YC Modi, one of the senior IPS officers of 1984 batch, Assam-Meghalaya cadre has been appointed as Additional Director in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

At present, Modi is working as a Additional Director General of Police in Shillong. Earlier, in August 2010, he was also a part of the SIT formed in August 2010 and remained there till July 2012.

In his new stint, Modi has replaced Archana Ramasundaram, who was recently moved out of the CBI and appointed as Director, National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

Rupak Kumar Dutta, a 1981 batch IAS officer of Karnataka cadre, has been appointed as Special Director in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Currently, he is working as Additional Director in the agency.

Dutta had joined CBI in June 2012 as Additional Director and has been associated with the investigation of a number of sensitive matters, including second generation spectrum (2G) scam case.

The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has recommended the name of Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) Chairman cum Managing Director Gopal Singh for the post of CMD of National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC).

In one of its statements, PESB said that it had interviewed 13 persons for the selection process.

PESB is responsible for selection and placement of candidates for board-level positions in the central public sector undertakings.

Since March 2012, Gopal Singh is working as the CMD of Central Coalfields Limited. Born in 1961, Singh graduated from Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad in 1981 and started his professional career as Mining Engineer at Rajrappa Area, CCL.

Jitendra Kumar Sinha, a 1966 batch IAS officer of Tripura cadre, has taken charge as the Joint Secretary (JS) in the Ministry for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).

Earlier, he had served as the Resident Commissioner, Tripura, in Delhi.

Sinha was appointed as Joint Secretary, DoNER, on May 30 this year, replacing K K Damyanti.

Former bureaucrat Chandra Kanta Das and Prof Gangmumei Kamei have been appointed as the new members of the North Eastern Council (NEC).

Das is a retired IAS officer, while Prof Kamei is a distinguished academician, author and public activist. They both will function as full-time non-official members from the NEC headquarters in Shillong.

Das superannuated as the Chairman of the Assam State Electricity Board in December 2008, following which he served as adviser to the Chief Minister, Assam till 2011. Thereafter, he actively engaged in public life as a civil society activist.

Prof Kamei retired as professor of history from Manipur University and is widely hailed for his excellence as an educationist and researcher in subjects related to the North-east.

Implementation of technology brings about transparency in the process of governance and augments citizen services. S Raju, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Uttarakhand, in an interaction with Manish Arora of Elets News Network (ENN), enumerates the advantages of IT implementation vis-a-vis various initiatives undertaken in the State

S Raju,
Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Uttarakhand

What are the various initiatives undertaken by the State Government to ease the process of citizen service delivery?

The transfer of teachers has emerged as a huge issue in the past. But now, introduction of the system of display of their marks on website brought about the much-needed transparency and helped people know as to where they stand.

So, disputes relating to the transfer of teachers have now become almost nil. Feedback from the teachers regarding transfer system has also been quite good.

Implementing court orders has always been tough for the government. How has IT helped in doing that?

Technology for Transparency We have put all the court orders on a web based system where one can see the deadlines for their implementation. Based on these, delays in implementation of the court orders have seen a huge reduction. We are trying regularly to improve that system in the coming days.

We have also introduced a web-based system for tracking the status of work projects. This has helped us track why one is not able to meet the deadline, and we can easily identify and rectify the problem.

We have introduced a web-based system for tracking the status of work projects, so that we can easily identify and rectify the problem

What has the government been doing to reduce complaints regarding pension distribution?

Earlier, lots of people kept running around government offices for their pension and complained of delays in pension disbursements. It was due to manual and long process of releasing pensions.

The payments of pension have now been made online. We have implemented an IVR based system, in which anyone can call and find out whether his pension has been released or not. It has helped us in easing the process of pension distribution and the people also don’t have to keep standing in office queues.

The incumbent Secretary, Ministry of Culture, NK Sinha, has been given the additional charge of Ministry of Tourism. Sinha is a 1980 batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre. He will be replacing Lalit K Panwar, who is a 1979 batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre and superannuated on July 31, 2015.

Jugal Kishore Mohapatra, a 1979 batch IAS officer of Odisha cadre, has been given the additional charge of Secretary in the Department of Land Resources. He will be replacing Vandana Kumari Jena, who is also an IAS officer of the same batch and cadre. Her active career came to an end on July 31, 2015.

