IAS Ashok Khemka, IIT graduate, retires after 57 transfers in his 34-year career

IAS officer Ashok Khemka, a Haryana-cadre IAS officer, has retired as Additional Chief Secretary, Transport Department on Wednesday, April 30. The senior IAS officer is known for his uprightness during his nearly 34-year career, which saw 57 postings, probably the highest among the state's bureaucracy. The 1991-batch former officer was transferred and posted to his last job in December 2024. Khemka came to national limelight in 2012 when he cancelled the mutation of a Gurugram land deal linked to Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's husband, Robert Vadra. For the unversed, a mutation is part of the process to transfer ownership of a piece of land.

Who is IAS Ashok Khemka?

Born in Kolkata on April 30, 1965, he was a senior IAS officer of the Haryana cadre. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT Kharagpur (1988). Later, he pursued a PhD in Computer Science from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and an MBA specialising in Business Administration and Finance. While in service, he also completed his LLB from Panjab University.

In the past more than 12 years, the former civil servant has been posted in departments considered 'low profile'. Over his entire career, on average, he has been transferred about every six months. In 2023, the IAS officer wrote to then Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar and offered to "root out corruption" with a stint in the vigilance department. He said he had sacrificed his service career in his zeal to end corruption. Khemka wrote, "Lopsided distribution of work does not serve public interest." "Towards the end of my service career, I offer my services to head the vigilance department to root out corruption."

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