Former Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee RN Ravi’s appointment as deputy national security adviser is being seen by observers as further strengthening the power of National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. Ravi will be the third deputy to report to the NSA, the others being former RAW secretary Rajinder Khanna and former diplomat Pankaj Saran.
However, sources say, Ravi is likely to be the senior-most among Doval’s deputies, being a 1976-batch IPS officer. Interestingly, both Doval and Ravi are Kerala cadre IPS officers. Considered close to Doval, Ravi was the government’s interlocutor with the Naga insurgents and had a key role in the peace accord between the Centre and the insurgents.
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Sources also point that that Ravi’s redesignation has brought the Joint Intelligence Committee completely under the control of the National Security Council Secretariat. It is said that Ravi will handle the internal part of India’s security policy, while Pankaj Saran will look after external aspects. Rajinder Khanna will deal specifically with intelligence. There is also talk of a big expansion in the real estate that this new set-up will annex.
PESB functioning paralysed
The scheduled interview for the post of Chairman and Managing Director of Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd has been postponed as the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has been reduced to one member, and is practically dysfunctional. The Board has further decided to abstain from interviews until the appointment of a new chairman and members are announced. This is bound to create both chaos and spread dissatisfaction amongst top PSU managements.
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This is perhaps the first time this situation has occurred in the history of the Board. Former 1981-cadre IAS officer Madhusudan Prasad is the lone member of the selection board since acting PESB Chairman Ms Gauri Kumar retired last month.
Traditionally, PESB schedules selection-interview and informs the shortlisted candidates at least fifteen days in advance. Since the Board appears clueless over a time-frame of appointments, it is constrained to conduct selection-interview further.
It may be mentioned that the four-member board (including Chairman) became headless after Sanjay Kothari moved to Raisina Hill as Secretary to the President of India in July 2017. Further, Anshuman Das, being the senior-most Member, was given additional charge of Chairman but he too handed over the baton to Ms Gauri Kumar in August. So, for over a year PESB has been functioning with the depleted strength at the Board level, which has created an atmosphere of uncertainty across CPSEs and other stakeholders.
PMO preps for 2019
Since May 2014, the Modi sarkar has pretty much been run from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). As the 2019 Lok Sabha elections approach, there are rumours that the PMO itself may be in for a revamp. Clearly, this is an attempt to focus on vital issues of administration and governance. Those in the know believe that a senior IAS officer may also be moved out of PMO to a vital department to effect a clean-up. Meanwhile, it is also being suggested that a senior IAS officer may be inducted into PMO to assist Modi in dealing with macro issues.
Several other changes, too, are anticipated in the PMO team, with an eye on the impending elections. Apparently, two IAS officers are likely to be brought in at the additional secretary and joint secretary levels. Reportedly, an IIT computer science graduate IAS from a northern state and another IAS officer, a joint secretary with private sector background, from a southern state, may be inducted into Team PMO. One will be solely monitoring delivery of projects and another for communications, outreach strategy, both vital to Modi’s re-election ambitions.
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