DNA THEME: Babudom

Rajasthan is playing it well in the power game.  The state cadre IAS officers have consistently succeeded in getting hold of plum posts in Modi government. Currently, 15 IAS officers from Rajasthan who are on deputation in the central government are at the helm of affairs in various key departments like defence, road, finance, health and even Niti Ayog. 

Rajasthan cadre officers Rajiv Mehrishi and Sunil Arora are holding crucial posts in CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) and Election Commission of India respectively. 

It is a coincidence happened for the first time when both  officers hailed from the same cadre. 

Handing over such important portfolios to Raj cadre IAS officers has previously happened only once. 

In 1990, when Naresh Chandra, Rajasthan cadre IAS, was picked up as cabinet secretary, TN Chaturvedi, another officer from the state, was serving as CAG. Chaturvedi held the constitutional body for six years-1984 to 1990 and later he became the Governor of Kerala and Karnataka. 

Since Modi government came at the Centre, the priority given to Rajasthan cadre IAS officers in important ministries has continued unobstructed. 

What’s of significance is that in the last 4 years, schemes, plans and policies for the country were crafted by the officers of Rajasthan cadre. Arvind Mayaram, Shyam S Agarwal, GS Sandhu, Ashish Bahuguna Sudhir Bhargava, and Lalit K Panwar are few names from the state who were on deputation in the past. 

At present,  Rakesh Shrivastava, Secretary, Woman and Child Development; Subhash Chandra Garg, Secretary, Economic Affairs; Yaduvendra Mathur, Additional Secretary, Niti Ayog; Rohit Kumar Singh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways; Sudhansh Pant, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Rajiv Singh Thakur, Joint secretary, Department of Defence; Tina Soni, Deputy Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat are few among them. 

However, it is also true that the Modi government in December asked all states including Rajasthan to send more officers for central deputation. 

A total of 493 posts out of 1,051 earmarked for IAS officers on central deputation have been filled. 

Long haul: CAG Rajiv Mehrishi

Senior IAS of Rajasthan cadre, Rajiv Mehrishi assumed as Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India in September last year. Mehrishi has been a trusted officer of chief minister Vasundhara Raje during his tenure in Rajasthan and has also earned the trust of Prime Minister Narendra Modi while serving as Finance Secretary to Union government. Modi later appointed him as the Home Secretary just before he was set to retire as the Finance Secretary in 2015. Mehrishi will retain the post of CAG till 2020, the year when he will turn 65. As per rules, the tenure of CAG is for six years or till he turns 65. In Rajasthan, he had served at several important posts including that of Chief Secretary to the government of Rajasthan. 

Linchpin: EC Sunil Arora

Sunil Arora, a Rajasthan cadre officer, assumed the charge of Election Commissioner of India in September last year. The 1980 batch IAS officer from Rajasthan cadre superannuated on April 30, 2016, as Secretary, Information and Broadcasting. Arora, presently the second senior most Election Commissioner will continue till April 2021. As per convention, he will be the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) during 2019 Lok Sabha elections. During 37 years of his long service, he held various crucial positions in Rajasthan and at Centre. He also served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation during 1999-2002 and CMD of Air India.

Top shot

According to sources, Rajasthan cadre IAS officers held the post of cabinet secretary, the top most office of central government, twice in the history. VC Pandey, a Raj cadre officer, served the post in 1989 while the succeeding officer to him was Naresh Chandra, who  also hailed from Rajasthan. Chandra served the top post for two years. 

Raj cadre officers on deputation in Modi govt