New Delhi (28.02.2022): 2022 is going to be a watershed for the 1984-batch IAS officers as all of them would reach the terminal stage this year. Like exceptions exist to all rules, some of them with post-retirement assignments may, however, continue to carry on even till 2027 or so.
Today, Union Secretary for Electronics and IT Ajay Prakash Sawhney (IAS:1984:AP) is all set to hang his boots on attaining the superannuation age. His successor hasn't been announced, though. In contrast, the successor to Union Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Aggarwal (IAS:1984:UP) who is retiring next month has been announced.
Aggarwal would be the last from the batch in Govt of India to attain the retirement age while Karnataka Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar (IAS:1984:KN) would be the last one to sign off on superannuation in May this year.
Interestingly, one of the 1984-batch officers, Durga Shanker Mishra (IAS:1984:UP) managed to win a one-year extension in service by becoming the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh two days ahead of retirement (31.12.2021) as Union Secretary for Housing & Urban Affairs.
Notably, on account of fixed tenure and extension, Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla (IAS:1984:AM), who attained the retirement age in November 2020, would be the last from the batch at the Centre to remain on turf till August 21, 2022. However, one cannot rule out the possibility of another extension to Bhalla as the Centre has already introduced rules for a maximum of five years term including a two-year fixed term and three consecutive extensions on a yearly basis. As Home Secretary Bhalla completed the two-year fixed term on August 21, 2021, and will complete one yearly extension ending August 21, 2022.
(By Rakesh Ranjan)
