Dilip Cherian | Systemic change: Bureaucrats now getting a longer & stabler tenure

In Modi Sarkar’s initial years since 2014, senior babus witnessed uncertain tenures, often shuffled between ministries within months. Even those in ministries like defence, home and finance, and with fixed two-year tenures, faced premature transfers. But now, after a decade, this trend has noticeably reversed. Secretary-level officials now enjoy extended tenures, some serving for three-four years in the same ministry.

For instance, home secretary Ajay Bhalla has had four extensions since August 2019. Similarly, T.V. Somanathan and Tuhin Kant Pandey, secretaries in the finance ministry, have held their positions since December 2019 and October 2019, respectively. This extended service trend is not limited to a few; several other officers serve longer tenures than before.

The current finance secretary, Ajay Seth, and secretary, department of public expenditure, Ali Raza Rizvi, have been in their roles since April 2021, while Vivek Joshi, finance services secretary, has served since November 2022. This trend is seen across other ministries and departments, including higher education, housing, urban affairs, and drinking water and sanitation.

Some exceptions like foreign secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra and defence secretary Giridhar Armane are yet to complete their fixed two-year terms, but clearly, there is a deliberate change in the governance style. Officials now have more stability, creating better coordination between ministries and states, and ensuring project approvals and implementation.

This is no coincidence, observers note. Increasingly, IAS officers being empanelled as secretaries have several years left before retirement. This strategic shift, thus, ensures appointees have adequate time to make substantial contributions, rather than sail through ceremonial stints.

Of course, a major babu reshuffle is expected after a new government assumes power, with empanelled officers likely to take up new postings. This seems to suggest that secretaries in the future may enjoy even longer tenures. While frequent transfers plagued previous governments, Modi’s efforts signify a systemic change.

 

Housing secretary’s transfer raises questions

The recent transfer of housing and urban affairs secretary Manoj Joshi has left many babus within the government scratching their heads. Mr Joshi has been moved to the department of land resources in the ministry of rural development, replacing Nidhi Khare, who was moved to the department of consumer affairs as officer on special duty. Mr Joshi has been replaced by Anurag Jain, secretary of road transport and highways, as an additional charge.

Mr Joshi’s transfer came as a surprise to many, considering his relatively recent appointment as MoHUA secretary in December 2021. During his tenure, Mr Joshi oversaw several important projects, including the construction of the new Parliament and the development of several government estates and secretariat buildings. But it appears that his tenure may have been cut short due to an incident during a press conference where he revealed data regarding the Pay-Jal Sarvekesha, which raised eyebrows in some quarters and led to his transfer.

While this incident may be cited as the primary reason for Mr Joshi’s transfer, some babus question whether it was the sole factor. After all, if a misstep in handling sensitive information is grounds for removal, then other officials should have faced similar consequences. For instance, agriculture secretary Manoj Ahuja’s draft note resulted in the controversial “Rath Prabhari” notification, causing significant embarrassment to the government in Parliament. Similarly, Niti CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam faced scrutiny after an audio recording of his seminar discussing issues related to the 15^th Finance Commission surfaced recently.

 

Inquiry in Haryana ignites controversy

Y. Puran Kumar, a 2001-batch IPS officer in Haryana is embroiled in a contentious battle against a senior IAS officer, lodging a series of complaints alleging “harassment and humiliation” over nearly two months. His latest grievance is directed towards the formation of a committee last month, comprising three former IAS officers, tasked with probing into his accusations.

Expressing vehement opposition to the composition of the committee, Mr Kumar has labelled it as “legally irrelevant” and “blatantly illegal” in his representation to the Haryana government. Yet, despite his objections, the committee is continuing with its investigative proceedings, even summoning Mr Kumar to provide evidence and deliver a statement on the various issues outlined by the panel.

Sources informed DKB that the issue started in October last year, when Mr Kumar initially complained against a senior IAS officer and others, citing multiple charges, including violations under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

As the inquiry progresses, it is not clear yet what Kumar has against the former IAS officers — Rajan Gupta, Navraj Sandhu and P.K. Das — who comprise the inquiry panel. He has, instead, followed up by filing four more complaints against the senior IAS officer, escalating the tensions between the two officials.