Inside The Secretariat: Shifting Fortunes & Data Push

Officers Urged to Adopt Data-Evidence Approach!

Study sessions for officers have been started in Gujarat. Addressing Deputy Secretaries during the sessions, Anju Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary of the General Administration Department, advised that government officials should move away from prejudice and traditional approaches and make decisions based on solid data and evidence. She also emphasised that there is no age limit for learning, and everyone should make an effort to learn something every day. On the other hand, the state’s Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Das remarked that government service is not a favour but a duty. He stressed that administrative processes should be simplified so that citizens do not have to submit unnecessary documents while accessing government services. He also reminded officials that a file is not just a piece of paper, but a pathway to someone’s welfare. It now remains to be seen how many officers follow this advice after receiving the training.

Mussoorie-Posted IAS Duo Lands Key Delhi Roles

Two officers from the Gujarat cadre have recently been given prime postings in New Delhi. Among them, IAS officer Shweta Teotia (2011 batch), who was serving as Deputy Director at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie, was transferred to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change as Director. Within just a week of her transfer, her husband, IAS officer Udit Agrawal (2008 batch), who was serving as Joint Director at LBSNAA, was appointed as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Thus, after about a year of experience in Mussoorie, this IAS couple has now moved to New Delhi. The appointments of both officers have been made until the year 2030.

Luck Turns Anytime in Government Service!

It cannot be said when the fortunes of which retired officer will shine in the government, because sometimes such decisions are taken that create surprise. Four senior-most officers who retired last year — Rajkumar, Kamal Dayani, Sunayna Tomar, J. P. Gupta, and S. J. Haider — have still not been given any post-retirement posting by the government. On the other hand, after recently relieving a Home Department officer who had already received several extensions after retirement, the government has called him back again. Another IAS officer who had been appointed by the government in 2022 as Chairman of the Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) has now been appointed as Adviser to the Administrator of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.

Obstacles to the Agro Business Policy Still Persist

Even after five years have passed since the completion of the Gujarat Government’s Agro Business Policy, it has still not been finalised. The policy was officially expected to be announced by the end of 2025, but due to certain revisions, its draft was not approved. Now, it is learned that the state Agriculture Department has restarted the process of announcing the policy. The main draft of the policy was prepared by former officer Anju Sharma, but the responsibility for its implementation has now come to the Agriculture Department’s Principal Secretary R. C. Meena. Some time ago, Agriculture Welfare Minister Jitu Vaghani, while announcing the highlights of the policy, stated that the policy will provide new incentives for food processing units, testing laboratories, startups, food parks, airport cargo facilities, incubation centres, agro-based industries, branding and marketing, as well as capacity building. Now, the agriculture sector is watching closely to see when the government announces the policy.

VGRC Emerges as Key Platform for Textile & Gems Push

Amid the war-like situation in the Middle East, it appears that the future of Surat’s gems-jewellery and textile sectors may take shape at the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference (VGRC) being held in Surat in South Gujarat, as there is a possibility that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may remain present at the summit. This two-day conference is scheduled to be held on May 1, which is also celebrated as Gujarat Foundation Day. The conference will impact 16 districts of South and Central Gujarat. Along with gems-jewellery and textiles, expert sessions have also been arranged on sectors such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, petrochemicals, agro-food processing, MSMEs, startups, tourism, skill development, and green energy. For the Foundation Day celebrations and the conference, officials from various departments of the Secretariat will remain present in Surat.

State Poll Panel Turns Hub for Retired Officers!

At present, while the State Election Commission is conducting elections for local self-government institutions, it is noteworthy that its administration is currently being handled by two retired officers. Among them, retired IAS officer Dr S. Murali Krishna (1998 batch) has been appointed to the top post in the State Election Commission, while retired officer Rajendra Singh Gohil has been assigned the responsibility as Secretary of the State Election Commission. It is worth mentioning that Sanjay Prasad, who had earlier served in the top post of the State Election Commission, was also given a posting after retirement. In this way, the State Election Commission appears to have become almost like a government shelter for retired officers.

Admin Training Push to Sharpen Governance

In Gujarat, training programs have been started for good governance, enhancement of administrative capacity, leadership, and several other purposes. As part of this initiative, Deputy Secretaries of the Secretariat received three days of training on the subject “Enhancing Administrative Capacities and Leadership.” Importantly, this new initiative has been started by the state’s Chief Secretary, Manoj Kumar Das. Following complaints about inefficiency, corruption, the mindset of keeping files pending, and delays in completing citizens’ work on time, a decision was taken to train government personnel through experts. How successful this training will be can only be determined in the coming time. However, during this training, experts shared their views on topics such as cybersecurity, public procurement, public financial management, court-related matters, and policy drafting. This training program was organised by the Sardar Patel Institute of Public Administration (SPIPA).

Panel Reshuffle Drops Retired Officer

The government usually takes the services of retired officers for preliminary and departmental inquiries into cases involving government officials. However, for reasons unknown, retired officer Kashyap I. Parikh has been relieved from the panel of retired officers assigned for such inquiry work. According to the General Administration Department, the matter of reallocating this work was under consideration. Accordingly, retired Deputy Secretaries Rajesh M. Rawal, Sudhir Upadhyay, Subodh Joshi, and R. V. Bhatt, along with retired IAS officers Vijay Singh Vaghela and B. K. Kumar, and retired Chief Engineer Vinod Patel, have now been appointed to this panel. The department has also decided that the officer who has been relieved from panel responsibilities must return the concerned departmental cases. Departments will assign preliminary inquiry cases against Class-1 to Class-4 officers to the officers on this panel. However, cases involving Deputy Secretaries, Additional Collectors, or officers of equivalent rank will have to be assigned to the Special Officer for departmental inquiries.