whispers in the corridors
Will caste politics shape Odisha’s future?
The Odisha government, led by the BJP, has announced a reservation of 11.25% for OBCs in state-run higher education institutions. This decision reintroduces discussions around caste politics in the region. This marks the first instance of the state providing an educational quota for OBCs, although they previously had reservation in government jobs. The decision appears to be a response to pressure from opposition parties, particularly the BJD and Congress, who are advocating for greater rights for backward classes. Historically, caste politics was not a major factor in Odisha, but the BJD is now leveraging this issue to regain support.
Only G23 Congress Members included
About three years ago, 23 senior leaders, who had raised questions about extraordinary delay in holding the organisational polls in the Congress party like Anand Sharma, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Manish Tewari and Shashi Tharoor, have been included in the diplomatic outreach MP parties going abroad to expose Pakistan's terror link. The Modi led government ignored the names of the Congress party for the diplomatic outreach MPs visit. Out of four, only the name of Anand Sharma was included.
Gaurav Gogoi likely face tough time
Gaurav Gogoi, Congress MP from Assam, may face a tough time in days to come. Assam CM Himant Biswa Sarma has said he will present some explosive documents against Gogoi on September 10 this year. The CM has alleged that Gogoi has links with Pakistan. Wait till September 10.
- Award-Winning IPS Officer Dr Pritpal Kaur bringing change to Nagaland’s Borders, Fighting Drugs with Education, Rehab, and Entrepreneurship
- Name for new DGP, Karnataka yet to be declared
- Will Dr M A Saleem be new DGP, Karnataka?
- Anurag appointed as DGP, Tripura
- MP HC Chief Justice Suresh Kumar Kait retiring on May 23
- Palaniswamy Subramanyan Karthigeyan is Joint Secretary, Atomic Energy
- Naval Kishore Ram returns to parent cadre
- Asheesh Kumar selected as Director (BD), Coal India Ltd
- GM level officers in BHEL switching over to other PSUs
- R V N Vishweshwar selected as Director (Fin), Hindustan Copper Ltd
- 47 officers appointed as Central Nodal Officers for PMKSY scheme
- MK Pandey appointed Ind. Director, CPCL
- Vacancies of Under Secretaries in Central Pay Commission
- Three ICAS officers get new assignments
- Ms Anjana Saxena recommended for ED, OICL (UPDATED)
- Amandeep Singh Grover recommended for ED, OICL (UPDATED)
- Ms Jayashri Balkrishna recommended for ED, GIC-Re (UPDATED)
- Sanjay Lalla recommended for ED, AICIL (UPDATED)
- Ms Mini George recommended for ED, AICIL (UPDATED)
- Transfer order of Dhruva Kumar Singh cancelled (UPDATED)
- HURL inaugurates its new state office in Bhopal (UPDATED)
- Prashant Agarwal returns to parent cadre (UPDATED)
- Ashok Tripathy re-appointed MD & CEO, WeP Solutions Ltd
- Anurag Gupta re-designated Chairman, Yash Management & Satellite Ltd
- Yash Gupta appointed MD, Yash Management & Satellite Ltd
- Pawan Agrawal appointed Addl. Director, Yash Management & Satellite Ltd
- Vikas Gupta re-appointed Jt. MD, IOL Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd
- Mrs Shewakramani re-appointed Whole-Time Director, Ras Resorts & Apart Hotels
- Pradeep Tripathi appointed Addl. Director, Bharat Electronics Ltd
- Mrs Hemlata Gupta appointed Addl. Director, Meyer Apparel Ltd
- Ms Pushpa Joshi appointed Ind. Director, Evoq Remedies Ltd
- Mrs Prisma Jain appointed Addl. Director, Share Samadhan Ltd
- Ms Aesha Harsh Shah steps down as Ind. Director, Evoq Remedies Ltd
- Basant Kumar Bajaj quits as NE Director, Rana Sugars Ltd
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IPS Dr Pritpal Kaur is a 2016-batch officer of the Nagaland cadre and is currently posted as the Superintendent of Police in Phek district. Known for her strong determination and community-centric approach to policing, she was the only Indian officer to be selected for the prestigious ‘2024 IACP 40 Under 40’ award by the US-based International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).
Kaur, a former dentist, is setting a powerful example by blending the compassion of a doctor with the firmness of a police officer.
Phek, being a border district, brings unique challenges. “My goal is to ensure the people of Phek remain safe and secure in every possible way,” Dr Kaur says. But her mission goes far beyond regular policing, at its core lies the empowerment of youth and combating the drug abuse in the region. “To address this, we are working on two major fronts” she explains.
