New Delhi (20.12.2022): Almost a year ago, on December 29, 2021, the Centre had surprised all and sundry including the then Yogi Adityanath government, which was in election mode, by announcing the extension of the service of Durga Shanker Mishra (IAS:1984:UP) and had repatriated him to UP categorically underlining his proposed appointment as Chief Secretary.  This was for the first time in the history of Indian Civil Services that a Union Secretary, a day before retirement, was repatriated to the state with an extended service for one year and was then drafted as Chief Secretary of the state govt. The Centre’s decision was not only unilateral and unique but was politically complex also. 

On a lighter note, the most talked about jargon in Indian Bureaucracy i.e. 360, in terms of day count 360 is nearing completion and in the next nine days, it’ll complete a full cycle of 365 days since Mishra became UP Chief Secretary. Ten days later his term of service is scheduled to end and thus the speculations of his further extension have gathered momentum.   

Insiders say that the complexity and uniqueness of the arrangement (crafted on December 29, 2021) may continue to keep Lucknow bureaucracy captivated for another six months or a year. 

To a handful of political analysts, Mishra’s extension is seen as a factor ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but only the establishment knows how would it serve the purpose when his second extended tenure, in case he gets it, as it will come to an end on December 31, 2023; four months before the elections i.e. April 2024. There are many competent ACS rank IAS officers available in the Cadre who have residual service beyond the scheduled 2024 LS Polls. The State needs seamless succession in the administration and not just an arrangement. 

Yogi Adityanath returned to power in March this year with a decisive and distinctive majority and it is often discussed whether DS Mishra maintains his utility for the New Delhi establishment as yet.

Further, marring the career prospects of officers across batches (1985 and 1989 batches) would not only demoralize the officers but would be counterproductive for the state administration as well.

Another section of insiders say that DS Mishra may not be keen on having another extension as he has been facing awkwardly rough weather ever since he returned to Lucknow as CS and thus this time round i.e. in December 2022, consent or willingness of Mishra will equally be important.

Having an extraordinarily long stint as Union Secretary for Housing & Urban Affairs, any senior civil servant could have aspired for the coveted post of CS in the home as well as cadre state before hanging boots. Having fulfilled all those aspirations, what an ambitious civil servant like Mishra would further aspire for? Certainly, it could be the Union Cabinet Secretary, Union Home Secretary, or the head of any premier constitutional/autonomous body at the Centre or in the state itself.