IFS Srikant Verma is a 2015 Batch Officer of Jharkhand cadre and is currently posted as Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand. He is focused on environmental restoration, urban green development and wildlife conservation for which he has taken a series of steps.

Upgrading Forest Infrastructure

One of his key priorities has been been upgrading the ageing British era forest rest houses and inspection bungalows. These structures once poorly maintained, have now been renovated and modernised.The improved facilities not only preserve heritage value but also support eco-tourism and official visits, ensuring that Jharkhand’s forest infrastructure matches its state capital’s importance.“We upgraded these facilities so that visitors to eco-tourism sites, waterfalls and deep forests can feel comfortable.” He quoted

Transforming Hillocks into Urban Forests

Another notable intervention has been the development of an urban forest on a hillock within the city.The land which was once vulnerable to encroachment and anti-social illegal activities was first secured through improved fencing.“When we reviewed the sites in 2022,we found greenery but felt that organised area development could be integrated. Thus, we started working on the concept of Nagar Van or Urban Forest, through convergence of funds from multiple agencies.” He explained

Today, the area includes a walking track used daily by a large number of residents attracting students, families and senior citizens. It is also equipped with solar lighting for safety during evening hours and water harvesting structures to support plantations.What was once an underutilised patch of land is now an accessible green space.

Smriti Van: Community-Led Plantation

To encourage community involvement, a structured memorial plantation initiative was introduced “a Smriti Van… in the memory of people who are not anymore” He shared. Around 120 such structures have been created, where families can plant trees and have names engraved on plaques.The initiative combines emotional remembrance with structured urban greening.

Additionally for recreation and environmental awareness, an open gym has been set up and a Bird Interpretation Centre, nearing completion is also being set up that will showcase migratory and resident bird species of Jharkhand, promoting environmental education and biodiversity awareness.

Wildlife Conservation

Beyond this Verma has also led significant conservation efforts. In June 2025,Ranchi witnessed its first ever tiger rescue operation successfully executed under his supervision. Additionally “efforts to identify and secure elephant migration corridors are also underway, aiming to reduce human wildlife conflict and strengthen habitat connectivity”He shared

IFS Srikant Verma work reflects steady interventions aimed at transforming neglected spaces into vibrant community assets and strengthening wildlife management.

Will B B Gupta be new Director General of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). He  is a 1993 batch IRS (C&CE)  officer. Present DRI Abhai Srvastava has been appointed Member CBIC.

Sanjay Gupta is the only and last Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of 1988 batch serving as Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh.

Prasoon Joshi has become the longest serving Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification, 8 years and counting surpassing Shakti Samanta. He was appointed to this position in August, 2017.

The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) is holding interviews for the post of Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) on February 21, 2026.

Names of two IFS officers, Kaushlendra Kumar and Arun Kumar Pandey, are doing the rounds for Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Chhattisgarh, post. However, sources reveal that chances of IFS Pandey are higher due to good deliverables record so far. The current PCCF, IFS V Srinivas Rao (1990 batch), is due to retire in May 2026. IFS Kaushlendra Kumar and IFS Arun Kumar Pandey are 1992 and 1994 batch officers.

The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is indeed creating significant teething issues for Indian exporters, even post the India-EU FTA signed in January 2026. CBAM imposes carbon levies on imports like steel, aluminium, cement, and fertilisers, with no exemptions under the FTA, forcing Indian firms to submit verified emissions data or face punitive default values that inflate costs by €400-500 per tonne. Key challenges include inadequate emissions monitoring infrastructure among MSMEs, complex supply chain data gaps, and a shortage of EU-accredited verifiers in India, leading to compliance delays and higher expenses. Exports of steel and aluminium to the EU have already dropped 24-35% YoY in early 2026 due to these hurdles, eroding competitiveness despite tariff cuts covering 96.6% of EU goods. The FTA offers technical dialogues, verifier alignment, and future MFN flexibilities, but industry warns of 10% engineering export declines without faster decarbonisation. India pushes for WTO-compliant recognition of its carbon market, yet green protectionism persists.

In a landmark development for India’s indigenous defence manufacturing, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), a subsidiary of the Tata Group, will partner with Dassault Aviation to manufacture Rafale fighter jets in India. The new facility, to be established in Hyderabad, Telangana, will produce the aircraft’s fuselage, marking a major shift towards domestic assembly of advanced combat aircraft. Production is expected to begin in the 2027–28 financial year, positioning India as a potential hub for high-end defence manufacturing. This collaboration not only strengthens the ‘Make in India’ initiative but also enhances the country’s aerospace ecosystem, technology transfer, and skilled employment generation. The partnership underscores growing confidence in India’s capability to produce complex aviation platforms, aligning with the government’s vision of building a self-reliant defence industrial base and reducing dependence on foreign suppliers.

