Major bureaucratic reshuffle in Bihar, 47 IAS officers transferred

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Patna, May 31 (IANS) In a major bureaucratic reshuffle in Bihar, the state government has transferred 47 IAS officers, including District Magistrates (DMs) from several key districts.

A formal notification to this effect was issued by the General Administration Department on Saturday.

The reshuffle impacts almost every district in Bihar, including the state capital Patna.

Chandrashekhar Singh, who served as District Magistrate of Patna, has been promoted and appointed as the Commissioner of Patna Division.

A 2010-batch IAS officer, Singh held the post of Patna DM for a significant tenure and was seen as a steady administrative hand in the capital.

Tyagarajan S.M., the current DM of Gaya, will now serve as the Patna DM. He is a 2011-batch IAS officer and has been known for his administrative acumen in the Gaya district.

Rajiv Roshan, DM of Darbhanga, has been appointed Commissioner of the Saran Division.

Koshal Kishore, Director of ICDS, will now serve as the Commissioner of Darbhanga Division.

Avanish Kumar Singh, DM of Munger, has been elevated to the post of Commissioner of Munger Division.

Raj Kumar, previously the Managing Director of COMFED, has been made the Commissioner of Tirhut Division.

Himanshu Kumar Rai, the 2010 batch IAS officer, and the special secretary in the planning and development department of Bihar has been appointed as a commissioner of the Bhagalpur division.

Navin Kumar, the 2011 batch IAS officer who was serving as a commissioner of the state transport department was given the charge of district magistrate of Khagaria.

Kaushal Kishore, the 2012 batch IAS officer who was serving as a district magistrate of Supaul has been transferred to the post of district magistrate of Darbhanga.

This administrative overhaul is seen as a strategic move by the Bihar government to place experienced officers in key positions as the political atmosphere in the state heats up ahead of elections.

–IANS

ajk/pgh

Related Posts

Calcutta HC dismisses plea for CAPF deployment for cooperative body polls in Bengal

Kolkata, March 27 (IANS) The Calcutta High Court on Thursday dismissed a public interest litigation seeking direction for the deployment of central armed police forces (CAPF) personnel at the election for Contai Co-Operative Agriculture & Rural Development Bank Ltd in West Bengal’s East Midnapore district on March 29.

Earlier this week, the public interest litigation was filed by Swapan Bera, apprehending election malpractices and violence over the polls on the weekend. In his petition, Bera also highlighted the precedent of the deployment of CAPF for the Contai co-operative bank polls in December last year, following an order from the Supreme Court.

On Thursday, the matter came up for hearing at the division bench of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Chaitali Chattopadhyay but was dismissed, as the judges observed that this particular plea could not be treated as public interest litigation.

The division bench also observed that it would be better for the petitioner to move to the apex court if he considers it suitable.

Counsel for the petitioner and CPI-M Rajya Sabha member Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya argued that since poll-related violence had become a trend in West Bengal, CAPF deployment and CCTV camera installation were absolutely essential in the polls scheduled on Saturday.

He also drew the precedents of the Contai co-operative bank election being conducted under CCTV coverage and CAPF deployment in December last year.

Appearing for the state government, Advocate General Kishor Datta said that mere allegations and apprehension of violence were not enough to justify the arguments on behalf of the petition.

The petitioner will have to substantiate why CAPF deployment was necessary when the state police forces are arranging for absolute security for the polls, he argued.

Thereafter, the division bench not only dismissed the demand for CAPF deployment but also scrapped the public interest litigation altogether.

East Midnapore is the native district of BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari. His younger brother, Soumendu Adhikari, is currently the MP from the Kanthi Lok Sabha seat, under which the Contai Co-Operative Agriculture & Rural Development Bank Ltd comes.

–IANS

src/vd

‘Bringing back Jungle Raj’: Jitan Ram Manjhi on Tejashwi Yadav-Congress meeting

Patna, April 15 (IANS) In response to Tejashwi Yadav’s meeting with Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, Union MSME Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi accused the opposition alliance of plotting to bring back “Jungle Raj” in Bihar.

