Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, set to retire next month, plans to spend several months in solitude in the Himalayas. He also expressed a desire to teach underprivileged children, recalling his own humble beginnings. Kumar's tenure as CEC saw him oversee landmark elections, including the 16th Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections in 2022 and assembly elections in 11 states.
After HPCL, the government headhunter struggled to find a suitable candidate for the top job at Bharat Petroleum, as most applicants were narrow specialists lacking multidisciplinary experience needed to run a large organisation. The Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB) last month interviewed a dozen candidates including BPCL director (finance) Vetsa Ramakrishna Gupta and its director (refineries) S Khanna but found none suitable for the job of chairman and managing director of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), according to a PESB order.
Rajiv Kumar, the 25th chief election commissioner of India, has demitted office after a nearly three-year tenure marked by both electoral successes and allegations of bias from opposition parties. Kumar oversaw the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls, among other major elections. During his tenure, he implemented reforms across various aspects of the Election Commission's functioning, including structural, technological, capacity development, communication, international cooperation, and administration. However, he faced criticism from opposition parties and activists on several issues, including the efficacy of Electronic Voting Machines, alleged fudging of voter data, and being "lenient" on the ruling BJP. While the Commission responded to the allegations, Kumar often defended himself and the poll authority through poetry. In his farewell address, Kumar expressed concerns about the timing of petitions raising doubts over poll processes and the impact of freebie promises on the fiscal health of the state. He also criticized the practice of showing early trends on counting day by news channels, calling it "nonsense". Kumar's tenure was marked by numerous controversies, with opposition parties and activists alleging bias and irregularities. While the Election Commission defended its actions, the allegations cast a shadow over his time in office.
Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar was on Thursday appointed as the next chief election commissioner.
The agency had received Rs 946.51 crore to manage its affairs in the Budget Estimates for 2023-24, which was later increased to Rs 968.86 crore in the Revised Estimates.
The Centre is looking to continue maintaining an arms length in financial sector appointments.
Senior bureaucrats Avinash Joshi and Niraj Verma are among the 10 candidates who are in the race to become chairman and managing director of India's largest oil and gas producer, ONGC. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) director-finance Pomila Jaspal and ONGC director for technology and field services Om Prakash Singh are the other prominent names in fray for the top job, according to a candidate shortlist by the Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB). PESB - the government headhunter - will hold interviews to select the new head of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) this week. Both the bureaucrats are from the 1994 batch of IAS officers belonging to the Assam-Meghalaya cadre.
Management to be restructured to monitor integration of erstwhile Indian Airlines and Air India.
Alka Mittal has been appointed interim chairman and managing director of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) - the first woman to head the country's largest oil and gas producer. Mittal replaces Subhash Kumar, another interim head who retired after reaching superannuation age on December 31. "The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for entrustment of additional charge of the post of chairman and managing director (CMD), ONGC to Alka Mittal, director (HR), ONGC for a period of six months with effect from January 1, 2022, or till the appointment of a regular incumbent to the post, or until further order, whichever is the earliest," the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said in an order dated January 3, 2022.
Vasudeva, 57, is currently director (offshore) in ONGC.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee gave the Business Today Best CFO in the Public Sector Award to Sarraf, ONGC said.
Sources said government headhunters Public Enterprise Selection Board had on September 29 last year, named Butola as its most preferred choice to head the nation's largest oil firm.
Rajiv Kumar is a retired IAS officer of 1984 batch of Jharkhand cadre.
ONGC Videsh Managing Director Ranbir Singh Butola was selected to head Indian Oil Corp, the nation's largest refining and fuel marketing firm.
Public Enterprise Selection Board will interview Ravi Narayan Bastia, the man who discovered India's biggest gas field, and nine others who have applied for the top job for the at ONGC, on October 19, official sources said.
Eighteen candidates from state-owned companies have applied for the post of chairman and managing director of the country's largest gas marketer, GAIL India, nine months before the incumbent retires.
