Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has criticised the CBI raids on his OSD and others, alleging it's part of the BJP's election campaign strategy in non-BJP ruled states. The CBI registered a corruption case following directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which noted prima facie evidence of corruption. Mann dismissed the allegations, stating his government is not involved in corruption and will cooperate with investigations.
JLKM leader Devendra Mahto, who ended his 16-day hunger strike after the Jharkhand government cancelled job exams over alleged irregularities, announced a second phase of protests for corruption-free recruitment by JPSC and JSSC, demanding government guarantees against future paper leaks and irregularities.
By-elections across several Indian states, including Assam, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and West Bengal, concluded peacefully with high voter turnouts. The Nagaon Lok Sabha seat in Assam recorded 76% polling, while Tamil Nadu's Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly Constituencies saw 83.86% and 78.53% respectively. Puducherry's Thattanchavady registered 78.83%, and West Bengal's Nandigram and Rejinagar constituencies had nearly 79% turnout.
The new BJP government also appointed IAS officer Shantanu Bala as the chief minister's private secretary, according to another notification.
In a statement, the Centre said the probe would be conducted by an additional secretary-rank officer to verify the candidature claims and other details of the 2023 batch officer, who has been allotted the Maharashtra cadre.
Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has ordered a Vigilance probe into corruption allegations related to the 2006 KSTP road project, implicating incumbent Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who was then the PWD secretary. The investigation also concerns the death by suicide of a Malaysian engineer involved in the project, who reportedly named Kumar in his suicide notes. The probe revives a case that was allegedly "hushed up" after a change in government.
Of the 73 names, 41 have been approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet for secretary-level posts, while 32 names have been cleared for holding additional secretary or equivalent-level posts, reports R Rajagopalan.
Shortage of IAS officers has forced the state government to hand over additional responsibilities to senior officers, some even handling two to three departments. M I Khan reports.
The state government has directed the concerned officials in Jamui to ensure speedy punishment for the accused in the case to send a message that the government will not tolerate such incidents.
'If you ask Prime Minister Modi prove you are Indian, as per the Election Commission's criteria, he may not be able to prove that he is an Indian.'
The Supreme Court has expressed shock over numerous deaths, including unnatural ones, in relief camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Manipur. It directed the state's chief secretary to explain steps taken for investigation, criminal proceedings, and ensuring safety, questioning low compensation and incomplete post-mortems. The court also sought a report from MSLSA and urged expeditious trials in violence-related cases.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned IAS officer Ansar Shaikh regarding alleged illegal sand mining and trafficking from riverbeds in West Bengal's Jhargram district and adjoining areas.
The senior bureaucrat, before being transferred to MEDD, was the collector of Kolhapur and had handled the 2019 floods that ravaged the western Maharashtra district.
If the government could do without 23 per cent of the authorised posts, surely a start could be made in government downsizing by abolishing these vacancies, says A K Bhattacharya.
Khanday was reinstated during a cabinet meeting chaired by state chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in Jammu Sunday.
The Supreme Court has agreed to examine a plea seeking the recall of its recent split verdict regarding the 2023 law on the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners. This law notably excludes the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel, a change from a previous Supreme Court directive.
The appointment of Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer as the Chief Minister's secretary has ignited a political firestorm, raising questions about election credibility and sparking accusations of hypocrisy among political parties.
The conduct of senior IAS officer D K Rao, who allegedly harboured Sushil Sharma after the former Youth Congress leader killed his wife and attempted to burn the body in a tandoor, has attracted the ire of the sessions court.
The Haryana government has authorised the CBI to investigate the alleged involvement of five IAS officers in a Rs 590-crore fraud case involving IDFC First Bank. The CBI can now summon the officers for questioning.
The sessions court had discharged Venkitaraman for the offence under Section 304 IPC as there was no medical report indicating he was drunk at the time of the accident.
The Jharkhand government has cancelled 44 recruitment examinations conducted by the state Public Service Commission (JPSC) and an outsourced agency since 2014, including the JSSC Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination, following a 25-day student agitation over alleged irregularities. This decision has led to protests from around 2,000 candidates who had already been appointed to various state government departments after clearing the JSSC-CGL exam.
