Another split in NCP & Shiv Sena?

Whisper has it that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) of Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena of Uddhav Thackeray may undergo yet another split in future?

Opposition mulling motion for removal of RS Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar

The Congress-led INDIA bloc is mulling to bring a motion for the removal of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who happens to be the Chairman of House of Elders. The opposition has alleged partisan approach of the Chair in the Rajya Sabha. The opposition is in the process of drafting a resolution in this regard. In the Rajya Sabha on Monday, Chairman allowed several ruling party MPs led by Leader of the House J P Nadda to speak on the senior Congress leader's alleged links with Hungarian-American businessman George Soros, much to the resistance of the Congress which accused the Chair of being ‘party to the BJP conspiracy.’ In the current session, only 8 working days are left. The opposition is also mulling whether they would have the time required to give the notice to remove the VP.

Delhi polls: RSS appoints senior leader for coordination with BJP cadre

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh  (RSS) is going to add weight to the BJP's Delhi poll campaign for the upcoming Assembly elections to make it sharper. The exercise is in line with the Haryana and Maharashtra states where RSS provided an extra layer of public contact to the party. A senior leader, Joint General Secretary of RSS Arun Kumar has been posted in Delhi to look at poll preparations. Basically, he will handle the responsibility of coordination between the BJP and RSS cadre. Smaller teams have already fanned out across all the 70 Assembly segments to turn the tide against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Sanjay Malhotra, Revenue Secretary, has been appointed as new Governor, Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He is a 1990 batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre.

Hitendra Malhotra, GM, Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, has been appointed as Member (Operations and Business Development), Railway Board and ex-officio Secretary to Government of India. He is an IRSEE officer.

Vijay Kumar, presently working as PCME/North Western Railway, has been appointed as General Manager/Chittaranjan Locomotive Works.He is an IRSME officer.

Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, presently working as PED (INFRA)/RDSO, has been appointed as General Manager, CORE. He is an IRSE officer.

Tarun Prakash, presently working as PED (S&T))/DEV/Railway Board, has been appointed as General Manager, SEC Railway. He is an IRSSE officer.

Dr.Shrikar Pardeshi has been appointed as Secretary to Chief Minister, Maharashtra. He is a 2001 batch IAS officer of Maharashtra cadre.

The post of Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) has been lying vacant for around two years in Maharashtra. Dr Pradeep Kumar Vyas, Station Information Commissioner, is holding an additional charge of Chief Information Commissioner.

Names of two retired IAS officers of 1988 batch: Rajiv Jalota and Nitin Kareer are being bandied around for the post of Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) in Maharashtra. Newly installed Mahayuti Government is expected to fill the post soon.

Consequent upon repatriation from Central Deputation, Viplav Kumar Choudhry is posted to Delhi segment of AGMUT cadre. He is a 1997 IPS officer of AGMUT cadre.

Abhay Kumar, presently Deputy Director General, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Georgia. He is a 2003 batch IFS officer.

Om Prakash Meena (YOA: 2007), has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Burkina Faso.

The tenure of Dr Pawan K Godatwar as Technical Officer, Traditional Medicine at WHO-SEARO, New Delhi on the secondment basis has been extended upto October 3, 2025.

A vacancy of Chairman-cum-Managing Director, North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) has arisen on December 6, 2024. Gurdeep Singh, CMD, NTPC, is holding an additional charge of CMD, NEEPCO.

Baidyanath Maharana, Director (Finance), NEEPCO, is only Board level contender for the post of Chairman-cum-Managing Director, North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO).

Alok Misra, who is currently serving in Northern Railway (NR), has been appointed as Chief Track Engineer (CTE) in the Railway itself. He is an Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRSE) officer.

Sanjay Kumar, who is presently posted in East Central Railway (ECR), has been transferred and appointed as Chairman of Railway Recruitment Board (RRB), Patna. He is an Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE) officer.

