Just ahead of his departure for Brazil to attend the Brics Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi carried out his government’s first real reshuffle of the top bureaucracy. The Appointment Committee of Cabinet (ACC) headed by the Prime Minister, with home minister Rajnath Singh as member, cleared 10 files about transfers, additional charges and bringing at least four senior bureaucrats from state cadre to the Centre.
The secretary-level changes include the naming of Rakesh Garg as the new telecom secretary, Sanjay Kothari as the new secretary of the department of personnel and training, and Enforcement Directorate chief Rajan Katoch as the new secretary of the department of heavy industry, among others.
The ACC also approved the Central deputation of Gujarat-cadre Indian Administrative Service officer Hara Krushna Dash as secretary, Inter-State Council Secretariat (ISCS) under ministry of home affairs.
And Vinay Sheel Oberoi, who has done a stint in Paris as India’s permanent representative at United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, has been appointed secretary in the ministry of women and child development.
Clearly, the government wishes to breathe new life into the system with babus it can trust.
Paving the path
Modi sarkar is taking no chances with his high-octane Brics outing. For those wondering about this expedition, it’s worth noting that Sherpa in bureaucratese denotes the personal representative of a head of state who does “ground work” ahead of a summit. For Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Brazil for the Brics Summit, 1980-batch IFS officer Sujata Mehta, the secretary in-charge of economic relations in the ministry of external affairs, was handpicked by foreign secretary Sujata Singh.
Incidentally, Brics meets have also previously featured the secretary economic affairs in the external affairs ministry as Sherpas. Ms Mehta worked with her counterparts from Brics nations on the declaration ahead of Mr Modi’s arrival. Ms Mehta has done stints at the United Nations, worked as joint secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office and is a former ambassador to Spain, among other prestigious assignments.
