babus of india

Delhi High Court asks govt to empanel 1977 batch IAS Rakesh Behari as secretary

2013-05-24T10:52:00.000+05:30

Rakesh Behari, a 1977 batch IAS officer and Managing Director of Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation, would have retired by the end of the month without getting the rank of a Union secretary. But now, Delhi High Court has directed the government to…
empanel the officer as a Union secretary with retrospective effect.
“We direct the respondents (Government of India and others) to issue fresh orders empanelling the petitioner (Rakesh Behari) for appointment as Secretary with effect from June, 2010 i.e. when officers of the 1977 batch were empanelled for posting as Secretary in the Government of India,” a bench comprising Justices Pradeep Nandrajog and V Kameswar Rao said in an order dated May 23 setting aside earlier order of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT).
Behari, an AUMUT cadre IAS who had earlier worked as a joint secretary in the health and rural development ministries, has a reason to cheer as the High Court order says: “Surely, empanelment as Secretary may enhance status in the administrative hierarchy and/ or entail certain privileges after retirement.”
The bench further said: “If the petitioner stands retired, the direction of the Tribunal would be of no consequence. In so far as the contention of learned counsel for the respondents that the petitioner already stood empanelled for appointment to secretary equivalent post in the Centre is concerned, the same does not amount to compliance of the orders of the Tribunal. The very fact that the petitioner has been empanelled for appointment to the Secretary level post in the Centre would itself show there was no impediment, other than the reason given by the respondents in their order dated August 01, 2012 read with August 03, 2012. The reasoning given is not tenable and for all purposes the petitioner is deemed to have been empanelled along with officers of 1977 batch IAS Officers (June 2010), for posting as Secretary in the Government of India.”
Beginning his career as an SDO in Mizoram, Behari had earlier worked in Goa and Andaman as well. He had also worked as a principal secretary in Delhi’s PWD department.
Behari holds master degrees in physics and business administration.

Action and Appointments
a) The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of home ministry for extension in deputation tenure of Dr Ish Kumar, a 1985 batch IPS officer, as Inspector General (IG) in the Bureau of Police Research and Development for a period of one year beyond May 27, 2013.
b) The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of home ministry for extension in deputation tenure of Dr Ravi Prakash Meharda, a 1990 batch Rajasthan cadre IPS, for a period of three months beyond May 11, 2013.

Deputation should not be treated as a tool for “comfortable life”, says Govt

2013-05-23T10:19:00.001+05:30

THE government has said deputation should not be treated by officers as an instrument for a comfortable life, and hometown postings through deputation need to be discouraged. In a DoPT office memorandum (OM) dated May 16, 2013, it asked the lending departments to closely monitor deputation process so as to curb…
tendency to allow extensions on extraneous grounds, and overstay. In fact, deputations beyond five years have now become more a norm than an exception, and in many cases officers remain on deputation with the expectation that they would get extension of tenure with retrospective effect.
But a November 2006 office memorandum said that the deputationist officer is “deemed to have been relieved on the date of expiry of the deputation period unless the competent authority has with requisite approvals, extended the period of deputation, in writing, prior to the date of its expiry”. These instructions were reiterated in March 1, 2011 office memorandum.
In 56th report of the action taken replies of the government on the observations contained in the 51st report on the demands for grants (2012-13) of the ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions by the department related parliamentary standing committee observed inter-alia that policy on deputation envisages mobility of personnel between departments etc. so that the employee and the departments benefit from the process.
“The tendency of treating deputation as a tool to ensure more comfortable, or even hometown postings is required to be discouraged. The instrument of deputation serves public interest only when there is a rational connection with the qualifications and work experience of the deputationist, and the deputation continues for a reasonable period. This would also ensure that both the lending as well as the borrowing department benefit from the experience/exposure of deputationist officer,” the DoPT office memo said.

Action and Appointments
a) Rajeev Chawla, a 1987 batch Karnataka cadre IAS, presently in the cadre, has been appointed as joint secretary in the department of higher education.
b) Surya P Singh Parihar, a 1986 batch MP cadre IAS, has been appointed as joint secretary in the ministry of environment and forests.
c) The competent authority has approved the proposals of the department of commerce to re-designate the posts of deputy secretary presently held by 1999 batch Karnataka cadre IAS MS Srikar and 1999 batch Rajasthan cadre IAS Mughda Sinha as Directors. Srikar had earlier worked as private secretary UIDAI chairman Nandan Nilekani.
d) Dr Rajesh Kumar, a 1990 batch West Bengal cadre IPS officer, has been appointed as OSD in the personal staff of the minister of culture Smt Chandresh Kumari Katoch.

Wow! Ravindra Kumar becomes the first IAS officer to scale Mt Everest

2013-05-22T09:31:00.001+05:30

A YOUNG Sikkim cadre IAS officer, Ravindra Kumar has created history by scaling the Mt Everest, the highest peak in the world. The 2011 batch officer, currently an assistant collector and executive magistrate of East district of Gangtok, achieved this rare feat on May 19, scripting a history by becoming the first IAS officer to conquer Mt Everest. According to local media reports…
Kumar reached the base camp of Mt Everest on April 17 after a week-long journey on foot from a place called Lukla in Nepal. He then had a three-week-long acclimatization at the base camp before beginning his final expedition on May 15. He reached the highest peak four days later on Sunday morning.
It was the First Summit Agency which guided Kumar to undertake the expedition. The agency’s director Mingma Sherpa was the first to inform district collector of East Sikkim about Kumar’s achievement.
A graduate in Nautical science from TS Chanakya University of Mumbai, Kumar took up a job in shipping industry before getting into IAS. During that phase, he had travelled across oceans and nurtured a dream to undertake a journey from the deepest sea to the highest mountain. He then completed advance mountaineering courses from Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling as a part of undertaking his dream expedition. Kumar belongs to Begusarai district of Bihar.
But Kumar’s attempt to scale the highest peak in the world faced a roadblock when a controversy arose over his selection as a member of Sikkim’s state-sponsored Mt Everest Expedition. Kumar opted out of the team and took a personal loan instead, but he decided to chase his dream. And finally, he did it. Kumar’s determination is a lesson for many budding civil servants to scale greater heights in their careers.

