Come January, Indian bureaucrats will be on a wrestling ring in Delhi

A painting titled Wrestling Match (1649) by Michiel Sweerts

IMAGINE Indian bureaucrats, known for strategic mind and cautious action, playing an actual game of wrestling. An inter-ministry wrestling tournament will be held in New Delhi’s Brassey Avenue Sports Complex on January 19 and 20, 2012. And entries are invited from government employees on or before January 12, 2012.

The weight categories are: 56 kg, 60 kg, 66 kg, 74 kg, 84 kg, 96 kg and mind-boggling 120 kg. In a circular dated December 14, 2011, participants are requested to send their entries in the prescribed proforma to Central Civil Services Cultural and Sports Board, Room No 361, B Wing, 3^rd Floor, Lok Nayak Bhawan, New Delhi. The entry fee is just Rs 10.

According to Wikipedia, the origins of wrestling can be traced back 15,000 years through cave drawings in France. The Mahabharata has a narration of a famous wrestling encounter between Bhima and Jarasandha. But where are the references of two bureaucrats settling scores in a wresting ring?

Action and Appointments

a) Arun Kumar, a 1983 batch Assam cadre IAS, has been appointed as joint secretary in the ministry of mines. He will replace 1987 batch Jammu and Kashmir batch IAS Sundeep Nayak. Nayak was appointed as joint secretary in the ministry of women and child development.

b) Anuradha Mitra, a 1984 batch IDAS officer, has been appointed as joint secretary and financial adviser in the ministry of science and technology.

c) Ningthoujam Geoffrey, a 2007 batch Assam cadre IAS, has been transferred to Manipur-Tripura cadre (Manipur segment).

d) The Central government has accorded approval of inter-cadre deputation of Anil Kumar, a 1988 batch Haryana cadre IAS from Haryana cadre to AGMUT cadre for the appointment to the post of home secretary in Chandigarh administration.