UPSC, Staff Selection Commission to be anchored by 2 Gujarat cadre IAS

Dholpur House: UPSC HQ

TWO premier government recruitment bodies, UPSC and Staff Selection Commission, will now be anchored by two Gujarat cadre IAS officers, Dr Amarjit Singh and Amitava Bhattacharya. Whereas Dr Singh, a 1982 batch IAS, has been appointed as UPSC secretary, his two-year senior Bhattacharya is being shifted from Dholpur House to Staff Selection Commission as its chairman. In a notification dated April 9, 2013, it was made clear that Bhattacharya will continue to be on the post even after he retires on…
December 31, 2013. He will remain chairman, SSC till he attains 62 years of age, according to the same notification. Here are more about those two officers who will administer the agencies that decide the fate of lakhs of aspirants wishing to join the Central government.

Amitava Bhattacharya, Chairman, SSC
An MSc in physics, Bhattacharya came to New Delhi on a Central deputation in 1980s. He was then posted as a deputy secretary in the ministry of environment and forests. Bhattacharya is well known in Delhi corridors as he spent a number of years in Central deputation in various phases of his career. Between 1994 and 2001, Bhattacharya served in Central ministries of labour, and then textiles. He had one more stint at the Centre when he worked in CAPART and drinking water department, at the rank of a joint secretary. He also completed a 16-week-long course on public administration in US. Till recently, he was the secretary of UPSC.

Dr Amarjit Singh, Secretary, UPSC
A Gujarat cadre officer, Singh originally belongs to Punjab. He studied commerce and economics before joining as IAS. In his administrative career, he spent a number of years with the department of health and family welfare, both at the Centre and the state. In Gujarat he also handled ministries such as industries, mines and rural development etc. For over two years, he has been with the ministry of human resources development, first as joint secretary and then additional secretary. As UPSC secretary, Singh will enjoy the rank and pay of an additional secretary.

Action and Appointments
a) Lalit K Panwar, a 1979 batch Rajasthan cadre IAS, currently vice-chairman and managing director of ITDC under the ministry of tourism, has been appointed as secretary in the ministry of minority affairs in place of S Behuria, a 1976 batch Himachal Pradesh cadre IAS.
b) NR Wasan, a 1980 batch Andhra Pradesh cadre IPS, presently additional DG in National Investigation Agency (NIA), will look after the duties of Director General, NIA with immediate effect and till an officer to the post of DG, NIA is appointed on regular basis.
c) Vasavi Prakash topped the Indian Forest Service exam, 2012, the results of which were declared on Tuesday. Divya stood second whereas Anoop A Shetty stood third.
IFS Results, Full List