ACC Approves Inter-Cadre Transfers of IAS Officers Carolyn Chingthianmawi and Abhishek Singh
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the inter-cadre transfer of two Indian Administrative Service officers, involving a 2024-batch officer and a 2007-batch officer. Under the latest decision, Carolyn Chingthianmawi, a 2024-batch IAS officer currently allocated to the Telangana cadre, has been transferred to the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, while Abhishek Singh, a 2007-batch IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre, has been transferred to the Rajasthan cadre.
The two cases have different backgrounds and are based on different circumstances. In Chingthianmawi’s case, the ACC order does not specify the reason for the cadre change, while Singh’s transfer has been approved under the Central Government’s Physically Handicapped (PH) policy dated February 14, 2014. The latest decision therefore covers two separate inter-cadre transfer cases within the IAS.
Carolyn Chingthianmawi Moves From Telangana to Assam-Meghalaya
Carolyn Chingthianmawi is a 2024-batch IAS officer who was initially allocated the Telangana cadre as an outsider direct recruit. The latest ACC decision changes her cadre allocation from Telangana to Assam-Meghalaya.
The order does not specify a reason for Chingthianmawi’s transfer. The available details, however, place the cadre change within the early stages of her IAS career, following her training and initial field posting in Telangana.
Chingthianmawi’s entry into the civil services has attracted attention because of her background. According to the profile provided in the source material, she became the first IAS officer from the Thangkhal tribe of Manipur and the first tribal woman from Manipur to directly enter the IAS.
Born on October 24, 1999, Chingthianmawi is from Mualveng in Hiangtam Lamka, Manipur. She is the daughter of T. Pauminlianthang, who served as president of the Thangkhal Peoples’ Organisation and Thangkhal Sinlai Pawlpi, and Lamneikim, who has been associated with the Zomi Mothers’ Association. She is the third among four siblings, with two elder brothers and a younger sister.
From CA Aspirant to Civil Services
Chingthianmawi’s educational journey took a different direction after she completed Class XII. She cleared the CA Proficiency Test and moved to Shillong to pursue the CA Intermediate course, but health-related difficulties prevented her from continuing with that route.
She subsequently shifted her focus towards higher education and completed a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours). She emerged as a university topper under Manipur University in 2020 and later completed her M.Com.
Her academic record was followed by her entry into the civil services. She cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination in her first attempt, securing All India Rank 543, according to the profile provided in the source material.
Her preparation was also notable for being largely home-based. According to profiles of her journey, she did not enrol in commercial coaching classes while preparing for the civil services examination.
Early IAS Training and Posting in Telangana
After her allocation to the Telangana cadre, Chingthianmawi underwent foundational training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Dehradun, followed by institutional training at the Dr MCR HRD Institute in Hyderabad.
She was subsequently posted as Assistant Collector (Under Training) in Nizamabad district, Telangana, with effect from April 28, 2025. As part of the training programme for the 2024 IAS batch, she also had an opportunity to serve briefly as an Assistant Secretary at the Centre. Her latest inter-cadre transfer now takes her from Telangana to the Assam-Meghalaya cadre.
Abhishek Singh Transferred From West Bengal to Rajasthan
The ACC has also approved the inter-cadre transfer of Abhishek Singh, a 2007-batch IAS officer, from the West Bengal cadre to Rajasthan. Unlike Chingthianmawi’s case, the ACC decision specifically identifies the policy framework under which Singh’s transfer has been approved.
The order cites the Central Government’s Physically Handicapped policy dated February 14, 2014, as the basis for the inter-cadre transfer. Singh’s cadre history is linked to a significant legal and administrative issue concerning the implementation of disability reservation provisions in civil services cadre allocation.
Legal Background to Abhishek Singh’s Cadre Allocation
Abhishek Singh cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination in 2006 under the Locomotor Disability-Cerebral Palsy (LDCP) category. His subsequent cadre allocation became the subject of a prolonged legal process concerning the implementation of reservation provisions for persons with benchmark disabilities.
The matter eventually reached the Supreme Court. According to the source material, the Supreme Court ruled in his favour on July 18, 2022, in Union of India v. Pankaj Kumar Srivastava & Anr. The judgment directed the government to upgrade and allot him to the IAS cadre with consequential seniority and benefits.
The case consequently became part of the broader administrative and legal discussion surrounding the implementation of disability-related reservation provisions in civil services.
From West Bengal to Rajasthan
Following his service in the West Bengal cadre, Singh has now been transferred to the Rajasthan cadre. The ACC has specifically linked the transfer to the February 14, 2014, PH policy, making the policy basis different from the cadre change approved for Carolyn Chingthianmawi.
The latest decision therefore brings together two distinct cases. One involves a young IAS officer moving from Telangana to Assam-Meghalaya, while the other involves a senior officer moving from West Bengal to Rajasthan under a specified disability-related policy framework.
The ACC order, as presented in the source material, does not provide additional details about the administrative responsibilities Singh will assume after joining the Rajasthan cadre.
Two IAS Officers, Two Different Inter-Cadre Transfer Cases
The latest ACC decision can be summarised as follows:
Carolyn Chingthianmawi, IAS (2024: TG) – transferred from the Telangana cadre to the Assam-Meghalaya cadre. The reason for the transfer is not specified in the ACC order.
Abhishek Singh, IAS (2007: WB) – transferred from the West Bengal cadre to the Rajasthan cadre under the Central Government’s Physically Handicapped policy dated February 14, 2014.
For Chingthianmawi, the transfer represents another step in the early phase of her IAS career, following her training and initial field assignment in Telangana. Her background and entry into the service have also been notable because of her reported representation of the Thangkhal community of Manipur.
For Abhishek Singh, the cadre change comes against the backdrop of a longer administrative and legal history involving disability-related cadre allocation. His transfer to Rajasthan has been approved under the specific policy framework cited by the ACC.
The two transfers thus reflect different circumstances within the inter-cadre transfer system. While the ACC has not stated the reason for Chingthianmawi’s movement from Telangana to Assam-Meghalaya, it has expressly cited the applicable PH policy in approving Singh’s transfer from West Bengal to Rajasthan.