Nominations invited for PM’s Awards to be presented next year; who qualifies?

2013-05-21T09:36:00.002+05:30

AFTER the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration, 2011-12 were presented last month where almost every award-winner belonged to IAS, a number of Group A service officers protested by writing anonymous letters to BoI. One wrote, “Why can’t Civil Services Day be called IAS Day?” Actually, the award is open to “officers of civil services from state, Central government including local bodies, panchayats and zilla parishads”, according to the advertisement…
given by department of administrative reforms and public grievances when it has asked for nomination for the 2012-13 edition. The last date of nomination for it is July 16, 2013 and the awards will be presented on April 21 next year.
Who can get those prestigious awards? According to the Request for Nomination form, the awards could be for:
a) Implementation of innovative schemes/projects.
b) Bringing perceptible systemic changes and building up institutions.
c) Making public delivery systems efficient and corruption free.
d) Showing innovation and adaptation to meet stakeholders’ requirements.
e) Extraordinary performance in emergent situations like floods, earthquake etc.
f) Setting high standards of services and continued improvement, showing high leadership qualities and improving employee motivation etc.
The categories under which the nomination can be given:
a) Officer of Central/State Government – Individually
b) Officers of Central/State Government – As a group
c) Organization
The government has however made it clear that self-nominations, nominations that are not of serving civil servants and also nominations of organizations not involving serving civil servants would be rejected.
Also, printed booklets, video films, supplementary material on CDs, press clippings, photographs, reference letters, photo copies of certificates etc. should not be attached with the nomination. Only references to them need be mentioned. These would be reviewed, if required, at a later date.
Any query?
You can contact
Director (AR)
Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances
Sardar Patel Bhavan,
5th Floor, Sansad Marg
New Delhi – 110 001
Phone: 011-2336 0369
Fax: 011-2374 2133
Mail: ritika.bhatia@nic.in

Why Indo-China ties are 20 points below? Ambassador Jaishankar replies

2013-05-20T10:30:00.001+05:30

INDIA-China relationship is about 15 to 20 points below where it could be, and where it should be, India’s ambassador to China Dr S Jaishankar feels. Jaishankar, who recently played a key role in defusing the crisis of Chinese incursion in Ladakh, explained in an interview to a Chinese newspaper why the bilateral relations are still below expectation…
It was an interview given to PLA Daily about one and half years ago. But most of his arguments are still valid. Jaishankar who has been India’s ambassador to China since August 2009, said “trust, a balanced economic relationship and better communication and cultural understanding” could boost bilateral ties. He further noted that the relations probably moved about 20 points up in the last one decade. In fact, about 60% of the total agreements between India and PRC were reached during the last one decade. Yet, why have the relations failed to get a better score? “Because, if we don’t make efforts, we really cannot fully exploit our convergences on many big issues of the day. We would do well to remember that the decline of India and China in the 18th-19th century was connected. So too were their re-emergence as modern states after the Second World War…”, Jaishankar said.
Jaishankar, a 1977 batch IFS officer is a contender for the next foreign secretary’s job, as incumbent Ranjan Mathai is due to retire at the end of July. Sujatha Singh, who is now India’s ambassador to Germany and who is senior to Jaishankar, is however the top contender for the coveted post.

Action and Appointments
a) The Central deputation tenure of Aloke Prasad, a 1984 batch UP cadre IPS and Chief Vigilance Officer in the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has been extended for a period of two years beyond June 20, 2013.
b) Sudhir Mittal, a 1978 batch Punjab cadre IAS and secretary in the department of fertilizers, has been given additional charge of post of secretary, department of chemicals and petro-chemicals from May 15, 2013 to June 2, 2013 during the absence of leave of lndrajit Pal, a 1977 batch Andhra Pradesh cadre IAS.
c) Rajeev Chawla, a 1987 batch Karnataka cadre IAS, presently in the cadre, has been appointed as joint secretary in the department of higher education.

Cabinet secretariat auctions two old white ambassadors. Interested?

2013-05-17T00:26:00.001+05:30

DO YOU have any fascination for white ambassador cars? Cabinet secretariat is auctioning two such cars which are currently being displayed at its campus inside the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The description of the nine year old cars, as written in the bid documents, says both are…
in good running condition, and have music systems fitted in those. One of the cars has an extra fan for the driver.
Any individual or agency can bid for the same. The quotation will be received till 3 pm on May 28, and the bids will be opened on the same day at 3.30 pm. The highest bidder will be able to take away the car after paying the agreed amount.
Interested parties can inspect the vehicles between 4 to 5 pm on any working day till May 24 at the Cabinet secretariat premises.
Significantly, the government is quietly disposing off ambassador cars and getting its old fleet replaced by new sedans like SX4, Ford etc. Cabinet secretary and a number of other Union secretaries now drive SX4 which incidentally use an advertising tagline called “Men are back”.

Action and Appointments
a) The Central government has accorded approval for inter-cadre deputation of Anoop Khinchi, a 2008 batch Nagaland cadre IAS from Nagaland cadre to Rajasthan cadre for a period of three years from the date of assumption of charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

IPS officer's poem lands herself in a row; senior asks who gave permission

2013-05-16T09:26:00.003+05:30

SENIOR IPS officer from Kerala B Sandhya has landed up in a controversy not because of any of her file noting, but for writing a poem which depicts politicians, media and bureaucracy in poor light. The 50-year-old officer, currently an Additional Director General of Police, was asked to give an…
explanation by her senior whether she took any prior permission before penning the poem titled “I can be only like this” published in a Malayalam weekly. It was a long 50-lined poem, according to local media reports.
But Sandhya, who authored five books of literature and several research papers in police science, wrote in her explanation that all-India service rules do not demand prior permission for a literary work. A number of literary personalities from the state have supported the police officer who incidentally published yet another poem in Malayalam News, a Gulf-based daily even as the controversy for her earlier poem had continued. Sandhya asks in her second poem, “how long you will reign in the whirlwind and roaring downpour”.
Sandhya studied human resources management at Wollongong University, Australia in 1998, and then got her PhD on accessibility of women to the criminal justice system from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani. She also led an investigation into allegations of sexual assault made against a former Kerala minister.
Sandhya is married to Dr K Madhukumar, Kerala University’s Controller of Examination. The couple has a daughter named Hyma, according to Wikipedia.

