Jaipur: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) selection committee meeting for promotion of Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) officers to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) was held at the Rajasthan Secretariat in Jaipur, instead of the UPSC headquarters in Delhi.
The meeting, held following efforts by Rajasthan Chief Secretary V. Srinivas, finalised the names of 15 RAS officersfor promotion against 18 IAS vacancies.
Of the 15 officers cleared, 12 belong to the 1998 batch, while three are from the 1999 batch.
The remaining three positions have been kept in a separate category because of sealed-cover cases relating to three officers from an earlier selection process.
15 RAS Officers Cleared for IAS Promotion
The selection committee cleared 15 officers for promotion to the IAS.
The 1998-batch officers whose names were finalised are:
- Meghna Chaudhary
- Om Prakash Jain
- Rajesh Singh
- Mukesh Kumar Sharma
- Mahendra Kumar Sharma
- Anju Rajpal
- Vivek Kumar
- Madanlal Nehra
- Dinesh Kumar Jangid
- Poonam Prasad Sagar
- Ummed Singh
- Mahavir Kharadi
Three officers from the 1999 batch were also cleared:
- Dr Bhāgchand Badhal
- Aslam Sher Khan
- Narendra Kumar Bansal
Thus, a total of 15 RAS officers — 12 from the 1998 batch and three from the 1999 batch — have been cleared in the latest selection process.
Three Vacancies Kept Aside Due to Sealed-Cover Cases
While there were 18 IAS vacancies available for promotion, the selection committee finalised 15 names.
The remaining three positions have been kept in a separate category because of sealed-cover cases concerning three officers from an earlier selection process.
The sealed covers relating to Arun Prakash Sharma, Ramswaroop and Gopal Ram Birda were not opened during the meeting.
Their cases will continue to remain under the sealed-cover procedure, and a decision on these positions will be taken subsequently at the UPSC level.
Therefore, the latest meeting does not amount to a final disposal of the three sealed-cover cases. The three remaining vacancies continue to be linked to the outcome of those cases.
UPSC Board Meeting Held at Rajasthan Secretariat
The venue of the meeting was also notable.
Instead of being conducted at the UPSC headquarters in New Delhi, the selection committee meeting was held at the Rajasthan Secretariat in Jaipur.
The meeting was seen as a significant administrative development, particularly because selection committee proceedings for promotion to the IAS are ordinarily associated with the UPSC’s process at the Centre.
The meeting in Jaipur followed efforts by Rajasthan Chief Secretary V. Srinivas to facilitate the process in the state.
Who Attended the Selection Committee Meeting?
The meeting was chaired by UPSC member Suman Sharma.
The Centre was represented on the committee by Nidhi Pandey and Sandeep Namdev.
Additional Chief Secretary Abhay Kumar participated as an independent nominated member.
From the Rajasthan government, Chief Secretary V. Srinivas and Personnel Secretary Archana Singh attended the meeting. Abhay Kumar also participated as a nominated member.
The participation of representatives from the Union government, UPSC and Rajasthan government enabled the selection committee to consider the eligible RAS officers for induction into the IAS.
12 Officers From 1998 Batch, 3 From 1999 Batch
The latest selection process covers officers from two batches of the Rajasthan Administrative Service.
The larger share of recommendations came from the 1998 batch, with 12 officers cleared.
The 1999 batch accounted for the remaining three selections.
The batch-wise breakup is:
- 1998 Batch: 12 RAS officers cleared for IAS promotion
- 1999 Batch: 3 RAS officers cleared for IAS promotion
- Total: 15 officers cleared against 18 IAS vacancies
- Remaining: 3 vacancies kept separately due to sealed-cover cases
The three remaining vacancies are associated with the sealed-cover cases and have not been filled through the latest selection.
What Happens Next?
The proceedings of the selection committee meeting will first be approved at the UPSC level.
Following the UPSC’s approval, the file will be sent to the Rajasthan government for the next stage of the process.
After approval by the state government, the file will move to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
The DoPT will then issue the final orders relating to the promotion of the selected officers to the IAS.
Thus, although the selection committee has finalised the 15 names, the process is not complete until the prescribed approvals and formal orders are issued.
Three Sealed-Cover Cases to Be Decided Later
The three officers whose cases remain under sealed cover are Arun Prakash Sharma, Ramswaroop and Gopal Ram Birda.
Their sealed covers were not opened during the Jaipur meeting and have been retained as they were.
The three vacancies connected with these cases will therefore remain separate from the 15 names cleared in the latest selection process.
A decision regarding these cases will be taken later at the UPSC level, based on the applicable procedure.
Jaipur Meeting Marks a Significant Administrative Development
The decision to conduct the UPSC selection committee meeting at the Rajasthan Secretariat in Jaipur, rather than in Delhi, adds another significant aspect to the latest IAS promotion process.
For the Rajasthan government, the meeting has resulted in the clearance of 15 RAS officers for induction into the IAS, subject to completion of the remaining formalities.
The proceedings now move to the approval stage at UPSC, followed by the state government and subsequently DoPT for issuance of the final promotion orders.
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