“Some selfish people held a meeting in Delhi today and discussed how to re-establish Jungle Raj in Bihar,” Manjhi alleged, taking a sharp dig at the Congress-RJD leadership.

He claimed the leaders of the INDIA alliance were desperate to regain power and could not tolerate the development and fear-free environment currently prevailing in Bihar under the NDA government.

“The people of Bihar have tasted development. The opposition cannot fool them now with hollow promises,” he added.

Manjhi, a prominent Dalit leader, also targeted Tejashwi Yadav’s recent outreach in Raghopur, where the RJD leader appealed for Dalit respect while eating sattu with locals.

“Why this sudden change of heart? If Dalits are being promised to be respected now, does it mean they were not respected during his parents’ regime?” alleged Manjhi.

He asserted that Dalit voters in Bihar still remember the “tortures” they faced during the tenure of Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi and warned that no assurances from Tejashwi could erase that past.

“Who will guarantee Dalits won’t be harassed again if RJD comes to power?” he said.

Earlier in the day, Tejashwi Yadav described his meeting with Congress top brass as ‘positive’ and revealed that a wider alliance meeting with CPI, CPI-ML, and CPM will take place on April 17 in Patna to finalise the Mahagathbandhan’s strategy for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.

–IANS

ajk/dan

JGU launches two-year M.Sc. degree in Counselling Psychology

Sonipat, Feb 4 (IANS) A new two-year programme in Counselling Psychology, offered by the Jindal School of Psychology & Counselling (JSPC) at O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU), will commence in August.

Designed to address the significant mental health challenges in India, the programme is grounded in the globally recognised scientist-practitioner model, integrating theoretical knowledge, ethical standards, research, and practical training to equip students with the knowledge and skills to excel in the field of counselling psychology.

Prof. (Dr.) Surabhika Maheshwari from Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, inaugurated the M.Sc. degree at a ceremony held at the JGU campus.

She said, “Psychology is fun, but it’s also something arduous and requires hard work and commitment. The discipline is structured around the super-dynamic ever-changing human being, set in an ever-changing world, set in an ever-chaotic universe, set amidst the constant tribulations of striving to be better today than yesterday.

“So, what are the challenges of counselling in India? First and foremost, it must be de-colonised. The symptoms of various disorders may be described differently in a textbook compared to the context in which people live with the disorder.

“De-colonising is feeling the pulse of the various disorders and symptoms as they actually occur in culture-specific settings. The multiplicity of psychology must be kept alive.”

“The Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology revolves around three components. First is the core curriculum, designed to provide the theoretical and foundational base of the counselling and treatment fields.

“Second are practicum courses that provide real-world expertise through on-campus training, school-based fieldwork, and community-based engagement.

“Third is research, whereby students complete a Dissertation that critically explores some aspects of counselling psychology”, said Prof. (Dr.) Manjushree Palit, Associate Dean of the Jindal School of Psychology and Counselling.

“I have tremendous hope for the new degree in Counselling Psychology. It offers a curriculum that is evidence-based and culturally relevant. I agree with many who have spoken of the hesitation of college students, including our own students at JGU, to seek help from campus counsellors.

“The taboo that surrounds mental health and seeking help must be addressed and broken down. This degree is a remarkable initiative in that direction, and my team is very excited to take it out into the world. I am confident JSPC will fulfill the vision put forth for the new counselling psychology programme”, said Prof. (Dr.) Upasana Mahanta, Dean of Admissions and Outreach, O.P. Jindal Global University.

According to Prof. (Dr.) Derick H. Lindquist, Dean of the Jindal School of Psychology and Counselling, “There is a desperate need for mental health professionals in India, where approximately one in seven individuals is struggling with mental distress or illness. I am delighted that the first postgraduate programme offered by JSPC is in Counselling Psychology. The two-year M.Sc. degree is designed to ensure all students experience rigorous in-class instruction, coupled with practical training, both face-to-face and online. I am confident graduates will have the knowledge and expertise to start their own practice or gain employment in the mental health field, be it a clinic, NGO, school, or government office. This effort aligns with one of the primary missions of our school—to train the next generation of psychologists in India.”

–IANS

rad