Have a good RTI story to tell? Govt to pay you for your writing skill

2013-05-15T10:05:00.001+05:30

ARE you ready to write a 5,000 word piece on a Right to Information (RTI) best practice? You may end up receiving a cool Rs 25,000. In what could be a part of the government’s new publicity drive in this election year, the department of personnel and training (DoPT) has proposed to publish a compendium of best practices on RTI Act, being practised by…
public authorities. Any Indian citizen is eligible to write those pieces. The best 20 write-ups would be selected for inclusion in the compendium, and the writers of only those selected pieces would be rewarded with a lump-sum amount of Rs 25,000 each, according to a DoPT circular dated May 14.
The circular has given graphic details of how the article should be written, and what it should contain. The article should capture details of the said practice, including its scope, financial implications, and deployment of resources such as manpower, infrastructure, etc., the circular added. The write-ups should be of about 5,000 words, neatly typed in 1.5 line space and 14 size font. Handwritten write-ups would not be considered, it said. Two copies of the write-ups should be submitted to the Deputy Secretary (IR), Department of Personnel and Training, North Block, New Delhi-110001 by June 28, 2013 through post.
Meanwhile, the government has begun a concerted publicity drive beginning with achievements of its flagship Bharat Nirman programme. Many social media users on Tuesday were however not amused by the government’s publicity blitz and drew parallel to NDA’s much hyped India Shinning campaign ahead of 2004 elections. Atal Bihari Vajpayee government’s India Shinning campaign became hugely popular among upper middle class people in a few metros, but grossly failed to impress the aam aadmi.

Action and Appointments
a) The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved for extension of Central deputation tenure of Smt Rina Mitra, a 1983 batch MP cadre IPS, as Inspector General (IG)/Director (NPM) in Bureau of Police Research and Development under the ministry of home affairs for a period of two years beyond May 21, 2013.
b) AK Sinha, a 1979 batch Bihar cadre IPS officer presently working as additional secretary in the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), has been appointed as Special Director in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Cabinet secretary Ajit K Seth gets 1 year extension; what worked in his favour

2013-05-14T01:03:00.002+05:30

Seth at a textile function (File Photo)

THERE was no surprise element or wow factor when appointments committee of the cabinet (ACC) has decided to give one-year-extension to cabinet secretary and 1974 batch UP cadre IAS Ajit Kumar Seth. The low-profile bureaucrat, who studied chemistry in St Stephen’s college in early 1970s, has maintained an excellent rapport with Pulok Chatterji, the man who matters in the corridors. Understandably, the Prime Minister is averse to…experimenting with a new man to head India’s bureaucracy in this election year, and particularly when PM himself is going through a rough political phase in the wake of two of his closest cabinet colleagues, Ashwani Kumar and Pawan Kumar Bansal, getting sacked amid controversies.
As the cabinet secretary during the last two years, Seth has not hogged media limelight for any wrong or right reasons. But from managing the Baba Ramdev agitation to effectively coordinating with top bureaucrats and PSU honchos, Seth has quietly achieved many a target. And no wonder, he has now become the third cabinet secretary in a row to get at least one year extension, the other two being BK Chaturvedi and KM Chandrasekhar. Whereas Chaturvedi who is now a Member in Planning Commission got one year extension as cabinet secretary during UPA-I, Chandrasekhar got two extensions causing hurt-burns to a number of cabinet secretary hopefuls including Sudha Pillai and M Ramachandran, both his juniors.
For Seth, there was no competition as such. Yet, there were gossips in corridors that DoPT secretary and UP cadre IAS PK Misra could be a dark horse dislodging Seth.
When Seth was appointed for this coveted post two years ago, BoI wrote how no one had a bet on this UP bureaucrat to be cabinet secretary even though he was already an insider in the cabinet secretariat as secretary, co-ordination, and was one of the select bureaucrats deployed by the Prime Minister to tide over the problems in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games, 2010. “For six long years, Seth -- known for his honesty and meticulous work -- remained resident commissioner in UP Bhawan. Finally, he got a break when he was appointed as secretary, coordination and public grievances in cabinet secretariat in January, 2009. And the rest is history now,” BoI wrote two year ago.
Apart from being a post-graduate in chemistry, Seth has a master’s degree in development finance from Britain’s University of Birmingham. Early in his career, Seth had worked in the ministry of textile, and one of his highly significant assignments was the First Secretary’s position in Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations at Geneva, Switzerland in 1980s.

Will CMDs of public sector companies be given a fixed 3-year-tenure?

2013-05-13T00:10:00.001+05:30

A FEW top bureaucrats’ posts such as cabinet secretary, home or defence secretary, has a fixed tenure of two years. Their retirement age does not matter as long as the concerned officer is appointed before he attains 60. Now, the government is planning to have a fixed tenure of three years to CMDs and directors of…
public sector companies so as to have continuity in decision-making, according to an article published in The Times of India.
According to the news report, petroleum minister Veerappa Moily is one of the supporters of the new idea, and he has even written to the prime minister arguing why CMDs and directors of PSUs should be given fixed tenures.
Once such a rule is made, the retirement age of CMDs in some cases may go up to 63 years.
It has been argued by a section of experts that frequent change of leadership in PSUs often creates problems in taking major decisions. A number of top central public sector enterprises particularly in the field of infrastructure have been undertaking massive capacity addition programmes, and are also scouting new projects in foreign soils. And that requires a steady leadership of those companies.
The report further said that the proposal also includes setting up of a specialized body within the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) for choosing CMDs of Maharatna and Navaratna companies. The delay in selection of CMDs at times slows down the decision-making process.

