Meet Sam Pitroda’s new OSD Kalpana Awasthi, 1990 batch IAS officer

TELECOM guru and adviser to Prime Minister, Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations, Sam Pitroda may not be keen to build a team around bureaucrats, but he finally gets Kalpana Awasthi, a 1990 batch Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS officer as his OSD. Ms Awasthi who has been a director in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) from March 2005 is now on an extension of her Central deputation tenure.

Kalpana Awasthi is a first class graduate in history from Sophia College under Bombay University, and later she completed a year-long MA course in international development policy from USA. In 1999, she attended a 10-week-long programme on local government.

Starting her career as a joint magistrate of Aligarh, she was the DM in Fatehpur in late 1990s. She executed various assignments in the cadre including one as chief development commissioner in Allahabad before moving to New Delhi’s power center --- the PMO.

ALSO READ

Serial extensions in PMO

Sam ready to pay consultants a hefty amount

Pitroda and Nilekani Vs McNamara of US

First Indian Army chief to visit Vietnam in 15 years

Army Chief General VK Singh is visiting Vietnam on a four day visit from July 26, 2010 to strengthen bilateral military ties. His visit assumes significance as this would be the first visit by an Indian army chief to Vietnam in 15 years. General VK Singh will call on General Phung Quang Thanh, minister of national defence of Vietnam, besides holding talks with Chief of General Staff and Chief of Army of Vietnam. The Army Chief will visit historically important cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh.