New Delhi:

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has cleared a series of high-profile bureaucratic appointments in various ministries, marking a reshuffling of leadership in key departments. The latest appointments, which include new postings across finance, defence, and minority affairs, reflect the government’s emphasis on experience and continuity.

Following are the officers whose appointments have been approved, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Secretary at the Department of Personnel and Training, said in a statement.

Vivek Joshi, lAS (Hyderabad, 1989), Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance as Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

Rajesh Kumar Singh, lAS (Kerala, 1989), Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry as Officer on Special Duty, Department of Defence, Ministry of Defence in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India. The officer will take over as Secretary, Department of Defence, Ministry of Defence vice Aramane Giridhar, lAS (Andhra Pradesh, 1988) upon completion of his tenure on 31.10.2024. The ACC has also approved extension in service of Rajesh Kumar Singh, lAS (Kerala, 1989) as Secretary, Department of Defence beyond the age of superannuation, for a period up to 31.10.2026 or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Katikithala Srinivas, lAS (Gujarat, 1989), Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs as Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Manoj Govil, lAS (Madhya Pradesh, 1991), Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs as Secretary, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance

Vandana Gurnani, lAS (Karnataka, 1991), presently in the cadre as Secretary (Coordination), Cabinet Secretariat.

Chandra Sekhar Kumar, lAS (Odisha, 1992), Special Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj as Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs vice Katikithala Srinivas, lAS (Gujarat, 1989) upon his appointment as Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Neelam Shammi Rao, lAS (Madhya Pradesh, 1992), Central Provident Fund Commissioner, Employees’ Provident Fund Organization, Ministry of Labour and Employment as Secretary, National Commission for Minorities, Ministry of Minority Affairs in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India.

Punya Salila Srivastava, lAS (AGMUT, 1993), Special Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office as Officer on Special Duty, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in the rank and pay of Secretary to the government of India. The officer will take over as Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare vice Apurva Chandra, lAS (Maharashtra, 1988) upon his superannuation on September 30, 2024.

Deepti Gaur Mukerjee, lAS (Madhya Pradesh, 1993), Chief Executive Officer, National Health Authority as Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs vice Manoj Govil, lAS (Madhya Pradesh, 1991) upon his appointment as Secretary, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.

Deepti Umashankar, lAS (Hyderabad, 1993), Establishment Officer and Additional Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions as Officer on Special Duty to the President in the rank and pay of Secretary to the government from the date of assumption of charge. The officer will take over as Secretary to the President vice Rajesh Verma, lAS (Odisha, 1987) upon his superannuation on August 31 this year.

Sukriti Likhi, lAS (Hyderabad, 1993), Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser, Ministry of Steel as Officer on Special Duty, National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention in the rank and pay of Secretary to the government. The officer will take over as Chairperson, National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention vice Mukhmeet Singh Bhatia, lAS (Jharkhand, 1990) upon his superannuation on September 30, 2024.

Sanjeev Kumar, lAS (Maharashtra, 1993), Chairman, Airports Authority of India, Ministry of Civil Aviation as Secretary, Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence.

Amardeep Singh Bhatia, lAS (Nagaland, 1993), Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry as Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry vice Rajesh Kumar Singh, lAS (Kerala, 1989) upon his appointment as Officer on Special Duty, Department of Defence, Ministry of Defence.

Prashant Kumar Singh, lAS (Manipur, 1993), Chief Executive Officer, Government e-MarketplaCe Special Purpose Vehicle, Ministry of Commerce and Industry as Officer on Special Duty, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in the rank and pay of Secretary to the government of India. The officer will take over as Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy vice Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, lAS (AGMUT, 1990) upon his superannuation September 30.

Ashok Kumar Kaluaram Meena, lAS (Odisha, 1993), Chairman and Managing Director, Food Corporation of India as Officer on Special Duty, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India. The officer will take over as Secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti vice Vini Mahajan, lAS (Punjab, 1987) upon her superannuation on October 31.

Nagaraju Maddirala, lAS (Tripura, 1993), Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal as Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance vice Vivek Joshi, lAS (Hyderabad, 1989) upon his appointment as Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

Pankaj Kumar Mishra, IRS (Income Tax, 1989), presently in the cadre as Member Finance, Atomic Energy Commission, Department of Atomic Energy in the rank and pay of Secretary to the government of India.

A Neeraja, IFoS (Uttar Pradesh, 1990), Special Secretary, Department of Fertilisers, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers as Officer on Special Duty, National Commission for Backward Classes, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in the rank and pay of Secretary to the government of India. The officer will take over as Secretary, National Commission for Backward Classes, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment vice Ashish Upadhyaya, lAS, upon his superannuation on September 30.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) also approved in-situ upgradation of the following officers to the level of Special Secretary in the rank and pay of Secretary to the government by temporarily upgrading the posts held by them:

Sunil Paliwal, lAS (Tamil Nadu, 1993), Chairperson, Chennai Port Trust as Chairperson, Chennai Port Trust in the rank and pay of Secretary to the government.

Vikram Dev Dutt, lAS (AGMUT, 1993), Director General, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Civil Aviation as Director General, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Civil Aviation in the rank and pay of secretary to the government.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is a constitutional body established under Article 315 of the Indian Constitution. It plays a crucial role in the recruitment of officers for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), the Indian Police Service (IPS), and several other Group A and Group B services. It is India’s premier central recruiting agency responsible for conducting examinations and selecting candidates for various civil services positions within the Indian government. In fact, the civil services exam is one of the most prestigious and challenging tests in the world. 