Action and Appointments
a) Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal tor appointment VS Senthil, a 1984 batch Kerala cadre IAS, presently in the cadre as joint secretary in the Fourteenth Finance Commission.
b) Ms Tripti Gurha, a 1993 batch IRTS officer, who was recommended for central deputation by the ministry of railways, has been selected for appointment as director in the department of higher education under the ministry of human resource development for a period of five years.
c) Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, a 1997 batch Jammu and Kashmir cadre IAS, has been appointed as director in department of personnel and training (DoPT).
d) Sudha Devi M, a 2003 batch Himachal Pradesh cadre IAS, who has been on a compulsory wait in the health ministry, has been appointed as deputy secretary in the ministry of labour and employment.

Does CBI compulsorily need Centre's nod to probe a JS? Madras HC says "no"

2013-05-09T11:34:00.000+05:30

WHAT we all know is that if an official at the rank of a joint secretary and above is to be investigated, prior permission from the Centre is required. The sheer number of pending requests of investigating agencies mainly of the CBI will also tell you how difficult it is to get such an approval. But a Madras High Court judgement pronounced on April 29, 2013 by a bench comprising Justice R Banumathi and Justice K Ravichandrabaabu said investigating agencies don’t need to wait for permission as the provision in Section 6A of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946, is only “directory, not mandatory, in nature”. Here are excerpts of the judgement:
No doubt, the language employed in the said provision (Section 6A of the DSPE Act) though prima facie gives an impression that seeking of such previous approval is mandatory when an investigation is sought to be proceeded against the employees of the Central Government of the level of Joint Secretary and above, in effect, in our considered view, it is not so.

We would not have ventured to consider the nature of the said provision to find out as to whether it is mandatory or directory but for sub-clause (2) of Section 6-A wherein it is stated that no such approval is necessary for cases involving arrest of a person on the spot on the charge of accepting or attempting to accept any gratification other than legal remuneration.

Thus, even in respect of an investigation against an employee of the Central Government of the level of Joint Secretary and above, if the case falls under sub-clause (2) of Section 6A, no such approval is necessary. Therefore, the approval contemplated under Section 6A projected as though to be necessary only under sub-clause (1) and not so under sub-clause (2). An over all reading of entire Section 6A would only show the legislative intent that the approval contemplated therein can at the best be only directory and not mandatory. As against the same person, there cannot be two yard sticks , one under sub-clause (1) and another under sub-clause (2), if the intent of the legislation is mandatory under all circumstances for seeking approval of the Central Government.

The order further distinguished joint secretaries at the state and at the Centre implying that a joint secretary level officer working at a state can’t expect any help from Section 6A of the DSPE Act. In other words, no prior permission from the Centre is required in case a joint secretary is working at a state. The order says: “No All India Service Officer is recruited to serve the Central Government, except on deputation to Central Government”.
Here is one more excerpt from the order where the appellant is an IPS officer posted in Tamil Nadu, and is empanelled as a joint secretary.

Mere empanelment of the appellant for holding the post of Inspector General vide proceedings No.I-21023/14/2010-IPS-IV of Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, dated 13.7.2010 does not confer any right of appointment on the appellant and the appellant, having not been appointed to the said post at the Centre, cannot claim that he is an Officer in the status of Joint Secretary level at the Centre.

Training calendar for IAS, others includes anti-corruption strategy, ethics

2013-05-08T11:08:00.001+05:30

A painting depicting corruption

HOW to fight corruption has figured prominently in this year’s in-service training programmes designed for IAS and other officers working under Central Staffing Scheme. The training calendar for 2013-14 shows that…senior officers have to attend sessions on eradication of corruption strategy, good governance, ethics in public governance among others. The officers are trained in batches at a number of institutions and academies across India. In the backdrop of big-ticket corruption cases being surfaced at regular intervals, the anti-corruption training as part of senior bureaucrats’ in-service training programmes assumes significance even though senior bureaucrats used to get lessons on good governance in the past as well.
In the week beginning July 29, some officers, for example, will be trained at OP Jindal Global University located at Sonipat, Haryana. The subject of the training is “Fighting Corruption: Effective Corruption Eradication Strategy”. Similarly, some officers will be trained on good governance at Chennai’s Anna Institute of Management in August 16 to 20. At IC Centre for Governance (ICCG) based in Panchgani, there will be two training programmes on the same topic: ethics in public governance. The first programme will be held in November, and the second in January next year.
The other subjects that are a part of this year’s training calendar for IAS and other officers, include infrastructure finance, fiscal policy management, financial market regulations, procurement procedure and contracting just to name a few.

Action and Appointments
a) Prannoy Sharma, a 1998 batch Indian Postal Service officer, has been appointed as director in the department of chemicals and petrochemicals.
b) Venkata Rarnana Kumar, a non-government official currently working as additional private secretary in the personal staff of the minister for Panchayati Raj and Tribal Affairs V Kishore Chandra Deo, has been appointed as private secretary to the minister at director level.

