The notification pertaining to the in-situ elevation of ED’s Special Director Rahul Navin (IRS IT: 1993) was placed among the eleven Joint Secretary level officers across services (CSS, IRPS, IPoS, IFoS including others) which passed almost unnoticed. A few have noticed that elevation of the interim chief of the high-profile federal investigative agency was notified in a normal note. Logically one may like to presume that it was a politically correct move to down play the position of ED ahead of 2024 LS Polls. Else, one may recall notifications regarding the appointment, empanelment and successive extensions of former ED Chief Sanjay Kumar Mishra (Retd IRS IT: 1984) were formalised with all exhibits.

The appointment of Samir Kumar Sinha (IAS: 1994: AM), presently in the cadre, was appointed as Additional Secretary & DG (Acquisition), Department of Defence. He replaced Pankaj Agrawal (IAS: 1992: MP) who once served as Additional Secretary in Cabinet Secretariat and now in the seat of ‘power’ as Union Power Secretary.

Sinha’s appointment to the key position also assumes significance because he served as Principal Secretary to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma; the BJP’s Samurai for the North East.  

Those who understand the grammar of politics will say that the appointment of an officer like Sinha to a highly sensitive and a key post has its own significance.

The narrative that fills PM Modi with pride while narrating the success story of his administration in successive public meetings has its own importance. Drafting Chandra Bhushan Kumar (IAS: 1995: UT), presently in the cadre, in the seat that looks after such an important vertical says it all. Mandating Kumar to succeed Vikas Sheel as Additional Secretary & Mission Director, Jal Jeevan Mission, Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation has its own meaning. Sending Vikas Sheel (IAS: 1994: CG) to Manila as Executive Director, Asian Development Bank and drafting Kumar as Sheel’s successor in an aspirational assignment signifies the trust and competence, the New Delhi administration has posed on him to deliver.

Out of sixteen officers empanelled (CLICK FOR THE LIST) on December 01, 2023 for holding Additional Secretary or AS equivalent posts at the Centre, they were either appointed to AS-level post or elevated as AS (In-situ) but one. Apparently, the incumbent Joint Secretary in the Ministry of I&B Vikram Sahay (IRS IT: 1992) may have to wait for a while for in-situ elevation for a while. Sahay, considered as an upright and competent officer among his peers has tenure till May 2025 in I&B. Though, Deepak Narain (IA&AS: 1993) were also among the list of sixteen but he is currently working in his Cadre as DG, Eastern.