The Haryana government has authorised the CBI to investigate the alleged involvement of five IAS officers in a Rs 590-crore fraud case involving IDFC First Bank. The CBI can now summon the officers for questioning.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has announced that its new Executive Council will be elected on December 5, with Sanjay Kumar Srivastava appointed as the returning officer. The electoral process, which includes elections for the Athletes' Commission on November 3 and selection of Sportspersons of Merit (SOMs), will adhere to national sports governance acts and the amended IOA Constitution. The new council will serve a four-year term (2026-2030), with current President PT Usha highlighting the importance of good governance as India eyes hosting the 2036 Olympic Games.
The Jharkhand government has cancelled all recruitment tests conducted by outsourced agency TSR Data Processing Pvt Ltd (TDPL) since 2014, including the JSSC-CGL exam, in response to student protests. However, agitators are continuing their demonstration, demanding a CBI probe into alleged irregularities.
The government has a clear set of rules that govern even the expression of personal views by IAS officers.
Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has urged consumers to avoid buying loose or unsealed edible oil due to safety concerns, announcing a compliance order for the entire edible oil sector after detecting widespread violations, including adulteration and improper packaging.
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to apprise it about the possibility of setting up an SIT to probe the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya and cautioned the litigants not to politicise the issue.
A senior IAS officer in the Uttar Pradesh government, who was arrested on charges of attempt to rape and molesting a Delhi-based woman in a train, was on Wednesday granted interim bail by a Lucknow court. Sessions Judge K K Sharma granted interim bail to IAS officer Shashi Bhushan Sushil up to October 10 on an application moved on his behalf, court sources said.
Those transferred include special secretary of health and family welfare Udit Prakash Rai, a 2007 batch IAS officer of AGMUT cadre.
Cracking the whip on whistleblower IAS officer Ashok Khemka, the Haryana government has decided to charge sheet him for alleged administrative misconduct in cancelling the mutation of the land deal between Robert Vadra and real estate major DLF in Gurgaon.
Haryana's Home Minister Anil Vij has recommended that sanction for investigation "may be denied" in a case registered against senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka by the State Warehousing Corporation in a 12-year-old matter.
Hours after taking a 'U-turn' by informing the high court that it is withdrawing its notification dissolving all gram panchayats in the state, the Punjab government suspended two senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers on Thursday for a 'technically-flawed' decision.
Following Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's decision to cancel the JSSC-CGL exam and other recruitment tests due to alleged irregularities, approximately 2,000 successful candidates now fear losing their jobs, demanding a CBI probe and a fair opportunity to defend themselves.
Suspended Jharkhand IAS officer Pooja Singhal was paid "commission" by subordinate staff from MGNREGA funds of Khunti district which she and her husband subsequently utilised for acquiring various properties, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) claimed in a statement on Wednesday.
Nidhi Chaudhari has also been issued a show-cause notice by the Maharashtra government for the 'sarcastic' tweet.
The Centre on Thursday assured justice will be done to suspended Indian Administrative Service officer Durga Shakti Nagpal, who had clamped down on the mining mafia in Gautam Budh Nagar area of Uttar Pradesh.
Khedkar, a 2023 batch Indian Administrative Service officer, was accused of misusing power and privileges during her training in Pune recently.
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the food licences of several establishments across Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, including an IRCTC-linked supplier and three ISKCON outlets in Juhu, due to severe hygiene and safety violations. This action is part of a state-wide crackdown initiated by FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, targeting issues like pest infestation, improper food handling, inadequate sanitation, and misleading product claims.
Union minister Jitendra Singh on Thursday said states have not been sponsoring adequate number of officers for central deputation which has prompted changes in the service rules.
Tamil Nadu's ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) won bypolls in Madurantakam and Dharapuram, strengthening its minority government. Concurrently, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured emphatic victories in West Bengal's Nandigram and Muslim-majority Rejinagar, consolidating its post-TMC rule position. The BJP also established a significant lead in Assam's Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll, and its ally AINRC retained Thattanchavady in Puducherry.