India's Ambassador to France, Sanjeev Kumar Singla, has been tasked with a special mandate amid intensifying diplomatic engagements over a major Rafale deal. As New Delhi eyes a bulk procurement of the advanced fighter jets, Singla's role underscores Paris' proactive involvement in sealing the agreement.Expectations are high for an MoU signing during French President Emmanuel Macron's upcoming visit to India, building on prior Rafale successes. This development aligns with Macron's Delhi visit and meeting with PM Mkdi, to bolster defense ties. The deal bolsters India's air superiority amid regional threats, with France pushing offsets, tech transfers, and joint production. Singla, a 1997-batch IFS officer with prior Israel stints, coordinates from Paris. Bilateral defense trade has surged, reflecting strategic convergence on Indo-Pacific security.This move signals deepening Franco-Indian partnership, potentially worth billions, as both sides accelerate negotiations for swift delivery.

Rajiv Kumar Sharma, AGM, BHEL, has been appointed as Director (Finance), Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL).

Trending news highlights young PhDs in India walking away from university careers due to financial pressures and limited opportunities, despite NEP 2020 ambitions.

No Joint Secretary level empanelment belonging to 2010 batch IAS officers has been made from Nagaland cadre.

The HRDP SIMANA project under HDFC Bank CSR met Jitendra Singh Raje, IAS, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Urban Development & Housing Department, to discuss collaborations for community-centric development. This signals new initiatives in sustainable growth, potentially involving IAS deputations.

The government released draft rules to replace the 1962 framework, effective from April 1, 2026. Key changes include strengthening PAN usage in financial transactions, revised reporting thresholds, higher House Rent Allowance (HRA) exemptions for metros, more tax-free employee benefits, tighter insurance norms, and stricter reporting for crypto exchanges. The Income Tax Department plans to notify updated return forms by early March 2026, with some changes (e.g., data sharing) deferred. This initiative aims to streamline compliance and reduce litigation.

The Border Security Force (BSF) approved a cadre review for its ministerial staff, sanctioning a total of 4,497 posts. This includes the creation of 21 new Deputy Commandant positions for the first time and a reduction of 143 Havaldar posts. This restructuring aims to enhance administrative efficiency and career progression within BSF’s non-combatant cadre.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued a draft circular proposing tighter rules on how lenders advertise, market, and sell financial products. This targets mis-selling, deceptive tactics, “dark patterns” in advertising, customer consent, product bundling, and third-party roles. Feedback is invited until March 4, 2026, with implementation from July 2026. This follows RBI’s monetary policy review and aims to enhance consumer protection in PSBs and the broader sector.

Ministry of Coal has advertised seven posts of  Assistant Coal Superintendent for Coal Controller’s Organisation.The vacancies are one each of Dhanbad, Kolkata and Kothegudem and four for Delhi on deputation basis. Details can be availed from the ministry's website.

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has invited nominations  for appointment of IFS officers in National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (National Authority, CAMPA) at level of Assistant Inspector General of Forests (AIGF) on deputation basis. Applications must reach latest by February 27, 2026.

Arundhaty Ghosh, Ashok Kumar Garg and P V Rao have been empanelled for appointments as IEMs. All are from Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC).

Dr Ved Prakash and Indu Shekhar Jha have been empanelled for appointments as IEMs. Both are from Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT).

B Ravichandran has been empanelled for appointment as IEM. He is a 1984 batch IRS officer and retired as Member, Customs, Excise & Service Tax Appellate Tribunal.

Balbir Singh Sandhu has been empanelled for appointment as IEM. He is a 1978 batch officer and retired as DG of Supplier & Transport, M/o Defence.

Bharathi Sivaswami Sihag has been empanelled for appointment as IEM. She is a 1983 batch IAS officer and retired as Secretary, D/o Fertilizers.

World Bank is seeking Senior Risk Officer for Washington, DC, United States. Applications must reach latest by February 26, 2026.

Last date to apply for Deputy Chief Signal Telecommunication Engineer, Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Limited (MRVCL) post on deputation basis has been extended. Revised date is March 15, 2026.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is seeking Consultant for Policy Planning and Research (PP&R) Division. Applications must reach latest by March 3, 2026.

Last date to apply for the post of Assistant Advisor (Information Technology) and Assistant Advisor (Communications) in National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on deputation basis has been extended. The revised date is March 6, 2026.