Rakesh Sharma has taken over as the new Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand following the retirement of N Ravi Shankar.

Sharma, a 1981 batch IAS officer of Uttarakhand cadre, was holding the post of Additional Chief Secretary before taking up the new assignment. In his earlier stint as Additional Chief Secretary, Rakesh held finance, mining among other portfolios.

In one of his statements, Sharma said, “I believe in teamwork and we have a bunch of capable officers to put our ideas to practice.”

Petronet LNG Ltd appointed GAIL India Director (Marketing) Prabhat Singh as its new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. Singh replaces AK Balyan whose five-year tenure ended on July 15.

Earlier, the selection of Petronet LNG, a public-private joint venture which sets up LNG terminals and imports bulk of India’s LNG MD and CEO, had run into controversy since a Search Committee constituted for the selection failed to arrive at a consensus on the preferred candidate.

“Based on the view of the members of the board, it was decided that an enlarged Search Committee may see more candidates,” said an insider. The appointment of the head of the Search Committee was left to the decision of PLL Chairman, the serving Petroleum Secretary.

PLL is jointly owned by GAIL India, ONGC Corp, Indian Oil Corp and Bharat Petroleum Corp, each holding 12.5 per cent equity. Apart from it, GDF International holds an equity of 10 per cent and Asian Development Bank 5.2 per cent.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has launched a new web application allowing citizens to offer feedback on horticulture-related matters to the urban body. The step is taken to make people a partner in maintenance of parks.

The application launched by Lt Governor Najeeb Jung at Raj Niwas in New Delhi can be accessed through the DDA’s official website.

In one of his statements, Jung said- “This will not only facilitate providing a healthy feedback, but will also provide a window through which citizens will be participants and partners in the maintenance of parks and various other greens developed by the DDA.”

As per DDA, the facilities provided in the web application include a search facility through the horticulture division number, locality or park name, and area of the parks.

A citizen, while offering his feedback, has to click on the link and select the park by feeding the name of the locality or the park or park area or the number of the concerned horticulture division of the DDA.

There is also a facilliy for uploading photographs in the registration form. Once the work is complete, the photographs of the area will be uploaded by DDA for perusal of the applicant.

DDA says, “Periodical reports regarding the work completed will be in the public domain, and all photographs or visual evidence of the work done will be archived for future reference.”

A recent order announced the appointments of seven officers in the rank of Joint Secretary. The names of the appointees are as follows:

• Amitabh Kumar, a 1987 batch IRS IT officer, has been appointed as Jt DG, Shipping, Mumbai. He has replaced Deepak Shetty, who is a 1984 batch IRS C&CE officer.
• Samir K Biswas, a 1980 batch IAS officer of Maharashtra cadre, has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals.
• AK Meena, a 1990 batch IAS officer of Odisha cadre, has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Defence. He has replaced Naveen Kumar Chaudhary, who is a 1994 batch IAS officer of Jammu & Kashmir cadre.
• Dwijendra Kr Sharma, a 1988 batch IFS officer of Manipur Tripura cadre, has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Panchayati Raj. He has replaced Sushil Kumar, a 1987 batch IAS officer of the same cadre.
• Sumita Mukherjee, a 1987 batch IRAS officer, has been appointed as JS & FA, CSIR Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. She has replaced Anu J Singh, a 1985 batch IRS IT officer.
• Manoj Pant, a 1986 batch IFS officer of Jammu and Kashmir cadre, is appointed Joint Secretary in the Department of Health Research. He replaced H Nagesh Prabhu, a 1984 batch IFS officer of Kerala cadre.
• Rosy Sharma (CCS:98) has been appointed as DDG, CAPART (JS level), Department of Rural Development. She has replaced ML Meena, who is a 1983 batch IAS officer of West Bengal cadre.

The Wave Group, Wave City Center, Wave Infratech

Contributed by Akanki Sharma

Edited by Nirmal Anshu Ranjan

Even as the Government of India’s 100 Smart Cities project keeps making news day in and day out, the citizens in most of the cities are still groping for that ‘feel-good’ factor that the government can probably feel, but they can’t. On the contrary, they are yet to be provided some of the basic amenities they should have had long, long back.

For instance, recently, when the national capital experienced some rains and lots of trouble, people were thoroughly confused: what is more important, to build a smart city first or to put in place a proper drainage system? Well, most would agree that their questions were the answers.