The government on Wednesday decided to allow private sector employees to apply for top management jobs in PSU companies like Indian Oil, NTPC and SAIL.Private sector executives who meet the eligibility criteria for top-level management positions for which the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) conducts selections, will be considered as "non-internal" candidates. Most board-level appointments in PSUs have a five-year tenure.
The Public Enterprises Selection Board, which advises and helps government in selection of board members at public sector firms, has started the recruitment process for at least 27 board positions of various PSEs, a number of which have already fallen vacant. Among the Chairman or CMD level vacancies, for which applications are being sought, the positions of HAL Chairman and CMDs at HSL, ECIL, MSTC, STC and BEL would fall vacant between April-June next year.
Kumar said the Commission will follow the time-tested methods of consultations and consensus building in bringing about any reforms and will not shy away from tough decisions, according to an Election Commission (EC) statement.
Executives from private companies such as Shell and Blackstone are likely to be invited for interviews for the post of chairman and managing director of state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.
Government headhunter PESB on Friday did not find anyone suitable from nine candidates, including two serving IAS officers, to head India's largest oil and gas producer, ONGC. The Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB) interviewed 9 out of the 10 candidates who had applied for the post of chairman and managing director of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). "Keeping in view the strategic importance and vision for the company and its future, the Board did not recommend any candidate and decided to constitute a Search Committee," PESB said in a notice after interviews. Those interviewed included senior bureaucrats Avinash Joshi and Niraj Verma.
Excerpts from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's speech at the release of the book The Indian CEO: A Portrait of Excellence on July 18 in New Delhi.
Earlier this year, the Union Cabinet gave the management of state-run companies the freedom to decide on divesting their subsidiaries. However, the very next day a meeting was held at the top level of the Government of India, for the presentation of proposals for more autonomy for state-run companies. Interestingly, no chiefs of any of these companies were invited. It is a problem that will stare the government in the face with the state-owned banks too, as talks have again begun for inviting strategic investments in these companies.
Dynamic manager and financial wizard R S Sharma will be the new chairman and managing director of India's most valuable company, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.
UB Group chairman and Rajya Sabha member Vijay Mallya and Air Sahara chief executive officer U K Bose were on Monday honoured with the Distinguished Fellow Award, 2003.
Government headhunters Public Enterprise Selection Board selected Srinivasan after interviewing 11 candidates at its office in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The post of the chief of the Central Vigilance Commission, the country's anti-corruption watchdog, was lying vacant since June last year after K V Chowdary completed his tenure.
It is rare for Cabinet ministers to tick off state-owned companies publicly, yet that was what then petroleum and natural gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan did for ONGC. Speaking at an event on June 29, Pradhan said he has asked India's premier exploration company to find fresh oil acreages fast. "Do it yourself through some joint venture (or) through a new business model. But the government cannot permit you to hold resources for an indefinite time." The reason for this stricture is India's rising dependence on imported oil and gas. Or, to put it another way, falling domestic production (see chart: "Crude truth"), especially from ONGC, which faces a simple problem.
Modi is believed to have signed on Ashok's appointment file before he left for Brazil to attend BRICS Summit, an oil ministry official said in New Delhi.
Older workers are headed for the VRS exit in larger-than-expected numbers even as unrest stirs over unrevised wage settlements.
Besides PESB selected chairman designate B Ashok (currently Executive Director retail sales in IOC) having no board experience, the case for extending Butola's service is more compelling because all the other six directors on board of the nation's largest oil firm are retiring in next one year.
The Finance Ministry is considering a proposal to rope in professionals from the private sector for appointment of chairman and CEO-cum-managing director in state-owned financial institutions as it looks for talent from a wider pool of applicants.
The Public Enterprises Selection Board, which is the government head-hunter, interviewed seven candidates for the post, which fell vacant after Dinesh K Sarraf was elevated as Chairman and Managing Director of ONGC.
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The newly appointed CMD at Coal India has a tough road ahead.
Important appointments at these companies have been stuck for long
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved appointment of Sarraf, who at present is Managing Director of ONGC's overseas arm, ONGC Videsh Ltd.
The entire selection process of the IOC chairman was shrouded in mediocrity and mystery.
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