Govt to send senior bureaucrats to Harvard to acquire leadership skills

2013-05-07T08:58:00.002+05:30

A part of Harvard Campus

THE government is inviting applications from senior bureaucrats to do a leadership course at the Harvard University. The officers at the rank of additional secretary and joint secretary will be funded under the Domestic Funding of Foreign Training, or DFFT scheme for any of the four short-term programmes which were recently added to the list of…
courses that get government funding. One of the courses is about 21st century leadership amid chaos, conflict and courage, something senior bureaucracy in India needs to inculcate. Those belonging to IAS, Central Secretariat Service and other Group ‘A’ services officers who are holding posts on deputation under the Central Staffing Scheme, are eligible to apply.
The government in a letter dated May 3, 2013 made it clear that preference would be given to suitable officers belonging to the SC or ST category, women officers, and officers working in North-East states and Jammu and Kashmir cadre. The officers have to file the application online by logging into the DoPT website.
Here are the four courses at the Harvard
a) Driving Government Performance: Leadership Strategies that Produce Results (August 25-30, 2013)
b) Leadership for 21st Century: Chaos, Conflict and Courage (September 8-13, 2013)
c) Creating Collaborative Solutions: Innovations in Governance (October 20-25, 2013)
d) Leadership in Decision Making: Optimizing Organizational Performance (November 17-22, 2013)
The training division of DoPT has sent letters to all chief secretaries of state governments and UTs, and to secretaries of all the ministries and departments of government of India to nominate the suitable candidates. The last date of application is May 31, 2013.
Also Read
FAQ on govt funding of foreign courses

Why a post of a secretary is not up for sale as yet: An Analysis

2013-05-06T11:34:00.001+05:30

THE recovery of Rs 90 lakh from railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal’s nephew in Chandigarh last Friday has done little damage to the Congress. At least if one compares it with the kind of dent it has made to the clean image that secretary-level appointments have commanded so far. But BoI terms the episode a one-off, and here it’s why…
According to reports, Mahesh Kumar, a highly efficient railway officer was not satisfied with his current posting as Member (Staff) in Railway Board, the highest decision-making body in Indian Railways. He wanted a more lucrative post---Member (Electrical) whose say is crucial while rolling out private contracts amounting to thousands of crores of rupees. Kumar who is now in CBI custody allegedly agreed to pay Rs 10 crore through his associates of railway contractors to minister Pawan Kumar Bansal’s nephew. And Rs 90 lakh that was recovered by CBI is said to be a mere advance payment of the alleged bribe.
Now, let’s come to the core point. Is a secretary-level post up for sale? The answer is “no”. Yes, lobbying does take place at the highest level of bureaucracy as well. It’s also true that there are examples of less-deserving candidates cornering plum posts. Sometime, a highly efficient bureaucrat who could potentially be a trouble-maker for the establishment ends up getting a less important ministry. But mind it, once an officer is empaneled as a secretary, he or she will invariably get a secretary-level post.
Unlike what's said in some of the media commentaries post-Mahesh Kumar episode, a bribe can’t ensure a “lucrative” secretary-level post. There could be an exception, but it's not a trend as yet. Nor will a secretary-empanelled officer like to be duped by a contractor claiming that he has enough contacts to influence decisions of Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).
Also, if a secretary-level post is sold at Rs 10 crore each, most bureaucrats would have ended up their career as an additional secretary. And a corrupt cabinet secretary would have been worth a thousand crore if you do a quick back-of-the envelop calculation of bribe amounts multiplied by number of secretary-level posts. Those who know the inside of the corridors well will tell you confidently, it does not happen this way. Yes, the ACC is not always supreme (forget the theory for a moment), as ministers particularly the heavyweight ones have a direct say, at least unofficially, who they want as their secretaries. But the scope for political influence in appointing a secretary is very limited.
For the record, the ACC is headed by the Prime Minister, and in all practical purposes, the secretary-level appointments are made by cabinet secretary in consultation with principal secretary to PM. Till now, bribery has not found its way in high-level appointments and UPSC recruitment.
So the question will arise how come then Mahesh Kumar’s alleged bid to get a key post by bribing his minister’s close relative surface at all? In all probability, this is the result of a phase of uncertainty that Indian Railways has been going through recently. During the last four year, the organization with 1.4 million employees has witnessed four ministers including sacking of one, clear political influence and interferences in bureaucratic decisions, erosion of its revenue and a possible financial crunch in near future. And under these circumstances, a shrewd officer and his few contractor friends must have discovered a jugaad, only to lead them to jail.

How 2 bureaucrat friends are scripting a satire on jealousy, envy and contempt

2013-05-03T09:58:00.000+05:30

Ampady (left), Prasanth

IT’S not a script on corridors of power. Two civil servants, N Prasanth and K Ampady have teamed up to pen a satire based on the recent discovery of the God Particle. It will be a script for a new Malayalam film with an unusual title...
Aa.ku.pu Complex which is an abbreviation of three Malayalam words asooya, kushumbu and pucham. In English, it means “jealousy-envy-contempt complex”.
33-year-old Prasanth is a 2007 batch IAS and is currently MD of Kerala Tourism Development Corporation. He was an LLB before joining as IAS. Dr K Ampady, an Indian Information Service officer, is now the managing director of Kerala State Coastal Area Development Corporation.
The film is likely to be directed by VK Prakash, with Indrajith in the lead, according to local media reports. Indrajith, the son of late actor Sukumaran, is one of the most prominent cine stars in Malayalam cinema.
Prasanth is quoted by Hindu newspaper as saying that Ampady and he are “good friends” and whenever they get together they “often discuss movies”. Then they decided to collaborate for the upcoming movie which will have two heroes and two heroines.
Indrajith is likely to play the role of an aspiring bureaucrat. The character is scripted in such a way that he is out and out cynical about anything and everything.

Action and Appointments
a) Ms Petal Dhillon, a 2002 batch IRTS officer, has been appointed as deputy secretary in the department of economic affairs (DEA) under the ministry of finance for a period of four years.
b) Ms Stuti Narain Kackar, a 1978 batch UP cadre IAS and currently secretary, department of disability affairs, is given additional charge of the post of secretary of department of social justice and empowerment for three months.