Ravi Prakash Chaturvedi, formerly Additional Divisional Railway Manager (ADRM), Northern Railway (NR), has been granted an extension in his deputation tenure as Executive Director (Area Head-IV) at Container Corporation of India Limited (CONCOR), Delhi, for the fourth year, until April 5, 2025. He is an Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer.

Ms. G Gayatri, formerly Secretary to General Manager (GM), Southern Railway (SR), has been granted an extension in her deputation tenure as Group General Manager (C&O) at Container Corporation of India Limited (CONCOR), Chennai, for the fourth year, until April 10, 2026. She is an Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer.

Pushp Raj, formerly Principal, Zonal Railway Training Institute (ZRTI), Northern Railway (NR), has been granted an extension in his deputation tenure as Senior General Manager (C&O) at Container Corporation of India Limited (CONCOR), Delhi, for the fourth year, until March 30, 2026. He is an Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer.

Vikas Kumar, formerly Chief Engineer (CE), SD, Western Railway (WR), has been granted an extension in his deputation tenure as Chief General Manager (CGM), Mumbai (N), with Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) for the fifth year, until December 13, 2025. He is an Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRSE) officer.

Ms Shivani, formerly Deputy Chief Personnel Officer (Dy. CPO), G, East Central Railway (ECR), has been appointed on deputation basis to National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) as Additional General Manager (AGM) for a period of five years, effective from April 14, 2022. She is an Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS) officer.

Navratna Defence Public Sector Undertaking Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has secured additional orders worth Rs.634 crores since the last disclosure on November 8, 2024.  Major orders include maintenance of Akash Missile System, telescopic sights for guns, communication equipment, jammers, electronic voting machines, test stations, spares, services, etc. With these orders, BEL has now accumulated orders totalling Rs.8,828 crores in the current financial year.

As many as 60 candidates have been shortlisted for the post of Assistant Professor/ Lecturer (Physiology including Biochemistry), Directorate of AYUSH, Department of Health & Family welfare. Interview dates will be announced shortly. More information can be availed from the UPSC website.

Ms Manasa Gangotri Kata has taken over as Director in the Department of Financial Services for a period of five years. She is a 2007 batch IRS (C&IT) officer.

Deputation tenure of Devinder Singh Parmar as Group General Manager-Traction (GGM-Traction), National Capital Region Transport Corporation, NCRTC has been extended for the sixth time. He will serve the post till February 12, 2026.

Last date to apply for the post of Deputy Director in the National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC), Cabinet Secretariat has been extended. The revised date is December 15, 2024.

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has invited applications for the post of Junior Consultant (Legal) for a period of three years. Applications must reach on or before December 18, 2024.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has advertised for the post of Administrative Officer (AO) for Delhi, Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram.

As many as 19 IPS officers have been given new assignments in Gujarat. Dr Shamsher Singh will continue to hold additional charge of the post of Director, Anti-Corruption Bureau, Ahmedabad, while Dr S Pandia Rajkumar is transferred and appointed on the cadre post of Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), Gandhinagar and Ajay Kumar Choudhary takes over as ADGP (Women Cell), Gandhinagar. Similarly, M L Ninamahas has been posted as Inspector General of Police, State Traffic Branch, Gandhinagar; Ms Vidhi Choudhary as Additional Commissioner of Police (Special Branch), Ahmedabad City and assigned an additional charge of the post of Additional Commissioner of Police (Admin.), Ahmedabad City; Jaipal singh Rathore has been appointed as Additional Commissioner of Police, Sector-2, Ahmedabad City; Dr Leena Patil as Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime and Law and Order), Vadodara City; Dr Sudhirkumar Desai as Superintendent of Police, Intelligence, Gandhinagar; Balram Meena as Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone-1, Ahmedabad City; Himkar Singh as SP, Rajkot Rural; Usha Rada as SP, Prison, Vadodara; Sanjay Kharat as SP, Amreli; Dr Ravindra Patel as Executive Director, Gujarat State Police Housing Corporation, Gandhinagar; Shripal Shesma is transferred and kept on waiting for posting; Vikas Sunda has been appointed as SP, Kutch-Bhuj (West).Himanshu Verma as SP, Anti-Economic Offences Wing, CID (Crime), Gandhinagar; Alok Kumar as Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone-1, Surat City; Abhishek Gupta as Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone-3, Vadodara City and Nidhi Thakur will join as Superintendent, Prison, Ahmedabad.