In a major reshuffle, as many as 36 IAS officers have been given new responsibilities in Delhi. Bipul Pathak has been given additional charge of ACS (SC/ST/OBC), while Sandeep Kumar has been relieved of additional charge of PS, Home and PS, IT and Santosh D Vaidya, PS, Home, will also hold charge of PS, Finance, PS, Industries and Chairman, DSIIDC. Similarly, Nikhil Kumar is posted as Commissioner, Trade & Taxes; Neeraj Semwal is relieved of additional charge of Secretary, Land & Building; Ms Padma Jaiswal joins as Special Secretary, AR; Pandurang K Pole will be posted as Secretary, GAD with additional charge of Secretary-cum-Commissioner, Labour and Secretary, Cooperation; Vijay Kumar Bidhuri gets additional charge of Chairman, DPCC; Rupesh Kumar Thakur was appointed as Secretary, H&FW with additional charge of CEO, DUSIB; Yashpal Garg as Secretary, Planning with additional charge of Secretary, Land & Building; Sanjeev Ahuja as Secretary, Education, with  additional charge of Secretary, Higher Education & TTE; Jitender Yadav gets additional charge of Secretary, IT; Niraj Kumar as Special Secretary, SC/ST/OBC; Sanjeev Kumar Mittal as Addl Commissioner, MCD; B S Jaglan as Addl Commissioner, MCD; Dr S S Dursawat as Addl Commissioner, MCD; Aman Gupta as Member, Finance, Delhi Jal Board; Rahul Singh as Secretary, NDMC; Suneel Anchipaka as MD & CEO, DT&TDC with addl charge of Special Secretary, PWD; Santosh Kumar Rai as Special Commissioner, Trade & Taxes with addl charge of Special CEO, DDMA; Ms Swetika Sachan as Member Admn, Delhi Jal Board; Ms Angel Bhati as Director, Higher Education, with addl charge of Special Development Commissioner and Special Secretary, H&FW; Ms Saloni Rai as Deputy Commissioner/DM (North); Sunny Kumar Singh was assigned addl charge of Special Secretary, Power and MD, IPGCL/PPCL; Hari Kallikkat takes charge as Deputy Commissioner/DM, West with addl charge of CVO, DSIIDC and Wairokpam Singh, Ms Kanika and Raghvendra Meena have been appointed as Deputy Commissioner, MCD.

As many as 36 DANICS officers have been shifted in Delhi in major reshuffle. M T Kom has been appointed as Member, DSSSB, while Pranjal J Hazarika is Special Director, Woman & Child Development and N K Singh will join as Special Director, Social Welfare. Similarly, Tanvir Ahmed, Deputy Commissioner, Excise, will also hold charge of CEO, Delhi Waqf Board; Rahul Agrawal is relieved of additional charge of ADM, Central North and given  additional charge of ADM, North, Revenue; Sudhakar is postedas ADM, South; Rahul Saini as GM, DSCSC; Anuj Kumar Bharti as Deputy Director, Education; A K Jha as SDM, Narela; Piyush Mohanty as SDM, New Delhi; Himanshu Yadav as SDM (HQ) (Divisional Commissioner Office); Sunabh Singh as SDM, Najafgarh; Vijay Kumar Jain as UTCS; Dr Rahul Rathod as SDM, Mehrauli; Ms Sapna Priya as SDM, Karol Bagh; Abhishek Gulia as SDM, Karawal Nagar; Ashish Joon as SDM, Rohini; Vikram Singh as SDM, Nanglori Jat; Jatinder Sohal as SDM. Yamuna Vihar; Ms Ruchi Jain as SDM, Bijwasan; Rajesh Joshi as UTCS; Pawan Saini and Anil Kumar as DRCS; Pawan Chopra as Deputy Secretary, PWD; Ashwani Kumar as Superintendent, Prison; K N Jha as DMS, GTB Hospital; Manoj Kumar as SDM, Shakur Basti; Amit Kumar as SDM, Badhi; Ved Prakash Meena as SDM, Kalkaji and Santosh Kumar, R S Meena and Prakash Chandra Sahoo will be posted as DSSSB.

Six IPS officers have been given new postings in W Bengal. Rajeev Mishra has been posted as ADG & IGP, South Bengal, while Laxmi Narayan Meena is now ADG & IGP, CID and Mukesh was made IGP, IB. Similarly, Syed Waquar Raza was appointed as DIG, Murshidabad Range; Amarnath K as SP, Jalpaiguri and V V Raghuvashmi was given charge as SP, Krishnanagar PD.

Navas Meeran has been appointed as Managing Director of Eastern Treads Limited.

Kaustubh Agarwal has been re-designated from Additional Whole Time Director to Additional Managing Director of SAL Steel Limited.

