Dilli Ka Babu: Top court order makes CBI bend

After much hemming and hawing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has started publishing FIRs on its website. The agency’s website shows details of 19 FIRs filed by the agency since November 15.

Sources say that the agency had been putting up a stiff resistance to do so, citing exemption under the Right to Information Act. So, what’s behind this sudden change of view? It is being said that the decision to publish FIRs on its website is purely “voluntary”. However, the agency had little choice following a Supreme Court directive ordering every police force to publish and place FIR records in the public domain within 24 hours of registration.

The apex court upheld a direction of the Delhi high court in 2010 and said except for sensitive cases, all police forces must publish the FIRs for the accused and the public to go through so that any accused or public person can access the FIR for redressal of grievances. Getting more specific, the Supreme Court said that a decision not to upload an FIR shall not be taken by an officer below the rank of DSP.

New innings in Delhi

Whistleblower Indian Forest Service officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi, whose appointment as officer on special duty (OSD) to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was shot down by the Centre, has been posted in the national capital by the Uttarakhand government.

Mr Chaturvedi, a 2002-batch officer of Uttarakhand cadre, was awaiting posting for over three months. He has been appointed as OSD in Uttarakhand’s resident commissioner’s office and assigned work relating to National Green Tribunal. The officer, who had been at loggerheads with the Centre and had approached courts against some of the decisions of the Central government of allegedly denying him due service-related benefits, was recently promoted as conservator of forests. Mr Chaturvedi’s appointment assumes importance as at least 180 cases of alleged violation of environment norms in Uttarakhand are pending trials in NGT.

He worked as chief vigilance officer and then as deputy secretary in All-India Institute of Medical Sciences from June 2012 to June 2016, largely being ignored by the Centre. Last year, he had sought inter-cadre deputation to Delhi government. Hopefully his new stint in Delhi will be a happier one.

Victory for non-IAS babus

In July this year, the Centre appointed 28 officers to joint secretary-level posts, with more than half coming from non-IAS background. The recent appointment of 17 joint secretary-level officers is in keeping with this trend. It reaffirms the belief that non-IAS officers have begun to gain ground in the upper echelons of Central ministries and departments.

As many as 11 out of the 17 joint secretary positions have gone to IPS, IFoS and other Group “A” service officers. And in six instances, these non-IAS officers have replaced IAS officers.

This silent trend has been noted since the NDA government came to power under Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May 2014. Since then, not counting the recent appointments, the Modi sarkar made 260 joint secretary-level appointments, with at least 100 of these of non-IAS officers.

It’s clearly an effort to break the IAS’ stranglehold on Indian bureaucracy, which has got the non-IAS cheering. The non-IAS services have struggled long for parity with the “heaven-born”, especially in salaries and other perks. However, this tilt away from the IAS may be a sign that their efforts are now succeeding.