Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has transferred 19 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, assigning them as Joint Magistrates in new districts across the state. The reshuffle, ordered by the Department of Appointment and Personnel, marks a significant update in field-level postings and aims to bolster district administration with fresh leadership.
All officers were previously working in various districts as Assistant Collectors, and will now take up more independent responsibilities in their newly assigned regions.
Fresh Postings Across Key Districts
As part of the transfer order, several IAS probationers from the 2022 and 2023 batches have been reassigned:
- Ishita Kishore: Jaunpur → Bareilly
- Smriti Mishra: Kannauj → Bijnor
- Swati Sharma: Ayodhya → Agra
- Shishir Kumar Singh: Gorakhpur → Aligarh
- Vaishali: Sultanpur → Kannauj
- Gunjita Agarwal: Lucknow → Barabanki
- Nitin Singh: Sitapur → Varanasi
- Anubhav Singh: Prayagraj → Kanpur Nagar
- Sai Ashrit Shakhamuri: Varanasi → Budaun
- Narayani Bhatia: Meerut → Hardoi
- Mahendra Singh: Farrukhabad → Mirzapur
- Chaluvaraj R.: Muzaffarnagar → Lakhimpur Kheri
- Kavya C.: Barabanki → Etawah
- Deepak Singhanwal: Jhansi → Ghaziabad
- Sahil Kumar: Aligarh → Lucknow
- Pratiksha Singh: Meerut → Ambedkar Nagar
- Dhamini M. Das: Muzaffarnagar → Sitapur
- Rinku Singh Rahi: Mathura → Shahjahanpur
- Bharti Meena: Appointed as Joint Magistrate in Prayagraj (no change in location)
This batch of transfers is being seen as part of the Yogi government’s push for responsive, accountable governance across all tiers of administration.
Fatehpur SDM Suspended for Procedural Lapses
In a disciplinary move, the state has suspended Archana Agnihotri, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Fatehpur, citing negligence and procedural violations during an illegal eviction case in Baramatpur village.
The SDM allegedly failed to physically inspect the site before eviction was carried out by the tehsil administration in violation of standard protocol. The suspension order accuses her of dereliction of duty, lack of field supervision, and careless discharge of administrative responsibilities.
She has been placed under suspension under Rule 4 of the UP Government Servant (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1999, and attached to the Revenue Board pending inquiry. The investigation has been assigned to the Commissioner of Lucknow Division.
Why It Matters
The transfer of young officers to critical field posts reflects the state’s emphasis on cadre rotation, early leadership exposure, and administrative accountability. At the same time, the disciplinary action highlights the government’s tough stance on procedural irregularities at the grassroots level.