Allegations of ‘nepotism’ in an IAS officer’s appointment
IAS circles in Uttar Pradesh are abuzz with allegations of ‘nepotism’ and ‘favouritism’ over a routine appointment. On 18 March, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) appointed 2012 batch IAS officer Prashant Sharma of the UP cadre as the regional General Manager of the Food Corporation of India. According to the eligibility criteria set by the DoPT for the post, only a director-level officer, requiring 14 years of experience, was eligible to apply. However, being a 2012 batch IAS officer, Sharma has only 13 years of experience.
Sharma’s mother-in-law is a serving IAS officer in UP from the 1989 batch, while his father-in-law Pradeep Shukla is a retired IAS officer from the 1981 batch. In 2012, Shukla was arrested for his role in the Rs 5,700-crore National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam. In 2019, Sharma himself was removed as the district magistrate of Amethi for “misbehaving” with the brother of a slain BJP worker in the district.
More discontent among railway service officers
The turf war between the various services within the railways—merged into one in 2020 before being demerged again in 2024—is no secret. Officers from the civil services and the engineering services within the railways have long been at odds. With engineering service officers holding key positions, including the Railway Board Chairman (Satish Kumar) and the head of the Operations and Business Development vertical (Hitendra Malhotra)—a role traditionally occupied by a traffic service officer—there has already been considerable discontent among civil service officers.
Earlier this month, they found another reason for resentment. The finance ministry approved the creation of 157 additional gazetted posts in the electrical engineering cadre of the Indian Railways Management Service (IRMS). This move has caused unease among civil service officers, as it increases the representation of engineering service officers at the expense of civil services, a senior officer noted.
Adding to their frustration, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s recent speech in Parliament did not sit well with civil service officers. Vaishnaw repeatedly emphasised the “hyper-technical” nature of the railways, indirectly highlighting the significance of officers with technical expertise over those from the civil services. “The railways is inherently a people’s organisation, which is why civil servants have traditionally managed key posts. What we see now is a hyper-technical approach that is making the railways distant from the people it serves,” said an officer.
Guardian ministerships in Mahayuti 2.0—a contentious issue
In the Mahayuti 2.0 alliance, the appointment of guardian ministers has been a contentious issue among the three allies—BJP, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.
On Thursday, BJP’s Ashish Shelar, who heads the IT department, spoke about the intelligence of AI (Artificial Intelligence) while responding to a question about the state’s AI policy. Before Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the guardian ministers for Maharashtra’s 36 districts, Shelar said, just for fun, he had asked ChatGPT to suggest which minister should be assigned to which district.
“Ultimately, the decision was obviously not based on AI’s suggestions… But I was surprised to note that ChatGPT had predicted 90 percent of the appointments correctly,” Shelar remarked.
An opposition leader then asked what ChatGPT had predicted for the guardian ministers of Raigad and Nashik—two districts where Fadnavis had to reverse appointments after objections from his deputy, Eknath Shinde. Shelar promptly replied that for such a tricky issue, even AI had no answers. “The leaders have to simply pray, ‘A Aai’ (Oh mother)!” he quipped.
After PM’s push, health ministry ramps up efforts to tackle obesity
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi repeatedly highlighting India’s growing obesity crisis and the urgent need to tackle it, the Union health ministry appears to have gone into overdrive to raise awareness about the issue.
Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava has been busy preparing a presentation on the subject, which she will soon deliver before the Union Council of Ministers. Additionally, both the health ministry and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have been regularly posting videos on social media about the health risks posed by obesity and ways to combat it.
Telangana FM’s breakless budget speech
To deliver his second full budget speech, Telangana’s Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka entered the state assembly Wednesday at 11:06 am and began presenting the annual budget for 2025-26 at 11:07 am—an auspicious timing.
His speech lasted an uninterrupted one hour and 41 minutes, during which he did not pause even for a sip of water. After concluding, Bhatti went to his chambers, drank a glass of majjiga (buttermilk), and then ordered another glass of the popular Telugu summer drink.
During his speech, Bhatti quoted Dr B.R. Ambedkar several times, but one particular quote left Congress MLAs especially impressed: “Education is the milk of a lioness. The one who drinks it cannot stay without roaring.” Legislators thumped their desks in approval as the finance minister cited this quote while discussing his government’s reformative initiatives in the education sector.
“I had never heard this quote from Ambedkar before,” remarked a Congress leader in the finance minister’s chamber, as a senior bureaucrat nodded in agreement.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
Also Read: Delhi chief secretary moves to ‘cleanse system’ of AAP & Nitish Kumar keeps a 24-year-old promise