Govt asks bureaucrats to give new ideas on how to celebrate Civil Services Day

2013-05-02T07:35:00.001+05:30

The award winners at CSD, 2013

THE government is looking for fresh ideas on how to celebrate the Civil Services Day next year. The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), the nodal department that anchors the annual event, has formally asked for…
new suggestions and ideas on the format of Civil Services Day. All civil servants of the country are eligible to submit fresh ideas.
In fact, the Civil Services Day is celebrated every year on April 21. On this day in 1947, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel addressed the probationers at All India Administrative Service Training School at Metcalfe House, Delhi. The government has for the last eight years organized the event annually.
The present format of the programme is as follows:
(i) Inaugural session in which Prime Minister addresses civil servants and confers the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration.
(ii) Keynote address by a dignitary.
(iii) Three parallel panel discussions.
(iv) Presentation on the conclusion of the panel discussions is made in the valedictory session.
This year, a number of bureaucrats wrote to BoI complaining that only IAS officers were picked up for the prestigious Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration in various categories. Civil servants of most services were ignored. “Is it a Civil Services Day or IAS Services Day”—one officer wrote sarcastically.
But now, you can be a part of the change. The civil servants with new ideas on the format and topics of discussion for the panels can write to csday.arpg@nic.in. You can also leave your comments in the comment box below and initiate a debate in BoI too.

Action and Appointments
a) Shikhar Agarwal, a 1993 batch Rajasthan cadre IAS and currently private secretary to Adviser to PM (director level), on Prime Minister’s National Council on Skill Development, has been appointed as Director General (Employment and Training) under the labour ministry at the rank of a joint secretary.
b) Anthony Lianzuala, a 1982 batch ICAS officer, has been appointed as Managing Director of National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) at the level of a joint secretary.
c) Vikram Dev Dutt, a 1993 batch UT cadre IAS and presently on compulsory wait with the ministry of textiles, has been appointed as a joint secretary in the ministry of defence.

What to do when you are “in doubt”? President gives tips to IRS probationers

2013-05-01T10:46:00.000+05:30

IRS trainees during a cultural event at Nagpur Academy (File Photo)

IT WAS a gathering of probationers belonging to Indian Revenue Service (Income-Tax) at Nagpur’s National Academy of Direct Taxes. President of India Pranab Mukherjee asked those future taxmen to apply a test whenever they are “in doubt”, or when the “self becomes too much” with oneself. Here is what Mukherjee said on Monday:
“Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man [woman] whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him [her]. Will he [she] gain anything by it? Will it restore him [her] to a control over his [her] own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj [freedom] for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and yourself melt away.” President Mukherjee who supported the taxmen’s cause during his tenure as finance minister, in fact quoted that Mahatma Gandhi’s Talisman.
Incidentally, none of those IRS probationers was born when Mukherjee was a minister of state for finance in 1970s. Mukherjee reminded the young taxmen that “tax collection is neither a simple nor popular task”. He said: “Many empires have collapsed in the past because Governments did not have money to pay their soldiers. Kautilya’s words ‘Kosh Moolo Dandah’ i.e. “revenue is the backbone of administration” continues to be as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago.”
He further reminded the probationers that taxation now is more a complex phenomenon with political, legal and international ramifications. “The inter-group transactions offer an opportunity for multinational enterprises to locate their profits in favourable tax jurisdictions with low taxes or no taxes. Issues like Transfer Pricing are also very complicated… Earlier, countries were very reluctant to share information. One of the indirect benefits of the 2008 financial crisis was that recalcitrant countries have been compelled to share information,” Mukherjee said.
The government of late has emphasized more on direct tax collection as it's not inflationary unlike indirect tax. The target for direct tax collection for the year 2013-14 is estimated to be whopping Rs 6 lakh 68 thousand crore. And these young officers will play a role in it.

Social Media Black-box for Indian Bureaucrats: How Nirupama Rao can help

2013-04-30T07:42:00.001+05:30

ONE social media study of public diplomacy undertaken recently at George Washington University, placed India’s ambassador to US Nirupama Rao at the top of the chart among all diplomats and missions based out of Washington DC. As the research study itself says, Rao is “doing something right” to woo a huge number of followers. But, have the other Indian civil servants treated the technology associated with social media as a “black-box” and…
gone around it and explore the opportunities? An Indian government paper released on April 21 as a part of Civil Services Day, talks about how social media can help Indian civil servants to consult and engage with the public, increase the impact of their communications and be more transparent and accountable. “If used effectively, social media can help in enhancing policy making and service delivery”, the paper says.
But the paper released by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) also cautioned Indian civil servants of the risks and challenges associated with social media. It then gives a glimpse of UK government’s social media guidelines published in May 2012 and urges Indian bureaucrats to follow those while venturing into Twitter or Facebook etc.
Here are some of those tips:
a) Communicate with citizens in the places they already are.
b) Use social media to consult and engage.
c) Use social media to be more transparent and accountable.
d) Be a part of the conversation with all the benefits that brings.
e) Understand that government cannot do everything alone, or in isolation.
f) Adhere to the Civil Service Code (online as well as offline).
But how will senior Indian bureaucrats jump into the social media bandwagon simply because the government wants them to venture into? Is there any formal training or exposure to technology? The government paper has hailed head of British civil services Sir Bob Kerslake who himself is an avid user of Twitter and had specially requested his team to remove the technological challenges so that civil servants would be able to access social media.
Why not Nirupama Rao be invited by the DARPG to conduct a special Twitter session for technologically-challenged senior Indian bureaucrats? Here is what the research conducted by Jeanette Gaida as a part of a project at George Washington University says about Rao: “Clearly she is doing something right on Twitter that she was able to gain that many followers in such a short amount of time. A quick glance at her account shows that she tweets consistently, which is crucial to acquiring and maintaining followers, and that she was on Foreign Policy Magazine’s list of 100 Womerati…”
It’s the time Indian bureaucrats explore the social media black-box.

