Congress led UPA government continues to rehire retired bureaucrats

Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi, a 1976 batch Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS officer, was tipped to be appointed as Election Commissioner, a day after he retired as civil aviation secretary.

His appointment will be just another instance of a senior bureaucrat walking away with a plum posting instead of fading away.

Senior citizens, in bureaucracy as in politics, continue to call the shots in a country where more than 65% of the population is below 35.

The following list is by no means exhaustive:

VK Duggal: A former home secretary, was in June appointed as a member of the National Disaster Management Authority. This was the fourth assignment for the 1968 batch IAS officer, from the Union Territory cadre, who retired in March 2007

BV Wanchoo: Chief of the Special Protection Group, was in April appointed as Goa governor

Rahul Khullar: A 1975 batch IAS officer of Union Territory cadre, became chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India in May, moving from the commerce ministry, where he served as secretary

Nirupama Rao: A 1973-batch IFS officer, was appointed as India’s ambassador to the United States just before her extended term as foreign secretary was about to end last July

ESL Narasimhan: A former chief of the Intelligence Bureau, was made Chhattisgarh Governor in 2007, before he was moved to Andhra Pradesh last year

Ashok Chawla: A Gujarat-cadre IAS officer of 1973 batch, was made chairman of the Competition Commission of India, last October, ten months after he retired as finance secretary

KM Chandrasekhar: Was appointed vicechairman of the Kerala State Planning Board last June, soon after he retired as Cabinet Secretary

PC Haldar: A former Intelligence Bureau chief, was in 2009 appointed as interlocutor for talks with the insurgents in Northeast

Pradeep Kumar: A Haryana cadre IAS officer of 1972 batch, was made Chief Vigilance Commissioner last July, just before he was due to retire as defence secretary

MK Narayanan: National Security Adviser was appointed Governor of West Bengal in January, 2010