Topno Gets Extension Until Next May As World Bank’s Senior Advisor

Topno, a 1996 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre, was posted as a senior advisor to the Executive Director in the World Bank in June 2020 for three years. He was sent on the covered foreign assignment from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) where he was serving since 2014. His deputation was scheduled to end in August.

Topno has also served in the centre-left United Progressive Alliance (UPA) era PMO, as a Director in 2009. When the Centre-right National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by PM Modi took over in 2014, he was retained as Modi’s Private Secretary, a move that had surprised many in the bureaucracy.

Even though the buzz in his home cadre had been that he would return to the cadre in August, with the extension approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by the PM, he would now return to India only after the new government takes charge post the Lok Sabha polls in May 2024.

Another Gujarat cadre officer, Rajender Kumar, was also sent to Washington D.C. on a three-year deputation from the PMO as advisor to the Executive Director of the World Bank in April 2021.

Kumar, a 2004-batch IAS officer, used to serve as a director in the PMO and prior to that as a Director in the Department of Personnel & Training, where he handled the desk dealing with the transfers and appointments of top central government officials.

Kumar had previously served as the District Collector of Rajkot and Surat.