Diplomat-turned security analyst Arvind Gupta appointed as IDSA chief

Dr Arvind Gupta, diplomat-turned security analyst and 1979 batch IFS officer, took charge as Director General of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) on Thursday. Gupta has been holding the Lal Bahadur Shastri chair in strategic and defence studies at IDSA since March, 2008.

Though Gupta served in a number of Indian missions abroad, he chose to follow the security matters passionately. Gupta was joint secretary at the National Security Council (NSC) secretariat from 1999 to 2008 dealing with key issues related to national security.

Gupta’s interests include impact of globalisation on India’s security; energy security, climate change, institutional reform, India’s neighbours, internal security, and technology and security among others.

Among the books that he co-authored include “Select Documents On Security And Diplomacy” and “Security And Diplomacy: Essential Documents”.

JPC to question finance secretary Gujaral on 2G note

The controversial 2G note of the finance ministry dated March 25, 2011 which suggested P Chidambaram could have prevented the scam, has continued to haunt the high and mighty of the Raisina Hills. Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probing the case is likely to question finance secretary and 1976 batch IAS RS Gujaral either on January 11 or 12. Both Gujaral and his batch-mate and secretary of the department of economic affairs R Gopalan appeared before the JPC in October last. The JPC is likely to take oral evidence of former DoT secretary JS Sarma too

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Action and Appointments

a) The ACC has approved the assignment of additional charge of the post of secretary, department of personnel and training to RC Misra, a 1976 batch Orissa cadre IAS, who is currently the secretary in the department of administrative reforms and public grievances. The arrangement is for a period of three months with effect from the date Alka Sirohi, a 1974 batch MP cadre IAS, relinquishes the charge of the post.

b) The ACC has also approved the extension of tenure of Gokul Chandra Pati, a 1978 batch Orissa cadre IAS and additional secretary in the department of agriculture for a period of six months beyond January 6, 2012.