB ex-chief secy case.

The Supreme Court has decided to revisit its last year’s verdict in former West Bengal chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay’s case. At the time, the apex court had ruled that only the Delhi High Court and no other high court would have jurisdiction to entertain a plea against a decision taken by the Central Administrative Tribunal […]

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27 February 2023 ~ Comments Off on Extension for PSU chief caught up in paperwork

Extension for PSU chief caught up in paperwork

The recent proposal from the Union Ministry of Steel to extend the tenure of the current CMD of NMDC, Sumit Deb, has brought attention to the issue of extension of service for incumbents at the Board level in CPSEs. While the proposal seeks an extension of one year beyond Deb’s retirement date, the Ministry of […]

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16 February 2023 ~ Comments Off on Babus are losers in selection of new governors

Babus are losers in selection of new governors

The Centre has appointed over a dozen Governors in various states but, oddly, there’s no bureaucrat on the list. The 13 include a retired Supreme Court judge, two retired Army officers and four BJP leaders. While six are newcomers, seven others have been moved from one state to another. That not a single babu was […]

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