Mr. Rajesh Kumar Singh, a 1991-batch Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS officer currently serving as Principal Secretary in the Home Guards Department, may face a further delay in his elevation to the rank of Additional Chief Secretary (ACS).
The setback stems from his earlier removal from the Jail Administration and Reforms Department and the Cooperative Department, following a sharp rebuke from the Supreme Court on September 6, 2024. The apex court had criticized the Uttar Pradesh government over delays in the processing of pardon pleas for convicts, noting that the file had remained pending with Mr. Singh, who was then the responsible officer. The court expressed displeasure, stating it had been misled in the matter and issued a stern warning, asserting it would not tolerate IAS officers altering their stance to suit convenience or misrepresenting facts to the judiciary.
In the aftermath, Mr. Singh was placed on the waiting list and later appointed as Principal Secretary, Home Guards on January 2, 2025.
While Mr. Singh’s promotion remains uncertain, four other IAS officers—two from the 1991 batch and two from the 1992 batch—were recently elevated to the ACS rank. These include Mr. Lakko Venkateshwarlu and Mr. B.L. Meena from the 1991 batch, and Mr. Narendra Bhooshan and Mr. Anurag Srivastava from the 1992 batch.
