Sudhansh Pant heads to Delhi to raise Rajasthan’s banner!

Jaipur: A senior IAS officer, Sudhansh Pant would finally be relieved from Rajasthan today and would head to Delhi as on December 1, he has to take charge of a new responsibility in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. This will also be a new record in the state bureaucracy. It is for the first time in the past two decades that an IAS from Rajasthan cadre is going to serve directly as Secretary without serving as Additional Secretary. A 1991 batch IAS, Pant had served from September 2014 to February 2019, as Joint Secretary in the Union Government. After this, as a special case, he again went on deputation to the Centre from March 2020 to December 2020. He wanted to continue at the Centre, but the State Government, inspite of giving him the NOC, gave him the high chair of ACS and called him back, even though the Central Government did not want Pant to return to the State. After this, he got empanelled for the post of Additional Secretary at the Centre and he could have immediately headed to the Centre on this post, but the State Government delayed handing him the NOC and his batch mates became Additional Secretary at the Centre. Pant was picked up last month when the Central Government started appointing 1991 batch IAS as Secretary, But perhaps what is more important is the fact that even though there was no post vacant, yet considering him as a special case, Pant was promoted to Secretary in advance, which speaks volume of his need at the Centre.