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IAS Officer Dismissed: Generally, there is rarely news of removal of a senior official from the job in the Indian bureaucracy, but the Modi government has given a strong message of ‘zero tolerance’ against corruption. Senior IAS officer Padma Jaiswal of 2003 batch has been dismissed from the post with immediate effect.

This AGMUT cadre officer was currently posted as Special Secretary in the Administrative Reforms Department of Delhi Government. On the advice of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the President has approved the order of his dismissal.

The journey of controversies started from Arunachal Pradesh

This matter is about 16-17 years old. When Padma Jaiswal was the Deputy Commissioner (DC) in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh during the year 2007-2008, she was accused of serious allegations of misuse of government position and embezzlement of the government treasury. He was also suspended in 2009 after a complaint by local people in February 2008. Although his suspension was later cancelled, the sword of investigation continued to hang over him.

High Court’s entry and the whole matter changed

There were a lot of legal complications in this case. Earlier the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) had stopped the Home Ministry’s action saying that the Ministry did not have the authority to take direct action. But the central government reached Delhi High Court against this decision. On April 1 this year, the High Court, while giving its verdict in favor of the Centre, made it clear that the investigation is justified and it cannot be stopped.

UPSC’s recommendation fell upon

After the High Court’s decision, the Home Ministry reopened its files. This matter was also thoroughly discussed with the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). Considering the investigation report and the seriousness of corruption, UPSC itself had strongly recommended his removal from the post. After this, the ministry completed the process and sent a proposal to dismiss him, which has now been implemented.

Dismissal of IAS officer is very rare

In India, firing an IAS officer is considered a very rare case. Padma Jaiswal has worked in many senior positions in Delhi, Goa, Puducherry and Arunachal Pradesh in her career spanning 20 years. Usually the cadre controlling authority takes such tough decisions. In corruption cases, courts and governments take such strict steps on the basis of chargesheet.

Pooja Khedkar’s case was also in discussion

This is not the first time that the Center has taken such a tough step. Earlier in September 2024, controversial trainee IAS Pooja Khedkar was also dismissed. The charge against him of cheating during UPSC examination and wrongly taking advantage of OBC and disabled quota was proved.