Inside The Secretariat: Schemes Delayed, IAS Look For Plum Posts

Gujarat Opens Taiwan Office To Attract Investment 

The Gujarat government recently held a Semicon conference in which eight major industrial groups that are willing to manufacture semiconductors, signed agreements to invest in the state. While JABIL INDIA announced an investment of Rs 1,000 crore, Tata Electronics announced an investment of Rs 91,526 crore and NEXTGEN an investment of Rs 10,000 crore.

Before this conference, the Gujarat government had opened an office in Taiwan, as a result of which Taiwan's largest semicon company, Taiwan Surface Mounting Technology Corporation (TSMC), signed an agreement with the Gujarat government to invest Rs 500 crore.

Sources in the industry department said that the Taiwan office will be maintained permanently even after TSMC's investment, to attract more companies to the state.

It is noteworthy that four major companies in the semicon sector in Gujarat are to invest Rs 1.24 lakh crore, including Micron, Tata, CG Power and Keynes Semicon. The state government has earlier announced plans to develop Dholera as a 'Semicon City'.

Forest Policy Violates CAG Directives

Despite having four national parks and 20 sanctuaries across Gujarat, the absence of a forest policy has compromised wildlife safety and forest development in the state. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India had previously instructed the state government in 2009 and 2023 to draft a specific forest policy for the protection of protected forests and wildlife, but concrete steps are yet to be taken.

According to the National Forest Policy Report 2026, every state is required to have its own forest policy for sustainable management of forest and wildlife resources. Furthermore, there should be a state-level monitoring mechanism for implementing the national forest policy.

Finally, after over 15 years, senior officials in the forest department stated that preparations for drafting the state forest policy are ongoing and will soon be sent to the state government for approval.

CM To Visit Japan To Promote Vibrant Summit 

The state government has begun preparations for the 11th Vibrant Investors Summit in January 2026. After the budget session, the government will form 15 committees for the event. Plans for foreign trips are also underway.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel is likely to visit Japan in July with senior officials and top industry representatives. Japan has been a partner country in each summit. The first Bullet Train project in India is also being supported by Japan.

The delegation will include Additional Chief Secretary M K Das, Principal Secretary (Science and Technology) Mona Khandhar, and 2-3 other officials. The CM had previously visited Japan and Singapore with a delegation in November 2023, ahead of the 2024 Vibrant Summit.

Disciplinary Evaluation Of Officers To Begin In The New Financial Year

The Gujarat government has decided to implement an evaluation report for officers’ discipline, which will be carried out from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026. According to a directive from the state’s General Administration Department, officers who have received quality training will be required to complete at least 20 hours of online training, which will contribute two marks to their annual evaluation.

Additional points will be awarded based on various criteria, such as submitting asset declarations and performance reviews of subordinates. Officers who fail to comply may receive a substandard annual evaluation report.

Gujarat’s Administrative Machinery Becoming Younger

In the last decade, Gujarat’s administrative machinery saw 13,000-20,000 officers and staff retire annually. But a new generation of young officers is emerging.

According to the state's pension office, in the next three years, an average of 11,000-14,000 officers and staff will retire annually, but this number is expected to fall to around 8,000 annually after 2030.

The state’s civil, police, and forest services have seen an increase in young officers, with their percentage rising from 35 per cent to 65 per cent in the last five years. The average age of IAS officers in the state is 26 years, and that of IPS officers is 28. The trend reflects a younger workforce entering government services.

HMIS Project Tender Pending After Eight Months

The Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) project, mandated by the central government, has yet to be implemented in Gujarat, even though other states have already rolled it out.

The project aims to make records from government hospitals and blood banks accessible online, including patient ID cards with detailed medical history. The state health department has been working on the project for eight months, but the tender process is still incomplete due to disagreements between the Health Department and the Health Commissionerate regarding which company should be awarded the contract.

The project’s delay has raised concerns about its timely rollout.

Half a Dozen IAS Officers Awaiting Central Deputation

Half a dozen officers from Gujarat, who are seeking central deputation, are waiting for their transfer orders. Under the IAS, officers are entitled to request deputation, but some are still waiting for orders to be issued.

Among those who have been transferred to central positions are Manish Bhardwaj (UIDAI) and Sonal Mishra (Skill Development) in the central ministries, as well as Udit Agarwal and Shweta Tevetia in the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration. Currently, five more officers, including Arti Kanwar, Jayprakash Shivhare and Shahmina Hussain, are awaiting deputation orders.

Road Repairs In Industrial Estates

Gujarat's urban areas like Ahmedabad, Sanand, Ankleshwar, Vapi and other cities have many industrial estates, some of which are larger than 500 acres, in which the vast network of internal roads are in disrepair.

The Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) keeps a separate fund for basic infrastructural facilities in such estates. The funds collected for repairs have reached Rs 100 crore, but the corporation officials are not able to use it.

The delegations of industrial estates have made several representations to the government and the CMO but there has been no action. Since vehicles cannot reach the industries due to bad roads, the transportation of goods and materials has become a huge hassle.

The government wants to make the industrial estates world-class, but the corporation officials are not spending the allocated funds on basic infrastructure.

20 Promoted IAS Officers Lobbying For Preferred Posting

Last month, 20 officers from the Gujarat Administrative Service were promoted to the IAS cadre, but they have been retained in their current positions. In the next two months, they will be reassigned to regular postings.

Some of these officers have started lobbying political leaders, cabinet ministers and senior officials to secure their preferred positions. However, these efforts have so far been unsuccessful due to the ongoing budget session in the state Assembly.

It remains to be seen how many of these officers will successfully secure their desired postings once the session concludes.

Contributed by Gautam Purohit, Mahadev Dave and Sanjay Vibhakar