The clichéd expression of ‘Smart Cities’ (yes, clichéd goes better with it) is just an idea, and unlike what a popular TV commercial says, “An idea can change your life”, this apparently half-baked idea is hardly potent enough to change the present state of affairs in urban India.

At present, big national and international firms, including Ricoh, Cisco, Vodafone, Accenture, Intel, HP and many more, are coming up with novel ideas to create these Smart Cities, which they have already done in certain pockets of the globe.

In addition, “Housing for all by 2022” was the pre-Lok Sabha poll slogan given by the now-in-power BJP. However, the question is once again no different: is it viable at all? The party in power had also promised the citizens of a ‘liveable environment’, where there would be all the basic facilities required for decent living. But, sadly though, it again remains a mirage.

It would not be wrong to say that our government literally lacks a feasibe ‘vision’. The notion of being and creating smart is vast, but what about the misery on the ground level, it’s still unseen. The government should first find ways to put to rest the citizens’ day-to-day worries of missing facilities in the existing cities before it goes ahead with the idea (to me it looks utopian at the moment) to create/develop 100 Smart Cities. That would make more sense.

I remember an instance when a popular Hindi news channel had declared Noida as the ‘Cleanest City’. I wonder, how, and on what parameters did it qualify to become the cleanest city? Was it just on of account sky-piercing buildings, mega shopping malls and imposing offices of multi-national companies? Once you come out of your home on a rainy day in these areas, the pot-holed roads, and dirt and filth all around pull the facade of ‘IT hub’ off.

And that is not all; in the heart of these posh localities and right in front of the ‘smart’ buildings (yeah, some are termed that way), one can see children with begging bowls rushing to the moving cars amid stench emanating from the nearby pile of garbage. As for the citizenry, people can be seen relishing sweet corns and throwing tea cups away most carelessly while criticising others doing the same.

Don’t we need a few ‘Smart Citizens’ before a ‘100 Smart Cities’?

Santosh Kumar Sarangi, a 1994 batch IAS officer of Odisha cadre, has been appointed as the new Chairman of Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Promotion Development Authority (APEDA) under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

Since December 6, 2014, Sarangi has been serving as Joint Secretary, Commerce. He has been handling Administration, Foreign Trade (NAFTA/AM), Export Inspection, Export Promotion (Agri), Bio-Technology and EP(MP).

The Rajasthan Government has appointed Lalit Kumar Panwar as the Chairman of Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC). At present, he is Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism. Earlier, he was Special Secretary to the former Chief Minister of the State, Ashok Gehlot.

Panwar is a 1979 batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre and also holds PhD in Tourism. He has also served as Director- Tourism and Secretary in-Charge in Rajasthan and the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of India Tourism Development Corporation Limited (ITDC) from 2010-2013.

The Uttar Pradesh Government has transferred four IAS officers including two district magistrates.

The Special Secretary of Vocational Education and Skill Development, Anita Srivastava, has been posted as the District Magistrate of Deoria, who has replaced Sharad Kumar Singh.

Singh has been appointed Special Secretary to the Agriculture Production Commissioner’s Office.

Masoom Ali Sarvar, Special Secretary of Technical Education, has been transferred as District Magistrate of Pilibhit replacing Om Narain Singh, who has been posted as Special Secretary in Agriculture Production Commissioner’s office.

In a reshuffle that took place, the Karnataka Government has transferred 10 IAS officers.

The Chairman of Benglauru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), Anjum Parvez, has been shifted to Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam as its Managing Director.

Ajay Seth, a 1987 batch IAS officer, has been posted as Principal Secretary to the Primary and Secondary Education Department, whereas incumbent P S Kapil Mohan is yet to be given a post.

Other officers who have also been transferred are as follows:

• M V Jayanthi is appointed as Regional Commissioner, Bengaluru division,
• R R Jannu has been appointed Commissioner, Religious and Charitable Endowments,
• Khushboo Goel Chowdhary is appointed CEO, Dharwad Zilla Panchayat,
• Ramandeep Chowdhary is appointed as Deputy Commissioner, Koppal,
• Pallavi Akurati is appointed Deputy Commissioner, Tumakuru,
• S S Nakul has been appointed as CEO, Ballari Zilla Panchayat,
• D S Ramesh is appointed as Mission Director, State Water and Sanitation Mission, and
• M G Hiremath has been appointed as CEO, Bagalkot Zilla Panchayat.