The first front is helping youth caught in addiction through rehabilitation support, including Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST). Skill training is also provided so that those in recovery can rebuild their lives and pursue careers of their choice. “Whatever they want to learn, we make it available” Dr Kaur shares.
To further guide the youth, free coaching classes are offered every morning from 6:30 to 10:30 AM for those preparing for competitive exams like UPSC, NPSC, SSC, and others. “Many of these students come from remote border areas and cannot afford expensive coaching. That’s why we’ve formed a team that dedicates time to teach them for free,” she shares.
Additionally, under her leadership a community drug squad carries out random checks.
Secondly Recognizing that school dropouts and unemployed youth are often vulnerable to drug use or insurgent recruitment, Kaur has introduced entrepreneurship training. “We’ve already trained a group and even launched our own brand,” she reveals. In one initiative, 26 women were trained in food processing, resulting in 17 food products. “These efforts are designed to be sustainable, even in our absence” she adds.
Kaur is also partnering with the health department to raise awareness about the harmful effects of chewing tobacco and paan, both of which are known to cause cancer.
With her initiatives, Kaur is bringing a new wave of change and proving her philosophy “Actions are always louder than words”
The Government of Karnataka is yet to announce the name for the appointment of next Director General of Police (DGP) in the State as the extended tenure of incumbent Alok Mohan is coming to an end on May 21, 2025.
The name of Dr M A Saleem is being bandied around for the appointment of next Director General of Police (DGP), Head of Police Force in Karnataka. He is a 1993 batch IPS officer of Karnataka cadre.
Anurag has been appointed as Director General of Police (DGP), Head of Police Force, in Tripura. He is a 1994 batch IPS officer of Tripura cadre.
Suresh Kumar Kait, Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, is retiring on May 23, 2025.
Palaniswamy Subramanyan Karthigeyan has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Atomic Energy. He is a 2004 batch IFS officer.
Naval Kishore Ram, Joint Secretary, Department of Revenue, has been repatriated to his parent cadre on personal grounds. He is a 2008 batch IAS officer of Maharashtra cadre.
Asheesh Kumar, General Manager, Coal India Limited, has been selected for the post of Director (Business Development), Coal India Limited at a Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) meeting held on May 17, 2025. As many as 12 persons were interviewed for the same.
On the one hand, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is facing an acute crisis of manpower at Executive level while the General Manager level officers are switching over to other PSUs on the other hand. In recent interviews, three GM level officers have been selected for board level appointments to different Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
R V N Vishweshwar, ED, Indian Oil Corporation Limited has been selected for the post of Director (Finance), Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) at a Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) meeting held on May 17, 2025. As many as nine persons were interviewed for the same.
As many as 47 officers at Joint Secretary and Director level have been appointed as Central Nodal Officers for ground inspection of PMKSY scheme and Jal Jeevan Mission.
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Manoj Kumar Pandey has been appointed as Independent Director on the Board of Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited.
Four posts at Under Secretary level have been advertised to be filled in the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC) on deputation basis under the Department of Expenditure.
Three ICAS officers have been given new assignments. Hemant Jain has been appointed as Chief Controller of Accounts, Ministry of Power, New Delhi, while Binod Kumar Agrawal was shifted as Chief Controller of Accounts, Department of Atomic Energy, Mumbai, and Satish Kerba Jadhav was posted as Chief Controller of Accounts, Central Board of Direct Taxes, New Delhi.
The name of Ms. Anjana Saxena has been recommended for the post of Executive Director of Oriental Insurance Company Limited (OICL) for the vacancy dated April 1, 2025.
The name of Amandeep Singh Grover has been recommended for the post of Executive Director of Oriental Insurance Company Limited (OICL) for the vacancy dated July 1, 2025.
The name of Ms. Jayashri Balkrishna has been recommended for the post of Executive Director of General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC-Re) for the vacancy dated July 1, 2025.
The name of Sanjay Lalla has been recommended for the post of Executive Director of Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited (AICIL) for the vacancy dated July 1, 2025.
The name of Ms. Mini George has been recommended for the post of Executive Director of Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited (AICIL) for the vacancy dated July 1, 2025.
Transfer order of Dhruva Kumar Singh, Chief Controller of Accounts, Ministry of Law & justice, Supreme Court of India and Ministry of Corporate Affairs, New Delhi, has been cancelled. He is a 2000 batch ICAS officer.
