Here’s What Happened -Why The Elevation Has Been Stopped
The promotion of senior IAS officer Rajesh Kumar Singh, a 1991-batch officer from the Uttar Pradesh cadre, has been put on hold amid lingering controversy. Currently serving as Principal Secretary in the Home Guards Department, Singh’s elevation to the rank of Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) remains uncertain.
This delay traces back to a serious reprimand from the Supreme Court on September 6, 2024, which had strongly criticized the Uttar Pradesh government for delays in processing pardon pleas for convicted prisoners. The court had pointed out that the related file remained pending with Mr. Singh, who was at that time overseeing the matter as a senior official in the Jail Administration and Reforms Department.
The apex court expressed clear displeasure, accusing the officer of misleading the judiciary and warned that it would not tolerate IAS officers altering facts or shifting their stance for convenience.
Following this rebuke, Singh was removed from both the Jail Administration and Reforms and the Cooperative Department, and was later placed on a waiting list. On January 2, 2025, he was appointed to his current role in the Home Guards Department.
In contrast, while Mr. Singh’s promotion remains in limbo, four other IAS officers have been recently promoted to the ACS rank. These include Mr. Lakko Venkateshwarlu and Mr. B.L. Meena from the 1991 batch, and Mr. Narendra Bhooshan and Mr. Anurag Srivastava from the 1992 batch.
The case highlights the impact of judicial scrutiny on bureaucratic careers and underscores the growing accountability of senior civil servants.