“Stability” & “lesser tensions” drive B-School grads to PSUs: Survey

2013-04-29T08:12:00.004+05:30

PSU award-winners posing for a photo with President Mukherjee

IF THE outcome of industry lobby group Assocham’s recent survey is any indication, B-School students now prefer jobs at public sector undertakings and Central government departments. According to the survey results, the MBA degree holders are being attracted to public sector over private jobs because of…
factors such as “stability” and “lesser tensions” as against corporate sector, according to a statement released by Assocham last week.
The survey was conducted by Assocham under the aegis of its Social Development Foundation during the months of February and March, 2013. The cities in which respondents were interviewed included Delhi and NCR, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Cochin, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Indore, Patna, Pune, Chandigarh and Dehradun.
Most respondents said they wanted to join Central Public Sector Enterprises such as ONGC, IOC, NTPC, HPCL, BPCL, SAIL etc., according to the results. Delhi ranks first for preferring PSUs and central government jobs followed by Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai.
Majority of B-school respondents felt that PSUs offer perks and good salary structure, besides giving huge medical facilities. On the top of those, there is a security factor, respondents said.
The survey results have however failed to answer some of the queries that do arise. First, how many of the B-School pass-outs who were interviewed for the survey belonged to the premier management institutes such as IIMs? Secondly, will they say “no” to a private sector job even if the remuneration is three times higher than that of the public sector? In other words, are they willing to join the government even as Google, or Microsoft, for example, is willing to offer them a job with an annual package of Rs 30 lakh? Thirdly, is the preference of a PSU job over private sector a temporary phenomenon in the backdrop of over-all economic slowdown and uncertainty?
Yet, if the increasing number of IIM-turned civil servants is any indication, it has been several years now that top B-School grads do take a year or two off to prepare for highly competitive civil services examinations. After all, their IIM degree will ensure that they can shift gears and join a top position in a private sector company at any point of their long administrative career.

File RTI online, pay by credit card; facility to be extended to all ministries by May

2013-04-26T08:35:00.001+05:30

WANT to know what DoPT secretary PK Misra has written on a particular file? You can now file an RTI application online, and make the payment using your debit or credit card. The government has quietly launched a web portal, rtionline.gov.in which can be used to get information solely about…
DoPT. But, according to an office memorandum dated April 22, 2013, the facility of online RTI applications will be extended to all ministries and departments within one month.
For the government, the big challenge now is how to get the RTI nodal officers trained about the new online system. The OM said: “Arrangements have been made to provide training to the RTI Nodal Officers, RTI Cell officials and the NIC/IT personnel attached with the Ministries/Departments, by DoPT with the help of NIC, within next 2-3 weeks. The schedule for such training would be intimated to the RTI Nodal Officers directly. It is requested that training for all the CPIOs and FAAs may be organized by the concerned Ministry/Department, through these officers trained by DoPT/NIC.”
Here are a few important facts about the new online RTI system:
a) In the first phase, this facility is available to make a request to department of personnel and training only.
b) At present, the text of the application is confined up to 500 characters only in the prescribed column of the form. In case, the text of an application contains more than 500 characters, it can be uploaded as a PDF attachment in the “Supporting Document” column of the form.
c) After filling the first page, a non-BPL applicant has to click on “Make Payment” button for remittance of the prescribed RTI fee. The applicant can pay the prescribed RTI fee through the following modes: (i) Internet banking through SBI and its associated banks. (ii) Using ATM-cum-Debit card of State Bank of India.
d) On submission of an application, a unique registration number will be issued, which may be referred by the applicant for any future reference.
e) The application will reach electronically to the Nodal Officer of the said ministry/department and “not” to the CPIO of the concerned ministry/department.
f) In case the RTI application is not meant for the ministry which has been selected by the applicant, the Nodal Officer will transfer the application electronically to the Nodal Officer of the concerned main ministry/department located at New Delhi, under section 6(3) of the RTI Act.
g) In case additional fee representing the cost is required for providing information, the Nodal Officer will intimate the same, which can be viewed by the applicant through ‘View Status’ option in the RTI Online Portal and an e-mail alert will be sent to the applicant for the same.
h) Mobile number can be provided by the applicant or appellant in order to receive SMS alerts. The provision is however optional.

Action and Appointments
a) President of India has accepted the resignation of Vijay Singh from the post of Member, Union Public Service Commission with effect from April 30, 2013.
b) The President of India has given his assent to the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill, 2013. It has now been published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part-II, Section-1, dated the April 23, 2013 as Act No. 14 of 2013.

Know Your Babu: Andhra IAS who shares birthday with Sachin Tendulkar

2013-04-25T10:08:00.001+05:30

Tendulkar after swearing-in as an MP (June 4, 2012)

AS legendary cricketer Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar turned 40 on Wednesday, there were celebrations all around. At Kolkata, the birthday boy cut the cake with his wife Anjali standing beside him, and hundreds of camera persons capturing the historic moment. Somewhere in Andhra Pradesh, a 1998 batch IAS officer who shares the birthday with Tendulkar,…
must have had a private function to celebrate his B’ Day too. BoI has found out that Andhra Pardesh cadre IAS Srikant Nagulapalli who is the CEO of Arogya Sri Health Care Trust under the state health department, was also born on April 24, 1973.
An MTech before joining as IAS, Nagulapalli belongs to Andhra Pradesh. As an IAS, he secured the home cadre. Beginning his career as an assistant collector of Karimnagar, he was also the district magistrate of Srikakulam.
Whereas Nagulapalli shared the same birthday with the cricketing legend, there are altogether 84 IAS officers who are 40-year-old, BoI Research has shown. Among those who were born in 1973, the UP cadre IAS officer of 1995 batch Ashish Kumar Goel is the senior most. Goel, who turned 40 a couple of months ago, is the collector of Chitrakoot district. Among the IAS batches, the one belonging to 2001 has the maximum number of officers, 13 in total, who were born in the same year as Tendulkar.
However, there is a big difference here, at least on the question of retirement. At 40, Tendulkar faces the question which no one is comfortable asking about. But for 84 of his contemporary IAS officers, at least the retirement is two decades away!