Hindustan Urvarak and Rasayan Limited (HURL), a leading name in the Indian fertilizer industry, proudly announced the inauguration of its State Office in Bhopal. The event was graced by the esteemed presence of Dr S P Mohanty, Managing Director of HURL, who delivered insights on the evolving trends in the fertilizer sector, with a focus on sustainable agriculture and global food security. The inauguration ceremony witnessed the participation of prominent industry stakeholders, including state heads and representatives of major fertilizer companies operating in Madhya Pradesh, alongside HURL’s dedicated Business Channel partners. Speaking at the event, Dr Mohanty emphasized HURL’s commitment to enhancing agricultural prosperity by providing high-quality fertilizers and promoting sustainable farming practices. He highlighted HURL’s vision to empower farmers and ensure food security across the region. The establishment of the Bhopal State Office is a significant step in HURL’s strategic expansion, enabling the company to better serve its partners, support farmers, and contribute to the agricultural growth of Madhya Pradesh.
Prashant Agarwal, Director in the Department of Higher Education has been given premature repatriation to his parent cadre in order to avail the benefit of promotion. He is a 2002 batch IRSS officer.
Ashok Tripathy has been re-appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of WeP Solutions Limited.
Anurag Gupta, Managing Director of Yash Management & Satellite Limited, has been redesignated as Chairman of the company.
Yash Gupta has been appointed as Additional Director in the capacity of Managing Director of Yash Management & Satellite Limited.
Pawan Agrawal has been appointed as Additional Director in the capacity of Independent Director of Yash Management & Satellite Limited.
Vikas Gupta has been re-appointed as Joint Managing Director of IOL Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Limited.
Mrs Nalini Shewakramani has been re-appointed as Whole-Time Director of Ras Resorts & Apart Hotels Limited.
Pradeep Tripathi has been appointed as Additional Director (Independent Director) on the Board of Bharat Electronics Limited.
Mrs. Hemlata Gupta has been appointed as Additional Independent Director of Meyer Apparel Limited.
Ms. Pushpa Joshi has been appointed as Additional Non-Executive Independent Director of Evoq Remedies Limited with effect from 31st March 2025.
Mrs. Prisma Jain has been appointed as Additional Director (Non-Executive Independent) of Share Samadhan Limited.
Ms. Aesha Harsh Shah has resigned from the position of Additional Non-Executive Independent Director of Evoq Remedies Limited with effect from March 31, 2025.
Basant Kumar Bajaj has resigned from the position of Non-Executive Non-Independent Director of Rana Sugars Limited due to preoccupation.
Road accidents on rise
The cases of road accidents are rising in the country. People are not following traffic rules properly claiming innocent lives. The Governments of States should take some action against erring people so as to save innocent lives.
Mukesh Kumar
Denial of information under section 24 by a Bank
The applicant sought for information from Bank of Baroda about freezing of his Saving account and related information. The PIO denied the information claiming it as exempt from disclosure under section 24 of the Right to Information Act and harped on the exempt status of Anti-Corruption Bureau of the State of Gujarat as per relevant notification during personal hearing before the CIC. The CIC took grave exception to the absurd and grossly misleading reply and observed that the Bank of Baroda has cited Section 24 of the RTI Act as though it is an exempted organization and the same is unacceptable and is considered as a grave violation of the provisions of the RTI Act without any reasonable cause. A notice was issued to the then PIO why action should not be initiated against him under Section 20 of the RTI Act for providing a grossly wrong and misleading reply. The CIC further observed that since the RTI queries specifically sought for information related to freezing of his bank account, which is very much the domain of the bank in terms of being the concerned record holder and not CBI and even if the record holder was solely CBI, then there should have been a transfer of the RTI Application as per Section 6(3) of the RTI Act. There is nothing contained in the RTI Act that empowers the PIO of the Respondent bank to claim exemption on behalf of CBI and even if that were the case, the PIO did not even bother to specify the same in his reply. A notice was also issued to the PIO to explain as to why the reply of the then PIO was being mindlessly endorsed even at this stage, impliedly sharing the onus of having provided the wrong & misleading reply. The CIC directed the PIO to now provide a revised point-wise reply to the instant RTI Application.
Comments
It is a classic case which indicates ignorance of the PIO about the provisions of the RTI Act. All readers are strongly advised to read these case laws to learn about the common mistakes which may render them liable for penalty.
Citation: Nilesh R Gupta v. Bank of Baroda, CIC/BKOBD/A/2024/620207; Date of Decision: 06.03.2025
Dr Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is a RTI Consultant currently working with IIM Vishakhapatnam. She has co-authored the books PIO’s Guide to RTI and Right to Information – Law and Practice. Her weekly article is being published since 2008 on this site. She offers consultancy on RTI matters and third party audit to individuals / organisations. Her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation at the link https://www.rtifoundationofindia.com
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