NEW DELHI (18.05.2026): The Department of Revenue’s latest exercise to fill a solitary Board-level vacancy at the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) is shaping up to be a replay of a familiar administrative script.
When applications closed on May 13, only nine of the ten invited senior officers were said to have thrown their hats into the ring, which includes the newly eligible Diptashri Barma Arora (1991). Madan Mohan Singh (1991) who opted out of the race in the previous round reportedly did not apply till 13th.
The Same Pool, The Same Puzzle:
Intriguingly, all nine applicants belong to the exact pool of 15 officers whom the Committee of Secretaries (CoS) passed over earlier this year when filling previous three vacancies.
Under established guidelines, five of these nine will be shortlisted based on seniority, integrity, and performance metrics. Barring any surprises, the shortlisting process points toward a predictable outcome as none of the top five on the seniority list would be left out of the shortlist including the 1990 batch seniors Raj Kumar and V. Valte and 1991 Batch contenders Prachi Saroop, Rimjhim Prasad, and Rajesh Jindal.
This creates an unprecedented institutional scenario where the exact same five officers will face the exact same selection committee, offering the panel absolutely no new names or fresh choices.
The Dilemma for Selectors:
The successive interaction presents a delicate puzzle for the selectors. Ruling out the senior-most Raj Kumar and V. Valte will not be easy. Beyond their established competence, strong vigilance clearances, and extensive administrative experience, both officers carry distinct socio-cultural credentials that carry significant institutional weight in top-tier bureaucratic appointments.
A Rapid Re-Float Hinting at Intent:
The single vacancy was advertised in quick succession immediately after the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) cleared the inductions of Sanjay Mangal and A.K. Srivastav as Board Members on February 13, 2026. With the Board running at near-full strength except for this single remaining slot, the urgency to float this vacancy suggests the government's primary focus is on a definitive selection rather than a wider screening process.
Bureaucratic insiders point out that had the third position been filled during the initial round early this year, this circular exercise of re-interviewing the same candidates could have been avoided entirely. It may also be underlined that the current selection dynamics
evoke memories of the surprise appointment a few months back, when the government pulled a rabbit out of the hat by naming
Vineet Chaturvedi as the Board Chairman. The selection dynamics indicate a deliberate shift toward finding a fresh face.
The Hunt for a Fresh Face:
With the names of V. Valte (1990) and Rimjhim Prasad (1991) reportedly already under consideration with the ACC from previous rounds, established conventions suggest they may be ruled out for this specific single-vacancy exercise. The primary objective of this sudden, rapid vacancy & shortlisting exercise appears to be fishing for a fresh face to diversify the options before the CoS. Consequently, the spotlight shifts to the remaining three shortlisted officers from the five-member pool facing the CoS.
The front-runners for the final recommendation are highly likely to emerge from the rest of the pack, which includes Raj Kumar (1990), the senior-most contender rounding out the five, Prachi Saroop (1991), Rajesh Jindal (1991. By focusing on this subset, the selectors intend to present the ACC with a distinct administrative alternative, ensuring that the final selection brings a new perspective to the Board rather than a recycling of previously deferred candidatures.
Potential Outcomes:
An overview of the current scenario points toward two distinct administrative possibilities. As expected the Committee of Secretaries (CoS) will proceed with the scheduled interactions, evaluating the five shortlisted candidates to recommend a final name for the lone vacancy of Member.
Alternatively, the CoS may defer the appointment and club this carry-forward vacancy with another three upcoming Board vacancies/positions that will open up when members Surjit Bhujabal (1988) and Mohan Kumar Singh (1989) retire on December 31, 2026 and Sanjay Mangal (1992) on January 31, 2027. This would allow the government to conduct a more comprehensive empanelment exercise later this year.
(By Rakesh Ranjan)
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