Haryana chief secy: Vivek Joshi’s appointment as EC opens doors for 1990-batch officers

Anurag Rastogi, who is posted as financial commissioner, revenue, an office regarded as next only to the office of the chief secretary, may succeed Joshi.

The appointment of incumbent Haryana chief secretary Vivek Joshi as election commissioner by the central government has unexpectedly opened avenues for 1990-batch IAS officers to succeed him. Joshi’s plea for voluntary retirement from the service was accepted by the state government on Tuesday in terms of Rule 16 (2) of All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958 by relaxing the requirement of a three-month notice.

The appointment of incumbent Haryana chief secretary Vivek Joshi as election commissioner by the central government has unexpectedly opened avenues for 1990-batch IAS officers to succeed him.

A1989-batch Haryana-cadre IAS officer, Joshi was secretary, department of personnel and training (DoPT) at the Centre when he was picked for the job of state chief secretary. His appointment in November 2024 meant that the senior most IAS officers of the 1990 batch serving in the state would have to wait for their turn as Joshi was set to retire in May 2026.

Among the five 1990-batch IAS officers available to succeed Joshi, Sudhir Rajpal is the senior most as per the inter se seniority followed by Sumita Misra, Anurag Rastogi, Anand Mohan Sharan and Raja Sekhar Vundru. A dispute has also been raised by the 1990-batch IAS officers regarding the inter se seniority which is awaiting adjudication and may not take place at all.

It is likely that the Nayab Singh Saini government may not follow the seniority principle in appointing Joshi’s successor. Going by the drift of recent events when 1990-batch officer Anurag Rastogi was given the interim charge of chief secretary for couple of days after the retirement of TVSN Prasad and before the joining of Joshi in November 2024 and Rastogi being posted as financial commissioner, revenue (FCR), besides holding the charge of additional chief secretary, finance and planning, the state government may well opt for Rastogi to succeed Joshi.

The office of the FCR is regarded as next only to the office of the chief secretary and the officer appointed as FCR is generally regarded as the successor of the incumbent chief secretary.

Sources said that though Rastogi is set to retire in June 2025, the state government may recommend to the central government to grant him a six-month extension under the provisions of All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958.

Odisha chief secretary Manoj Ahuja, also of the 1990 batch, who was to retire in December 2024 was given a year’s extension in service by the Centre from January 1 on the state government’s recommendation under the Rules.