Jaipur: The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has promoted four Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) officers to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) cadre. The newly inducted officers, Nitish Sharma, Amita Sharma, Narendra Kumar Manghani, and Naresh Kumar Goyal, have been allotted the 2018 IAS batch year and now await formal posting orders in accordance with their seniority.
These appointments follow the earlier round of promotions on June 30, when 16 RAS officers were promoted and allotted the 2016 batch. With the latest additions, the total number of officers elevated to the IAS from Rajasthan in 2025 has reached 20.
Posting Controversies: Lalit Kumar’s Role Raises Eyebrows
Among the newly inducted officers, Lalit Kumar’s current role as Special Assistant to Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari has drawn administrative scrutiny. According to senior bureaucratic sources, such an assignment is in violation of IAS service rules, which do not permit IAS officers to be appointed as a minister’s private secretary, special assistant, or Officer on Special Duty (OSD).
Officials describe this situation as “improper,” with one calling it “administratively awkward.” The matter is expected to be addressed once formal posting orders are issued.
Revenue Board Appointment Delays Spark Confusion
Another officer, Suresh Chandra, was appointed as a member of the Revenue Board in Ajmer on January 25, but has yet to assume charge. Instead, he continues to serve in the Election Department as an OSD since July 2019, reportedly without being formally relieved. This has created uncertainty over whether his appointment will be counted under the IAS or RAS quota for the Board.
Understaffed Revenue Board Faces Reluctance from Officers
The Revenue Board is currently operating with a depleted staff. It is sanctioned to have five IAS and ten RAS members, but only two IAS officers are presently serving. Even the RAS quota remains underfilled, with only six members in office after Shravan Kumar’s retirement on August 31.
Although two new RAS members, Rajesh Kumar and Rajendra Kaviya, were appointed last month, the reluctance among officers to be posted in Ajmer remains evident. According to sources, many RAS and IAS officers are not keen on serving at the Board, citing location and workload as deterrents.
One Year of Hemant Kumar Gera as Chairman
On September 10, Hemant Kumar Gera completed one year as Chairman of the Revenue Board. Notably, he is the most junior officer ever to be appointed to this prestigious role, having assumed charge on September 11, 2024. Despite his junior status, he has held the position through a complex administrative phase marked by understaffing and internal disputes.
DoPT promotes 20 Rajasthan officers to IAS in 2025, but posting orders face delays amid procedural irregularities and staffing concerns.
