Delhi’s new LG Anil Baijal: 15 Things about Baijal as IAS

Anil Baijal: 2006 File Photo

FORMER Union home secretary and 1969 batch AGMUT cadre retired IAS Anil Baijal on Wednesday was appointed as Delhi’s lieutenant governor in place of Najeeb Jung who had resigned last week. As IAS officer Srivatsa Krishna describes in a social media site, Baijal is one of the finest IAS officers of the country who is “straightforward” and “tough” and the one who “knows every inch of Delhi”. Here are 15 facts about Delhi’s new LG as an IAS:

1. Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Baijal is a 1969 batch retired AGMUT cadre IAS.

2. An MA in political science, Baijal did his graduation in philosophy.

3. Baijal, now aged 70, retired as union urban development secretary in October 2006. As urban development secretary, he was instrumental in designing the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), a flagship urban development programme rolled out by the UPA government.

4. Baijal was appointed as Union home secretary in February 2004 by the then NDA government. The then deputy prime minister LK Advani held the home portfolio during that NDA government. 

5. But the UPA was not very kind to Baijal. In May 2004, Manmohan Singh government came to power and on July 2, 2004, Baijal was shifted out as the home secretary. He was made secretary to a relatively low-profile ministry (as compared to MHA) — the ministry of urban development. 

6. Baijal also served as secretary to the department of justice additionally, when he was the home secretary.

7. Between 2003 and 2004, he was the vice-chairman of Delhi Development Authority (DDA), a position given to an AGMUT cadre IAS of additional secretary rank.

8. Earlier in 2001-2003, he was additional secretary in the Information and Broadcasting ministry. 

9. Between September 1 and February 2002, he was Delhi’s chief secretary. 

10. Baijal was joint secretary in the civil aviation ministry.

11. And then, he served as chairman and managing director of national carrier Air India in 1999-2000.

12. In mid-1980s, he served as a director in the ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution.

13. As a young officer (1974-76) Baijal served in Raj Bhawan when he was the secretary to Governor.

14. As an IAS officer, he also undertook a number of short in-service trainings programmes on management concept and decision making, MIS and computer application, issues in organizational behaviour, ethical issues in administration and management, just to name a few.

15. According to DoPT records, Baijal knows Bengali, Assamese and English, apart from his mother tongue- Hindi.