Pankaj Agarwal, Chief Electoral Officer, Haryana and Commissioner & Secretary, Haryana Elections Department, has been assigned an additional charge of Commissioner & Secretary, Haryana School Education Department. He is a 2000 batch IAS officer of Haryana cadre.

Bhanwar Lal Meena, Director Central Detective Training Institute, Kolkata, has been appointed as Superintendent of Police (SP), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on lateral shift basis. He is a 2013 batch IPS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre.

Five IAS officers of AGMUT cadre have been given new assignments in Delhi. Bipul Pathak has been appointed as ACS, Industries with additional charge of Chairman, Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation and MD, Delhi Khadi & Village Industries Board, while Sanjiv Kumar takes over as ACS-cum-Commissioner, Food & Civil Supply, with additional charge of Chairman, Delhi Pollution Control Committee and CMD, Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation. Similarly, Anbarasu will take over as PS, Home and PS, PWD, with additional charge of PS, Information & Publicity; Ms Nandini Paliwal as Secretary, Higher Education & Training & Technical Education with additional charge of MD, DCFHC and Kumar Abhishek is Director, Higher Education & Training & Technical Education with additional charge of GM, DCCWS and GM, DSCSC.   

Nilabhra Sengupta has taken charge as Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) on deputation. He is a 1997 batch IRSSE officer.

Under the aegis of THDC India Limited, a Schedule-A, Mini-Ratna, PSU, the highly anticipated Tehri Water Sports Cup 2024- 3rd Edition commenced with great enthusiasm on 10th December, 2024 at Tehri Lake in Tehri-Garhwal of Uttarakhand. The prestigious event was inaugurated by the Cabinet Minister of Women Empowerment, Child Development, Food Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs, Sports and Youth Welfare, Government of Uttarakhand, Mrs Rekha Arya. She highlighted the role of Sports in healthy living and promoting inclusive development of the nation. She also extended her appreciation and praised THDC India Limited for its unwavering commitment to promoting sports excellence and supporting athletes through such exceptional initiatives. She also emphasized the role of adventure sports in enhancing the state's tourism and creating new opportunities for the youth of Uttarakhand. The event was also graced by several dignitaries such as, MLA Devprayag Vinod Kandari, MLA Pratapnagar Vikram Singh Negi and other dignitaries. MLA's of Devprayag and Pratapnagarexpressed their appreciation for THDC India Limited's significant contribution to the socio-economic development of Uttarakhand, particularly highlighting its positive impact on the state's sports initiatives and its efforts towards the upliftment of the Tehri region. R K Vishnoi, Chairman and Managing Director of THDCIL, expressed immense pride in the organization’s ongoing dedication to fostering sports excellence and societal development. He stated, “THDCIL has always believed in the transformative power of sports to shape individuals and communities. Through hosting events of this magnitude, we not only offer athletes a platform to showcase their talents but also contribute to the overall development of the region.” He further added, “From organizing national-level water sports events at Tehri to establishing the High-Performance Academy with state-of-the-art facilities, THDCIL is proud to lead initiatives that integrate innovation, sustainability, and societal impact. Our High-Performance Academy in Koteshwar, Tehri, will play a pivotal role in nurturing Kayaking and Canoeing athletes, providing them with advanced equipment and scientific training to excel at national and international levels.”Shallinder Singh, Director (Personnel) of THDCIL, also graced the event and underscored the importance of nurturing young talent and promoting sportsmanship. He remarked, “Tehri Lake is rapidly emerging as a premier hub for water sports in India, and we are honored to be a part of this journey. Organizing the National level Water Sports tournament at Tehri Lake has not only brought the region into the national and international spotlight but also contributed to promoting tourism and driving the socio-economic upliftment of the area. We are committed to making this championship a benchmark in sporting excellence, reflecting the aspirations of athletes and the enthusiasm of the region.”

