Glamour and Shakti of an IAS: India's dancing sensation wanted to be a bureaucrat

WHO says IAS has become less glamorous? India’s recent dancing sensation and famous reality show “Dance India Dance” winner Shakti Mohan said she had a passion to become an IAS officer. Her statement came only a couple of months after Bollywood actress and winner of Femina Miss India 2002 Neha Dhupia had said she did not wish to be a model, but wanted to become an IAS officer instead.

Now, Shakti who was always a topper in school and college was studying hard to pursue her childhood dream of becoming an IAS officer till she participated in “Dance India Dance” which changed her career altogether. She told a section of media that her father was still insistent that she should take the civil services examination as she could try for it till she is 30. The 24-year-old Shakti, who has masters degree in political science, has now decided to convert her passion in dancing into a profession of a choreographer.

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A crack in 'Aadhaar’ (foundation)?

The government has approved the premature repatriation of JRK Rao, a 1985 batch Bihar cadre IAS, and Deputy Director General of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to his parent cadre. Though it’s stated that the move was mainly to ensure Mr Rao availing the benefits of promotion in the cadre, it remains unanswered why then Mr Rao had joined the Nandan Nilekani-headed mega project which would give a 16-digit identification number of every Indian citizen. Was he unhappy working in this newly established outfit? Significantly, many bureaucrats were reportedly reluctant to join the UIDAI. The UIDAI was renamed as Aadhaar (foundation) on Monday.

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Action and Appointments

a) Ram Lubhaya, a 1978 batch Rajasthan cadre IAS, presently in the cadre, has been appointed as Secretary, National Commission for Scheduled Caste in the rank and pay of additional secretary in the vacancy of Shri Raghubir Singh, a 1972 batch IA&AS (Retd.)

b) S Machendranathan, a 1979 batch Tamil Nadu cadre IAS, presently in the cadre, has been appointed as additional secretary and financial adviser in the ministry of steel in the vacancy of BS Meena, a 1975 batch Maharashtra cadre IAS.

c) S Krishnan, a 1975 batch Uttarakhand cadre IAS and secretary in the department of fertilizers under the ministry of chemicals and petrochemicals, will hold the additional charge of the post of secretary in the department of sports during the absence of leave of Ms Sindhushree Khullar, a 1975 batch Uttarakhand cadre IAS up to May 2, 2010.

d)The ACC has approved the in-situ elevation of Sunil Kumar, a 1979 batch Chhattisgarh cadre IAS and joint secretary in the department of higher education as additional secretary in the same department.

e) R Bandyopadhyay, a 1974 batch West Bengal cadre IAS and secretary in the ministry of corporate affairs, will hold the additional charge of the post of secretary in the department of youth affairs during the absence on leave of A K Upadhyaya, a 1975 batch Bihar cadre IAS with immediate effect and up to May 2, 2010