10 fascinating facts about 5 new secretaries: SR Rao, SK Srivastava, Sudhir Kumar, Bahuguna, Pati…

ON Monday, Pulokaseth (Pulok Chatterji and AK Seth) zeroed in five IAS of 1978 batch to be appointed as secretaries to Government of India. Gujarat cadre IAS SR Rao was appointed as commerce secretary, Assam-Meghalaya cadre SK Srivastava as coal secretary, Rajasthan cadre Ashish Bahuguna as agriculture secretary, Orissa cadre Gokul Chandra Pati as animal husbandry secretary and UP cadre Sudhir Kumar as food and public distribution secretary.

BoI here presents 10 fascinating facts about them, which you may or may not have heard earlier. Read On...

SK Srivastava (Coal Secretary, Assam-Meghalaya Cadre)

Retirement: October 31, 2014

1. He had a six-year-long stint at UPSC between 1998 and 2004. He was an additional secretary there at the rank of a joint secretary!

2. Was in Central deputation, as deputy secretary and director, in the department of industries between 1989 and 1994. Handled commerce and industries in the state too. But post-Coalgate (a scam not yet established), getting coal department is more prestigious than getting commerce or DIPP.

SR Rao (Commerce Secretary, Gujarat cadre)

Retirement: January 31, 2014

1. Rao became an icon post plague in Gujarat. As municipal commissioner in Surat in mid-1990s, Rao did an outstanding job to bring back life to the city. Rao became a darling of media.

2. In 1998, Rao was conferred civilian honour Padma Shri. Is there any other serving IAS officer whose Executive Record Sheet proudly mentions “Padma Shri”?

Ashish Bahuguna (Agriculture Secretary, Rajasthan cadre)

Retirement: February 28, 2015

1. His mother tongue is Hindi, but he knows Bengali and Urdu well. He is an LLB, and has a certificate in German and French.

2. Bahuguna has over 10 years of experiences in agriculture departments either at Centre or state.

Sudhir Kumar (Secretary, food and public distribution, UP cadre)

Retirement: May 31, 2015

1. Did a certificate course in French; Got training on “Performance Contracts” in US

2. An MSc in physics, Kumar was joint secretary (2000-2005) in Union department of scientific and industrial research under science and technology ministry.

Gokul Chandra Pati (Secretary, Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Orissa cadre)

Retirement: November 30, 2015

1. An MSc in physics, Pati served 12 years in agriculture and rural development ministries in Centre or state out of his 34 years of service in government.

2. He is an MBA from University of Wollongong, Australia.