In a significant administrative overhaul, the Rajasthan government on Wednesday announced the promotion of a total of 124 senior bureaucrats, marking one of the largest bureaucratic reshuffles in recent times. The major bureaucratic promotions include 61 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, 40 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, and 23 Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers.
Top-Level IAS Promotions to ACS Rank
Four senior IAS officers from the 1996 batch have been elevated to the prestigious rank of Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), which carries the pay scale of the Chief Secretary. The officers and their new assignments are Ajitabh Sharma, who takes charge as ACS (Energy); Dinesh Kumar, now ACS (Administrative Reforms and Coordination); Rajesh Kumar Yadav, who becomes ex-officio ACS (Training) while continuing as Director General of HCM RIPA; and Alok Gupta, who remains the Chairman of the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board.
In other key IAS movements, Arvind Kumar Poswal was promoted from Joint Secretary to the Chief Minister to the position of Special Secretary to the CM. Nathmal Didel was elevated from Joint Secretary, Finance (Taxation), to Special Secretary.
Furthermore, two IAS officers, Naveen Jain and KK Pathak (proforma promotion), were promoted from Secretary to Principal Secretary. This move shifts them from the Super Time pay scale of IAS to the Above Super Time pay scale (Level 15 in the pay matrix). Naveen Jain is now the Principal Secretary in charge of the General Administration Department (GAD) and Cabinet.
Widespread Promotions Across Pay Scales
The promotion drive encompassed officers across various seniority levels. Eleven IAS officers were promoted from the Selection Pay Scale to the Super Time Pay Scale (Level 14 in the pay matrix). Additionally, 22 IAS officers were elevated from the Junior Administrative Pay Scale to the Selection Pay Scale (Level 13 in the pay matrix).
IPS and IFS Officers Also Elevated
The police service saw substantial promotions as well. Two IPS officers from the 2001 batch, Prafulla Kumar and Raghavendra Suhasa, were promoted from Inspector General (IG) rank to Additional Director General (ADG) rank. Nine IPS officers were promoted to the rank of IG, while 11 officers were elevated to the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG).
Completing the triad of All India Services, the state government also promoted 23 officers from the Indian Forest Service (IFS), acknowledging their service and seniority.
This comprehensive bureaucratic restructuring is expected to bring fresh impetus to the state's administration by placing experienced officers in key roles. Such large-scale promotions often aim to fill vacancies, reward performance, and streamline governance ahead of administrative priorities. The reshuffle impacts critical departments like energy, finance, training, and general administration, potentially influencing policy implementation and public service delivery across Rajasthan.
