Raj’s ‘Pandavas’ become pride of State bureaucracy, serving ‘Bharat’!

Jaipur: It is time for the State bureaucracy to be elated and excited as the Rajasthan cadre officers are holding the State bureaucracy’s ‘flag’ high in the Central Government. After a long time, five of our bureaucrats are positioned on the top post of the‘Secretary.’ These officials are V Srinivas, Rohit Kumar Singh, Sanjay Malhotra, Sudhansh Pant and Rajat Kumar Mishra. Similarly, half a dozen IAS are currently posted as Additional Secretaries and four as Joint Secretary.

It is first of its kind development in recent years that, at one time, five of our officers are posted as Secretary. The 1989 batch IAS V Srinivas went on central deputation, for the second time, in the year 2018. After four years, he was promoted, in January 2022, and posted as Secretary in Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances Department. Actually, Srinivas’s work ethic revolves around renovation and reforms. Prior to going to Delhi, when he was serving in the State, he undertook several innovative and improvement related works in Revenue Board. He is an erudite scholar and a very competent officer.

Another officer of 1989 batch, Rohit Kumar Singh, is posted as Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, on which he was posted in December 2021. When he went on deputation to the Central Government for the first time, in April 2012, he served for a long period of six years as Joint Secretary in Ministry of Road Transport. He is set to retire after nine months from now i.e. in March 2024.

Amongst all officers, Sanjay Malhotra is considered to be the ‘Rising Sun.’ He went into the Ministry of Power on deputation in January 2020 as Additional Secretary and in two years, he proved his capabilities and was promoted to the post of Secretary and taken in the Finance Ministry, which is an extremely important posting in the Central Government. Then in October 2022, he received another ‘jump’ and was made Revenue Secretary in Finance Ministry. It is well known that this position at the Centre, is considered to be among the top half a dozen positions. There are five years left to Sanjay Malhotra’s retirement and it is possible that he may ascend to the high chair of Cabinet Secretary and the State bureaucracy is desperately waiting for that time!

The 1991 batch IAS Sudhansh Pant has a long experience of six years of working in Health Department & keeping this in mind, the Central Government handed him the responsibility of Secretary, Health Department through its appointment list issued on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, an interesting coincidence has occurred with IAS Rajat Kumar Mishra. This 1992 batch, impressive and result- oriented officer was empanelled for the post of Secretary merely ten days back and soon after he was promoted and appointed as Secretary. Such developments have happened only a handful of times in the past. Rajat is now appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Fertilizers. He too has five years of service left before his retirement and thus, he too is being considered a ‘dark horse’.

Thus, our five Secretaries are currently holding important responsibilities in the Union Government and are steadily heading towards handling more important assignments. It is worth noting that two Rajasthan cadre officers, who are currently serving as Additional Secretary, Tanmay Kumar and Alok, may also become Secretary soon!