Inside The Secretariat: Who Will Gujarat's Next Chief Secretary Be?

Reshuffle In Gujarat Police Department Likely

Following the recent transfers in the district administration after the local body elections, large-scale changes are now expected in the state police department as well. Significant reshuffling is likely among city Police Commissioners and District Superintendents of Police (SPs). Discussions in the Secretariat suggest that the performance review of senior police officers is currently underway. At the same time, preparations have started to fill several key vacant positions within the department. The government is reportedly looking for seasoned and efficient officers to strengthen law and order and tighten control over crime. This includes officers who were recently promoted. In addition, the administration is also considering bringing some sidelined officers back into the mainstream by assigning them important responsibilities.

Who Will Gujarat's Next Chief Secretary Be?

There is growing discussion in the Secretariat that Gujarat’s next Chief Secretary could be a woman officer, as women IAS officers now dominate the seniority ranks. After the retirement of current Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Das in December 2026, two women officers from the 1991 batch are considered strong contenders for the top post. The first is Jayanti Ravi, Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue Department, who is set to remain in service until August 2027. The second is Anju Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary in the General Administration Department, who is due to retire in July 2029. Apart from these two, other senior women officers in the hierarchy include Vatsala Vasudeva and D. Thara from the 1995 batch, and Mona Khandhar from the 1996 batch. Notably, the two senior-most officers from the 1990 batch — C.V. Som and Arun Solanki — are believed to have been sidelined and are not considered to be in the government’s good books. As a result, the chances of a woman officer succeeding M.K. Das as Gujarat’s next Chief Secretary have increased significantly.

Second Wave Of IAS Transfers Likely Soon

Following the mass transfer of district collectors and district development officers in Gujarat, transfers of senior IAS officers serving as municipal commissioners in cities, heads of Secretariat departments, branch offices, and boards and corporations are now being considered. The state’s General Administration Department recently transferred 72 IAS officers. Discussions have now intensified regarding another large-scale reshuffle in the second phase. In particular, departments where additional charges have been assigned are likely to see regular postings being made. Officers who have been serving in the same position for three years or more are also expected to be transferred. Performance reviews of senior-ranking officers will play a key role in the upcoming transfers and postings. While some officers may receive prime postings, others could face the possibility of side postings.

‘Vaastu’ Touch In DST Secretary’s New Office!

P. Bharathi, Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), has reportedly incorporated Vaastu Shastra principles in his newly renovated office. It is said that several officers who previously occupied this office faced various difficulties, including Vijay Nehra and Mona Khandhar. During the renovation work at the Secretariat office over the past several months, the staff had been operating from Karmayogi Bhavan. However, after the office was completed, the staff returned to the renovated premises. Before moving into the new office, changes were reportedly made according to Vaastu principles, and religious rituals were also performed. There is discussion that the administrative atmosphere in the DST had remained quite poor over the past five years. Despite good work being carried out, officials allegedly did not receive proper credit. For this reason, P. Bharathi is said to have carefully considered directions and layout before occupying the renovated office.

55+ Officers Under Performance Scanner!

A decision has been taken to review the performance of government officials in the state administrative system who have completed 55 years of age. Action will be taken against those found involved in poor performance, negligence, or disciplinary misconduct. According to an order issued by the Office of the Director of Accounts and Treasuries, a list is being prepared of officials who will complete 55 years of age during the period from October to December 2026.

The government has fixed 11 criteria for evaluating these officials. In particular, the review will include service records of the past several years, confidential reports, quality of work, and conduct. Additionally, it will be verified whether any official is facing departmental inquiry, disciplinary action, physical or mental fitness issues, criminal cases, or pending court cases.

Tech Experts For District Administration

For the first time in Gujarat, a decision has been taken by Revenue Department Additional Chief Secretary Jayanti Ravi to appoint IT consultants on an outsourcing basis in all 34 district collector offices across the state. The government has allocated ₹1.87 crore for this purpose. Selected candidates will receive a monthly salary of ₹50,000. The appointed consultants will be responsible for online data analysis and portal management. In addition, they will monitor the CMO, PG Portal, and CM Dashboard. This move is seen as an effort to ensure effective implementation of e-governance and data management. It is noteworthy that most services of the Revenue Department have already been made online to curb corruption and irregularities.

VIP Convoys Reduced Due To Lack Of EVs

After the Central Government announced fuel-saving measures, the Gujarat Government has reduced the size of VIP movements and convoys. The Governor, CM, and Dy. CM have been compelled to cut down the number of vehicles in their official motorcades, while Cabinet ministers will no longer be provided pilot or escort cars. Discussions in the Secretariat suggest that this situation could have been avoided had the state government purchased electric vehicles (EVs) on time. At a time when PM Narendra Modi himself has been strongly advocating the use of EVs, the state government is now reconsidering the adoption of electric vehicles for official use. Although Gujarat introduced its EV policy five years ago and the public has benefited from it, government vehicles themselves have largely failed to transition to EVs. According to recent reports, the number of EVs in Gujarat has crossed two lakh, yet government-owned EV vehicles account for barely 5%-7% of the total official fleet.

Final Phase Of VGRC

The final phase of the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference (VGRC), launched by the state government to attract national and international investment in Gujarat, is moving towards uncertainty. At a time when the state government has made most of the government programs virtual after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to the countrymen to save fuel in view of the global energy crisis, it is also said that the fourth and final VGRC to be held in Vadodara next month will be canceled or its format will be changed. It is worth mentioning that so far, three conferences - Mehsana, Rajkot and Surat - have signed for a total investment of ₹12.55 lakh crore. Given the current situation, there is a possibility of a new announcement from the Industries Department regarding the last conference soon.