Accenture India has appointed Rekha M Menon and Anindya Basu as Chairperson and Country Managing Director, respectively.

The appointments will become effective from August 21, 2015.

As Chairperson, Menon will play an active role in growing Accenture’s business and further strengthening the company’s presence in communities across India. She will continue to be engaged in the company’s Inclusion & Diversity and Corporate Citizenship initiatives and will also be responsible for institutional relationships with public authorities and industry associations, according to a press release from the IT major.

Menon is currently Managing Director, Human Resources, for Accenture’s growth markets and has been leading the development and execution of the company’s human capital strategy for Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa, Russia, Turkey and Latin America. Prior to it, she was Managing Director, Geographic Operations for India, ASEAN and Asia Pacific Delivery Centers, where she supported the growth and development of Accenture’s Global Delivery Network. She has over 24 years of industry experience.

In his new role, Basu will be responsible for driving Accenture’s domestic business in India and building relationships with key clients by leveraging the company’s capabilities in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations.

However, Basu will continue his role working with Accenture’s products’ clients in India, as well as serving as the APAC regional lead of the company’s automotive, industrial, infrastructure and travel & transportation industry practice.

“Anindya has a strong knowledge of our business and has demonstrated a tremendous commitment to our clients and our people,” said Gianfranco Casati, Accenture’s Group Chief Executive, growth markets. “With his experience, insights and vision for our business in India, he is well equipped to make a difference in this important market.”

The Government of Bihar has transferred 13 IAS officials, including four DMs and nine SDOs.

Lakshmi Prasad Chauhan, the District Magistrate of Madhepura, has been made Joint Secretary in the Water Resources Development Department. Apart from it, Chauhan will also hold the additional charge of MD, Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC). Incumbent Mohd Sohail will replace Chauhan in Madhepura.

Sitamarhi DM Saket Kumar and Khagaria DM Rajiv Roshan have replaced each other.

Patna Sadar SDO Amit Kumar has been appointed as Bhagalpur Deputy Development Commissioner (DDC), whereas Danapur SDO Arvind Kumar Verma has been shifted to Muzaffarpur as DDC.

Inayat Khan, the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of Nalanda district, has been appointed as Bhojpur DDC, while Narkatiyaganj (West Champaran) SDO Kaushal Kumar has been made Town Commissioner, Biharsharif.

Balia (Begusarai district) SDO Mukesh Pandey has been appointed Katihar DDC, and Benipatti (Madhubani district) SDO Rajesh Meena has been made Bettiah DDC in West Champaran.

Sanjiv Kumar, SDO at Sitamarhi, has been appointed DDC in Gaya, while Khagaria SDO Sunil K Yadav has been shifted to Motihari (East Champaran) as DDC. Purnia SDO Kundan Kumar has been appointed Nalanda DDC.

Tamil Nadu will soon set up electronically-enabled kiosks to be operated by authorised service providers across the State in order to boost eGovernance so as to offer public services in a hassle-free manner.

At present, the State is formulating rules so that these services can be delivered efficiently by one or more service providers via eKiosks.

These kiosks will be delivering various public services like licence permit, certificate, sanction or approval and the receipt of payment of money by electronic means.

All the public services from each government department or agency would have to be distributed in electronic mode within five years from the date of coming into force of the Information Technology (Electronic Service Deliery) Rules 2015.

The rules provide for the administration of e-service delivery through authorised service providers and agents. It further includes operator of an electronically-enabled kiosk or front office, who is permitted to deliver public services to the users with the help of a computer resource or communication device.

Nonetheless, these rules won’t be significant for State online portal, government departmental outlets and online services offered to the users directly on the web. According to a source, they will be administered in the normal manner by the respective government departments and agencies.

A Director of Electronic Service Delivery (ESD) will monitor the digital services offered by the authorised service providers. The Director, while having the authority to dismiss the services, will also ensure determining the norms relating to the selection of authorised agents by the service providers. Moreover, the Director, via an administrative order, could delegate any of his/her powers to any official of the State Government or autonomous body or local body.

Once the rules are executed, the competent authority, who is the head of a department, shall notify the list of public services offered by the department or agency through electronic mode, the date by which these services will be available, along with the manner these will be delivered. All this is expected to be done in a period of 180 days.