Ministries should publish follow-up actions taken on CAG reports: Govt Paper

2013-04-24T10:29:00.001+05:30

SHOULD every ministry in its annual report add a chapter giving details about follow-up actions on what Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report said of the ministry? A background paper released by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances on the occasion of the Civil Services Day said “yes”. “It would be a good practice…
for all Departments and Ministries to publish in their annual reports the follow up actions taken based on CAG’s findings for the last two years,” the paper said. It’s an interesting observation in the backdrop of the CAG reports giving sleepless nights to the government of the day.
“In India, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) is the body whose mandate is to monitor and ensure public accountability. However, CAG reports are not fully utilised to effect constructive policy changes,” the paper further said.
It was further advised in the note that the Centre and the state governments should also proactively conduct external audits of some of their main spending departments beyond relying solely on audit reports. “Such external audits would supplement the regular internal audit process and are more likely to provide fresh leads for further investigation or improvement. The Central Government should also objectively assess the experience and perception of the general public that civil servants are intended to serve. One way to help encourage accountability is to hold public forums on matters pertaining to the work handled by each department,” it said.
In UK, for example, a three-year ‘Public Service Agreement’ was introduced under which departments publicly state the outcomes which citizens can expect from their spending, and disclose explicit productivity and performance targets.

Govt considers modification of appraisal system; lists out global best practices

2013-04-23T09:43:00.001+05:30

Performance, Incentives

ON CIVIL services day last Sunday, cabinet secretary Ajit K Seth said that the government was seriously considering modification of numerical annual appraisal system. As senior bureaucrats gathered in New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan for the occasion, a background paper that was distributed among them highlighted how performance of civil servants in Singapore, South Korea, UK and Australia is judged. Here are some excerpts:

a) In Singapore, citizen feedback on how civil servants responded to their queries and needs is an important input to judging the performance of civil servants.
b) In Australia, secretaries and agency heads are eligible for annual performance bonuses up to 15 percent of their remuneration, depending on their performance assessment.
c) Korea has moved to implement 360 degree feedback schemes in some government agencies.
d) The annual within-grade increment received by high-level civil servants in the UK can be higher or lower depending on the rating they receive in an objectives-based performance appraisal. To encourage innovation, creativity, and performance, some government agencies offer one-off cash bonuses to employees whose recommendations lead to substantial cost-savings. The public recognition which individuals and teams receive is often just as important as the financial award itself.
The promotion in Singapore Civil Service (SCS) depends on two factors: helicopter and whole person qualities. Helicopter quality is the ability and drive to look at a problem from a higher vantage point with simultaneous attention to relevant details. The whole person qualities give an overall view of the officer taking into account the intellectual qualities, result orientation and leadership qualities, the background papers for panel discussions on Civil Services Day said.

Winners of Prime Minister’s Awards; who are those outstanding civil servants?

2013-04-21T21:54:00.004+05:30

ON THE occasion of Civil Services Day on Sunday, principal secretary PM Pulok Chatterji released a book titled “Best Practices – Thinking Out of the Box”. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his speech gave yet another twist to the debate when he said India’s rapid progress would depend on our ability to be innovative particularly in public administration. Here are a few innovative thought leaders in bureaucracy who clinched the...
coveted Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration for the year 2011–12.

Awardees in individual categories
a) Darpan Jain, 2001 batch Karnataka cadre IAS for “Saving Open Spaces and Urban Lakes (SOUL) and Cultural Rejuvenation in the twin city of Hubli-Dharwad, Karnataka”, as deputy commissioner of Dharwad. A mechanical engineer-turned IAS, Jain originally hails from Haryana. He had earlier served as Managing Director of Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development & Finance Corporation Ltd
b) Om Prakash Choudhary, 2005 batch Chhattisgarh cadre IAS for “Educational Initiatives in Dantewada, Chattisgarh”, as collector of Dantewada. Starting his career as an assistant collector in Korba, Choudhary, originally belonging to Chandigarh, had served as SDO at Raipur and Durg respectively. He was also commissioner of Raipur Municipality Commissioner. Currently, he is collector of Sukma and successor of Alex Paul Menon who was kidnapped by Maoists.
c) Amit Gupta, 2000 batch UP cadre IAS, for “Daliya jalao: Liberating Manual Scavengers and Moving Towards Total Sanitation, Uttar Pradesh”, as District Magistrate of Budaun. An engineer-turned IAS, Gupta had served as collector in a number of challenging districts in Uttar Pradesh including Hamirpur, Jalaun, Kanoj, Etawah, Firozabad and Shrawasti. Currently, he is collector and DM in Bijnor.

Awardees in the group category
a) Sugarcane Information System, Uttar Pradesh
b) Transformation of Commercial Tax Regime in Karnataka.
c) Excellence in rural management and development in the challenging physical environment of the Sikkim Himalaya, Sikkim

Awardee in organizational category
a) KaushalyaVardhan Kendra (Skill Development) Project of the Directorate of Employment and Training, Gujarat

Bureaucrats to celebrate Civil Services Day on April 21; tentative programme

2013-04-18T09:38:00.002+05:30

A moment during 1st Civil Services Day, 2006

COMING Sunday will be a working day for many senior bureaucrats in Delhi. Surprised? It’s April 21, the Civil Services Day which was first celebrated only seven years ago. This year, the day will be marked by presentation of awards to bureaucrats for their outstanding performance, group photo of winners with Prime Minister, brainstorming sessions on future of…
Indian civil services and book release by principal secretary to PM Pulok Chatterji. Also, five documentary films will be screened on the occasion.
According to the tentative programme, former cabinet secretary Naresh Chandra is likely to deliver a keynote address on civil servants’ opportunities and challenges. Three parallel discussions include “Civil Services –Fit for Future”, “Addressing the challenges of public service delivery” and “Rural Economy with focus on employment”.
Post lunch, there will be book releases by Pulok Chatterji and address by cabinet secretary Ajit K Seth.

Cricket camp for bureaucrats’ children
In this hot IPL season, children of government employees are invited to participate in cricket coaching camps in New Delhi’s Vinay Marg sports complex. The fee for this summer coaching to be held between May 15 and June 15, 2013, is just Rs 500 per head. The children in the age group of eight to 16 are eligible to participate in the camp.