Dhanik Jayeshkumar Mehta has been appointed as Additional Non-Executive Independent Director of Yash Chemex Limited.

Ms Lalitha Raghuram has been appointed as Non-Executive Director of Nagarjuna Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited.

Ms Shilpi Varshney has been appointed as Independent Director of Nagarjuna Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited.

Harikrishnan Rajabhushanan Nair has been re-appointed as Independent Non-Executive Director of Adtech Systems Limited with effect from March 31, 2026.

Dr M Ayyappan has been re-appointed as Independent Non-Executive Director of Adtech Systems Limited with effect from March 31, 2026.

 

Suresh T. Viswanathan has been re-appointed as Independent Non-Executive Director of Adtech Systems Limited with effect from March 31, 2026.

Ashok Kumar Shukla has been appointed as Whole-time Director of Tamilnadu Steel Tubes Limited.

N. Sudharsan has resigned from the Board of Tamilnadu Steel Tubes Limited.

Mrs Sherry Mac has resigned from the position of Non-Executive Woman Independent Director of Simran Farms Limited.

Ms Shilpa Bung has resigned as Non-Executive Independent Woman Director of Gennex Laboratories Limited.

ME Mohamed has ceased to be Managing Director of Eastern Treads Limited upon completion of his tenure.

Bank Transfers

Transfers are being given as punishments .HR deptt has simply no role in transfer policies . Family , work life balance is to be left behind if you are in banking sector.

Ashisha

Bank Transfers

Postings should be done within his(employee) home state and nearby homes to curb down expenditure and unnecessary traveling expenses and wastage of precious time of everyone. 

Rajesh Chander Rampal 

“Opposition Vs the Speaker”

Both houses of Parliament were adjourned  for recess in the ongoing budget session to  reassemble on 9th March 2026.Watching Lok Sabha proceedings live this time was disgusting; simply irritating with repeated walk-outs and frequent adjournments. 

The onus to run the house efficiently and smoothly with the cooperation of the opposition and the ruling dispensation,surely, lies on the Speaker.Viewed from opposition’s perspective, the Speaker’s  conduct was considered partisan.For the Speaker’s action in suspending eight Congress MPs for the rest of the session and then advising the PM against attending the proceedings, based on some “credible information” that Congress MPs would create an “unprecedented incident” after reaching PM’s seat.Could all this not have been avoided? 

Going further,the opposition moving the no-confidence motion gainst the Speaker,despite lack of requisite numbers to carry it through,betrays their frustration. The Parliamentary democracy became the ultimate casualty in the process  resulting in avoidable waste of public exchequer. Could the law-makers not introspect and arrive at consensus on taking steps to promote healthy debate in the Parliament?As citizens,we need to ask where we can go from here! 

A K Saxena (Former civil servant)

Show cause notice to the Bar Council of India for vague and evasive reply

Through four different RTI applications, the complainant sought different information from Bar Council of India such as the Audited accounts of the last 5 years of BCI, Compliance of section 4(1) of the RTI Act, the minutes of meeting of the Trustees, copy of the Income/Expenditure & Balance sheet, copy of the Bar Council of India Pearl Trust, Copies of the inspection report, Minutes of the meeting of the Legal Education Committee of the Bar Council of India etc. The CIC noted the vague reply and delay in responding to the RTI application and directed the PIO to submit a suitable explanation as to why no action should be initiated for the variations in their stance. In the other complaint, a notice was issued why action should be initiated for the vague and evasive reply which has not even been submitted before the CIC. Further in another complaint, the CIC issued a show cause notice Mr. Anil Kumar, PIO, BCI why penalty should not be levied upon him under Section 20(1) of the RTI Act for not furnishing any response.

Comments

The Bar Council of India (BCI) is a statutory body established by the Parliament under the Advocates Act, 1961 to regulate and represent the Indian Bar. The BCI prescribes the standards of professional conduct and etiquettes and also set standards for legal education. If such a premier body fumbles in implementing section 4 of the RTI Act and is served a SCN for imposing penalty, the legal profession is in for a rude shock.

Citation: Girish Mittal v. Bar Council of India, CIC/BCOIN/A/2024/645329 + /652361 + /652362 + /652360: Date of Decision: 08.12.2025

Dr Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is a RTI Consultant currently working with IIM Vishakhapatnam. She has co-authored the books PIO’s Guide to RTI and Right to Information – Law and Practice. Her weekly article is being published since 2008 on this site. She offers consultancy on RTI matters and third party audit to individuals / organisations. Her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation at the link https://www.rtifoundationofindia.com

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