Dilip Cherian | Centre extends envoy's tenure ahead of WTO meeting in Feb

In a move that has drawn attention and speculation, the Centre recently extended the tenure of Brajendra Navnit, a 1999-batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, currently serving as ambassador and permanent representative of India to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva.

This extension comes ahead of the crucial 13th ministerial conference of the WTO in February 2024, where India is set to play a significant role in supporting developing countries facing food security crises and advocating for an extension of the global intellectual property rights (IPR) waiver to Covid therapeutics and diagnostics.

Mr Navnit, who previously served as joint secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), was assigned the pivotal foreign posting in Geneva in June 2020, alongside Rajeev Topno’s posting in Washington, DC. The decision to extend Mr Navnit’s tenure shows the government’s confidence in his expertise in navigating complex international negotiations. India is pushing for flexibility to aid developing countries in subsidising farmers beyond the minimal amounts allowed at the WTO. Mr Navnit’s diplomatic acumen will be invaluable in ensuring India’s interests are well represented on the global stage.

Next year’s WTO ministerial conference holds significant importance, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. India’s stance towards promoting affordable access to life-saving treatments for developing nations has won a great deal of support, thanks in no small measure to Mr Navnit’s efforts.

Comedy of errors: Haryana’s babu quandary

It’s been 16 long years since the urban development department in Haryana transformed, becoming the urban local bodies department. Yet, astonishingly, the state municipal law still fails to reflect this change in the nomenclature of the director’s position. A recent letter from Hemant Kumar, a lawyer, brought this oversight to the attention of the Haryana government. He pointed out that Section 2(9) of the Haryana Municipal Act, 1973, continues to define the director as the director of the urban development department, rather than the urban local bodies department (ULB).

Consequently, the director of the urban development department, Haryana, holds the statutory authority to exercise powers and fulfil duties as outlined in the Act. This legal discrepancy raises serious questions about the appropriate allocation of responsibilities within the department.

To add to the confusion, two months ago, Yash Pal, a 2011 batch IAS officer from the state cadre, was appointed as the director and special secretary of the urban local bodies department. At the time, his appointment raised eyebrows, since three senior IAS officers — P.C. Meena, Jitendra Kumar and Anju Choudhary — are serving as commissioners of municipal corporations under the urban local bodies department. Placing a junior officer in a higher position call into question the principles of seniority and expertise.

Interestingly, PC Meena, currently commissioner of the municipal corporation of Gurugram, is ranked as a secretary in the super time scale of IAS. This prompts the question of whether a secretary-ranked IAS officer can be placed under a special secretary-ranked officer. Furthermore, the present administrative secretary of the ULB department Vikas Gupta also holds the rank of secretary, on par with Meena. It’s pointed out that the previous director of the ULB department, D.K. Behera, had to be transferred in April because Gupta got appointed as commissioner and secretary of the department. Since both Gupta and Behera are of secretary rank, one cannot be posted as commissioner and secretary while the other as director-general in the same department.   

The unresolved dilemma in Haryana is another glaring example of babu inefficiency and shortcomings. Clearly, the Manohar Lal Khattar sarkar needs to prioritise organisational reforms, streamline the decision-making process, and uphold the lofty principles of transparency, meritocracy and adherence to rules.

Kerala may see major IPS rejig

The recent major reshuffle of IAS officers in Kerala, with the appointment of V. Venu, a 1990-batch IAS officer, as the new chief secretary, has set the stage for an anticipated revamp of the state’s police force. Following the retirements of several senior police officers, including those holding director general (DG) rank, the Pinarayi Vijayan government has recently appointed Dr Shaik Darvesh as the new director general of police (DGP). This development signals an imminent reshuffle of senior IPS officers, sources have informed DKB.

In May, Kerala bid farewell to two DG-level officers, B. Sandhya and S. Anandakrishnan, while Darvesh’s predecessor also retired. Tomin Thachankary, another DG-level officer, will retire this month. The elevation of Shaik Darvesh marks the third consecutive time the state has appointed a non-Kerala officer as its police chief, hailing from Andhra Pradesh. His predecessors Anil Kant and Loknath Behera also brought valuable experiences from outside the state.

This imminent reshuffle is an opportunity for the state government to inject new energy into the police force. By strategically reassigning IPS officers, it can capitalize on their diverse experiences and foster a more dynamic and effective police system.