Notably, the other function of the UPSC includes giving advice on the quantum of punishment to be awarded to a deviant civil servant. In recent days, both the UPSC and the system of its recruitment have come under public criticism, thanks to incidents of abuse and misuse of quota by a few candidates. This has put into question the credibility of not only the examination process but also of the UPSC as an institution.

The UPSC examination system, pattern and process have often been called outdated. Going from preliminary exams to the final result of the interview round takes almost a year. The curriculum and exam pattern, which has remained unchanged for decades now, don’t align with the needs of governance and public administration in today’s world. Even the syllabus is criticised for not reflecting contemporary realities. This mismatch creates a gap between the skills required in today’s world and what the examination actually tests.

Another significant criticism of the UPSC examination is its tendency to promote a culture of rote learning. The UPSC’s heavy reliance on factual knowledge has led to the rise of “crammers”, that is, candidates who excel in memorising information but may lack deeper understanding, critical thinking abilities, creativity and a spirit of innovation. This leads to the selection of individuals who are less suited to the dynamic and complex nature of public administration. If you are very good at cramming facts and vomiting them on page on the day of the exam, you have got yourself a qualification for the mains.

That’s not all. The unpredictability of the UPSC exams, particularly the prelims test, adds to the stress and uncertainty faced by aspirants. Questions can vary widely in difficulty and scope, making it challenging for candidates to prepare effectively. This often benefits those who are better at guessing rather than those who possess a deep understanding of subjects.

Lack of transparency in the evaluation process is also a concern. Candidates have limited access to their answer sheets and don’t know the rationale behind the scores they are awarded. This opacity fuels suspicion about the fairness of the evaluation process. 

Even though the selection process is rigorous, the UPSC has been criticised for failing to produce competent and effective officers consistently. The need for reform is evident. Changes should aim to foster creativity, transparency, and a genuine understanding of the complexities of public service, ensuring that the best and brightest are selected to serve the nation. Such reforms would include measures to assess practical skills, such as case studies, simulations, and problem-solving exercises. It is also suggested that candidates be given access to their answer sheets and a detailed breakdown of scores. This can include explanations for marks awarded, helping candidates understand their performance and identify areas that need improvement.

The current system also does not adequately assess candidates’ personality traits and soft skills. Thus, there’s a need to enhance the Personality Test (interview round) and include methods that can assess leadership qualities, emotional intelligence, and ethical decision-making. Dedicated sections on ethics, integrity, and governance in the examination and personality test can help promote a culture of ethical public service and ensure that the selected candidates have a strong moral compass. And, the interview board must include a jury comprising the common public too, as it is they who are the ‘end-sufferers’ in this system.

Systemically, the UPSC, though an independent constitutional body responsible for the recruitment of all central civil service. This should not be the case; the members must include representation from all services. As an extension of this, the marks awarded during training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy Of Administration (LBSNAA) should also be considered so as to ascertain the suitability of a candidate for a particular job.

Finally, one of the most neglected duties of the UPSC – giving advice about the nature and quantum of punishment for a deviant civil servant – should be discharged in a timely manner. The UPSC is slow, tardy and status quoist in its approach. We need a faster, more transparent and clearer procedure so that erring bureaucrats are given appropriate punishments.

 It’s time to revive the lost faith in this sacred institution.  

(The author is a Delhi-based columnist and commentator) 

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

New Delhi:

Amid claims that trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar allegedly submitted fake disability certificates to get the job, questions are now being raised over another former bureaucrat’s selection under in disability criteria.

Abhishek Singh – the 2011 batch IAS officer who resigned last year to become an actor – is under fire after his dance and gym videos went viral on social media.

Several users commented on the videos shared by Abhishek Singh, calling for greater transparency and accountability in the bureaucratic selection process.

Abhishek Singh claimed to have a locomotor disability to avail concessions in the UPSC selection process.

Responding to the allegations, Mr Singh said he is being targeted for supporting reservations.

“Although I am not affected by any criticism, this is the first time I am answering my critics because my supporters asked me to. Since I started supporting reservations, anti-reservationists have targeted me. They question my caste and my job. Let me tell you, I have achieved everything through hard work and courage, not through reservation,” he said in a post on X – earlier known as Twitter.

“I have done social work through my initiatives like United by Blood and the No-Shame Movement without government help. I believe that reservation in government jobs should be according to the population, and I will work towards that. If you think you have talent, stop trying for government jobs and excel in business, sports, or acting. There is no reservation there,” he added.

“I move on the strength of my talent, confidence, and courage, not in anyone’s favour.”

वैसे तो मुझे किसी आलोचना से कोई फ़र्क़ नहीं पड़ता, पर ये मेरे जीवन काल में पहली बार है जब मैं अपने आलोचकों को जवाब दे रहा हूँ। और वो इसलिए क्योंकि मेरे हज़ारो समर्थक मुझसे कह रहे हैं कि आप जवाब दें नहीं तो हमारा मनोबल टूट जाएगा।अतः ये मेरा नैतिक कर्तव्य है कि मैं सच्चाई सामने… pic.twitter.com/e1rwB3H02R

— Abhishek Singh (@Abhishek_asitis) July 13, 2024

Puja Khedkar had courted controversy over using a siren on her private Audi and raising demands for a separate house and car – privileges not available to junior officers. But the 2023-batch IAS officer now faces far more serious charges.

Ms Khedkar claimed to be visually and mentally impaired in an affidavit submitted to the UPSC, but refused to undergo mandatory medical tests to confirm those.

The Centre has formed a one-member committee to look into the allegations against Pooja Khedkar.

Puja Khedkar may be dismissed if she’s found guilty, sources said. She may also face criminal action if the allegations of hiding facts and misrepresentation are found to be true, they added.