Deputation tenure of Ms Rani Bindu Sachdeva, , DIG/Director, BPR&D has been extended from February 8, 2025 to  February 7, 2026  (7th year) She is a 2006 batch IPS officer of Himachal cadre.

G Satish Kumar Ishwardas has been appointed as DIG, CRPF. He is a 2002 batch IPS officer of Odisha cadre.

Ashish Kumar Singh has been appointed as IG, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on deputation basis  for a period of five years. He is a 2004 IPS officer of Odisha cadre.

Dhirendra Sambhaji Kutey has been appointed as Inspector General, Border Security Force on deputation basis for a tenure up to the date of his superannuation on 29.02.2028. He is a 1997 batch IPS officer of Odisha cadre.

Ms. Ankita Gupta has been appointed as Additional Non-Executive Independent Director of Shraddha Prime Projects Limited.

Mrs. Savita Poddar has been appointed as Additional Non-Executive Independent Director of Magnanimous Trade & Finance Limited.

Mrs. Kavita Pawar has resigned from the position of Independent Director of Vadilal Dairy International Limited.

Chirag Shah has resigned from the position of Director of New Markets Advisory Limited.

Yogesh Darji has resigned from the position of Director of New Markets Advisory Limited.

Ugo Pelosin has resigned from the position of Non-Executive Director of Sirca Paints India Limited.

Mrs. Sreelekha Jain has resigned from the position of Non-Executive, Non-Independent Director of Indo Borax & Chemicals Limited.

Political temperature rising

The political temperature in the Rajya Sabha is intensifying during the winter session. The INDIA Block of opposition parties is now gearing up to bring a no-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. The process of bringing a motion to remove the Chairman in the Rajya Sabha is very strict. It requires the signatures of at least 50 MPs. After the signatures, the motion is discussed and then passed by the majority of the members present. After the motion is passed in the Rajya Sabha, it has to be approved in the Lok Sabha as well. However, the winter session is to run till December 20 only. But the remaining days in Lok Sabha and Rajya sabha will be wasted only in uproar. People are tired of this.

Nancy Kumari

RTI Application and appeal filed by two citizens

The issue before the CIC was whether to hear the appeal in cases where the RTI application, first appeal and the subsequent second appeals was filed collectively by two citizens. The CIC referred to Section 6 (a) of the RTI Act, which stipulates that a person, who desires to obtain any information under this Act, shall make a request in writing or through electronic means in English or Hindi or in the official language of the area in which the application is being made. The CIC observed that in the instant case, the RTI applications, the First Appeal and the subsequent second appeal, all have been filed collectively by two citizens, Pawan Gupta & Vijender Kumar Gupta and therefore, the RTI applications, first appeals and second appeals, not being filed in individual capacity, are not maintainable. The CIC dismissed the appeal.

Comments

In case of Mr Samir Kumar Haldar v. Employees Provident Fund Organization, CIC/SG/A/2010/001429/8585 dated 16 July 2010, the appellant had filed an RTI application which was also signed by seven other people. The CIC observed that the PIO's rejection was completely wrong since there is nothing in the law or the rules preventing more than one citizen from submitting the RTI application. The CIC referred to Section3 of the RTI Act which states, "Subject to the provisions of this Act, all citizens shall have Right to Information". The CIC had then ruled that the PIO's rejection has no basis in law.

Citation: Pawan Gupta & Vijender Kumar Gupta v. University Grants Commission, Second Appeal No. CIC/UGCOM/A/2023/140271; Date of Decision: 05.11.2024

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/