Senior IAS officer V Srinivas, from the 1989 batch, is poised to become the next Chief Secretary. The central government on Friday evening returned his services to the state government, paving the way for his appointment. Srinivas currently serves as the Secretary for the Department of Administrative. Reforms, Public Grievances, and Pensions & Pensioners' Welfare at the central level. The state government had sent a proposal for his name just a day prior, following which the Central Department of Personnel and Training issued orders to relieve him, while the state government can now issue the order for his appointment as Chief Secretary at any moment.
Sudhansh Pant's Early Relief
Preparations are underway to relieve current Chief Secretary Sudhansh Pant from the state to the center sooner than expected. The central government has appointed Sudhansh Pant as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Cabinet Secretariat until he assumes the position of Secretary, Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, while the incumbent Secretary of the ministry, Amit Yadav, is scheduled to retire on November 30. Sudhansh Pant is expected to take over his role. Due to the position not being vacant until November 30, Sudhansh Pant has been given a temporary responsibility as OSD in the Central Cabinet Secretariat. Initially, it was believed that Sudhansh Pant would be relieved from the Chief Secretary post by November 29 or 30, but with the latest orders, it's now certain that he can be relieved at any time, while the process for appointing the new Chief Secretary has commenced even before Sudhansh Pant's relief on November 30.
Seniority and Retirement
Among IAS officers, V Srinivas is the second most senior after Subodh Agarwal. Subodh Agarwal, the sole IAS officer from the 1988 batch, is retiring in December. After December, V Srinivas will become the most senior IAS officer in the state. If he's appointed Chief Secretary, there will be no need to transfer any other senior officer out of the secretariat. Administrative tradition dictates that officers senior to the Chief Secretary. Aren't kept in the secretariat and must be moved out. V Srinivas is scheduled to retire in September 2026. If appointed Chief Secretary, he would serve for only 10 months. However, the government has the option of granting extensions. The central government can provide two six-month extensions, a practice. That has been followed for several Chief Secretaries in the past.
Extensive Experience in Key Positions
V Srinivas boasts a long and diverse career. He's also related to former Prime Minister P, while v. Narasimha Rao, with his wife being Rao's granddaughter. Srinivas has held significant positions throughout his career. During the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he served as the Private Secretary to the then Foreign Minister and Finance Minister Jaswant Singh. Subsequently, he was a Technical Assistant to India's Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington.
Early State Service and Central Deputation
Srinivas began his IAS career in 1989 as SDO Bhilwara. He later served as SDO Nimbahera. From 1995 to 1998, he played a crucial role as Director of the Watershed Development and Soil Conservation Department. He has also served as Collector in important districts like Pali and Jodhpur. Srinivas was Collector of Pali from December 30, 1997, to March 23, 1999, and Collector of Jodhpur from March 20, 1999, to December 30, 1999. Following this, he served as Deputy Secretary in the Finance Department from October 28, 1999, to July 7, 2000. More than half of his 35 years of service have been spent with the central government. He has been on central deputation for a total of 17 years, with 14 years in Delhi and 3 years at the IMF.
Long Tenure on Central Deputation
Srinivas's first central deputation was from 2000 to 2006. From July 5, 2000, to February 7, 2001, he served as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum. Subsequently, from February 6, 2001, to September 6, 2003, he worked as Private Secretary to the then Foreign Minister and Finance Minister. From September 2, 2003, to October 6, 2006, he was a Technical Assistant to India's Executive Director at the IMF, Washington D. C, while after serving four years with the state government, he returned to central deputation in 2010. On March 19, 2010, he became Joint Secretary in the Union. Ministry of Textiles, a position he held until August 20, 2013. From August 19, 2013, to December 16, 2014, he served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, and from December 8, 2014, to March 21, 2017, he was Deputy Director of AIIMS Delhi. He has been continuously on central deputation since 2018, which highlights his extensive administrative experience.
