Inside The Secretariat: Green Gains, Global Aims, And Language Claims

New Entry Into The Elite Green Club

It is natural that when a state does something commendable and earns public praise, neighbouring states take notice — sometimes with a tinge of envy.

That is exactly what is playing out in the areas of forest conservation, biodiversity, and climate improvement. A recent report from the Government of India places Gujarat at the fourth position in terms of forest cover among all the states. Andhra Pradesh leads the list with 68.38 per cent, followed by Karnataka at 67.39 per cent, and Kerala at 66.62 per cent, with Gujarat just behind at 66.51 per cent.

In contrast, neighbouring Rajasthan finds itself at the bottom with just 36.46 per cent, while Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have slid down significantly in rankings. Gujarat’s green leap has quietly unsettled some of its neighbours. Meanwhile, in the Union Territories category, Chandigarh tops the list with an impressive 89.09 per cent.

Three Bureaucrats, One Goal: Bring The Olympics Home

Just two weeks ago, former Principal Secretary of the Urban Development Department Ashwini Kumar, Principal Secretary for Sports M. Thennarasan, and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation Commissioner Banchha Nidhi Pani, were in London to pitch Gujarat as a venue for international sporting events.

They made a detailed presentation to lobby for the upcoming Commonwealth Games to be brought to the state. Now, Ashwini and Thennarasan are scheduled to travel to the USA on June 22 to push forward Gujarat’s bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games.

After the US leg, they will stop in Switzerland for a few days. Harsh Sanghavi, Minister of State for Sports, and Pani will join them directly in Switzerland. The three officers and the minister would hold meetings and deliver presentations there to strengthen Gujarat's case for hosting both the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics.

Fair Hearing First In Corruption Complaints

The approach to preliminary inquiries into complaints of corruption and irregularities within government departments has been updated. According to revised process, if the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) or any other agency plans to conduct further investigation into a departmental complaint, a show-cause notice must be issued to the accused officer, allowing them to respond.

This change is aimed at preventing cases where genuine officers are wrongfully targeted due to personal grudges and wrongly penalised. The General Administration Department (GAD) has issued an order stating that when a minister calls for an inquiry against a government employee, the relevant department secretary or head must first conduct the probe and submit a report along with their opinion.

This updated system incorporates recommendations from both the Gujarat Vigilance Commission (GVC) and the Lokayukta.

Tech-Driven Attendance Set To Cover All Offices

The Gujarat government has begun a pilot run of the Digital Attendance System (DAS) in departments at the New Secretariat, the Gandhinagar Collectorate, and the DDO office.

The new system has received mixed feedback. While the administration sees it as a tool to enhance discipline and ensure punctuality, state employee unions have raised concerns over potential misuse of their personal data. A senior GAD official clarified that the system is not about surveillance, but about bringing more regularity.

Rolled out in February, the system includes features such as office location mapping, attendance tracking, data analysis, and reporting. Despite the continued resistance from employee unions, the government is now considering implementing the system across all government offices statewide.

Sports Dept No Longer A ‘Side Posting’

In state bureaucracy, certain departments are often tagged as “prime” or “side” postings. Until recently, the Sports department was seen as the latter.

But with Gujarat aiming to host events like the Police and Fire Games, the 2030 Commonwealth Games, and even the 2036 Olympics, that perception is fast changing. In a recent shuffle involving 13 government officers, Ashwini Kumar and M. Thennarasan have swapped portfolios — a move that has not gone unnoticed.

Both officers are considered capable and performance-oriented. However, the rationale behind transferring Thennarasan after only four months and assigning the Urban Development back to Ashwini remains unclear. Interestingly, both the officers had travelled to the UK recently with State Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi for Commonwealth Games-related preparations.

Paliwal’s Sanskrit Project Gets CM’s Nod

The state government has been actively working to bring Sanskrit into the mainstream. Recently, Gujarat State Sanskrit Board Chairman Himanjay Paliwal won the Chief Minister’s approval for his ‘Panchakam’ Yojana to revitalise the language.

The scheme includes five initiatives: Sanskrit Saptahotsav, Sanskrit Samvardhan Sahayata, Sanskrit Protsahan, Bhagavad Gita, and Shat Subhashit Kanth Path. Sanskrit Day, which coincides with Shravan Sud Poonam (Raksha Bandhan), falls on August 8 this year.

The Sanskrit Saptahotsav will run from August 6 to 13. Additional Chief Secretary of the Education Department Sunaina Tomar and Principal Secretary Mukesh Kumar have played a vital role in advancing these initiatives. Notably, Uttarakhand (also known as Devbhoomi) has already given Sanskrit the status of its second official language.

IAS Cadre Set For A Headcount Hike

The state government has sent a formal proposal to the central government requesting a review of Gujarat's IAS cadre strength in line with its growing population and administrative needs.

Under the 2018-approved cadre structure, Gujarat has a sanctioned strength of 313 IAS officers. A senior GAD official has confirmed that a proposal is underway to add 30 positions to this number. Currently, 56 posts are vacant, with 20 to be filled through promotions from the State Civil Services (SCS) and two from non-SCS officers — bringing the tally to 22 filled posts.

According to the IAS Cadre Rules of 1954, the structure and strength of the state cadre is reviewed every five years in consultation with the Centre. If approved, the move will bolster Gujarat’s bureaucratic capabilities.

Gujarat Set To Join Centre’s Digital Crime Platform

Cybercrime continues to rise in Gujarat. Over the past five years, 2.80 lakh people have lost a total of Rs 1,555 crore to scams and fraud. According to data from Gujarat CID Cybercrime, 11.69 lakh scam and fraudulent calls were reported during this period.

To address the issue and ensure quicker refunds for victims, the government is stepping up its response. The Union Government’s Cybercrime Coordination Centre has introduced an e-FIR platform, which is expected to be introduced in Gujarat soon.

This system will allow victims to file FIRs directly online, thus streamlining the reporting process and enabling fast action against fraudsters. However, this service will initially be available only for cases involving a financial loss of Rs 10 lakh or more.

(with inputs from Gautam Purohit and Sanjay Vibhakar)