Babus, mantris & buzz: Petroleum Ministry working round the clock!
· Free Press Journal
Petroleum Ministry working round the clock!
Amid the ongoing war and the current LPG challenges, Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary of the Ministry have been working round the clock with PMO closely monitoring.
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Nominations for Padma Awards 2027 begin
Nominations and recommendations for the Padma Awards 2027, to be announced on the occasion of Republic Day 2027, began on March 15, 2026. The last date for nominations is July 31, 2026. Nominations and recommendations will be received only online through the Rashtriya Puraskar Portal (https://awards.gov.in). The Padma Awards namely Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma are among the highest civilian awards of the country. Instituted in 1954, these awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year. The awards seek to recognise work of distinction and are given for distinguished and exceptional achievements or service in all fields and disciplines such as art, literature and education, sports, medicine, social work, science and engineering, public affairs, civil service, trade and industry. All persons, without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex, are eligible for these awards. Government servants including those working with public sector undertakings, except doctors and scientists, are not eligible for the Padma Awards. This year, the government started the nomination process two months earlier.
BUREAUCRACY
IAS officer Raghvendra Singh brings digital transformation in Jabalpur public healthcare
IAS officer Raghvendra Singh, a 2013 batch officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre and the Collector of Jabalpur, has taken a significant step towards modernising and digitalising public healthcare by implementing the NextGen eHospital system at district hospitals. The initiative aims to make hospital services more efficient, transparent and patient-friendly by introducing digital processes across various departments. Through this system, several services have been integrated digitally including OPD registration, laboratory testing, consultation, pharmacy services, diagnostics and billing. “The goal is to make hospital visits simpler and eliminate paperwork,” Singh said. The initiative is transforming the way patients access medical services. Under this system, people can now book appointments through the online registration system using their mobile number or Aadhaar, reducing long queues at hospital counters. Digital OPD registration and clinic management modules help doctors access patient information more easily and manage appointments in a systematic manner. Additionally, patient records are digitally stored and linked with the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) ID, which allows doctors to access medical history easily and provide better treatment. The digital system also connects doctors’ prescriptions directly with the pharmacy and diagnostic counters. “Once the doctor prescribes medicines, the prescription is entered in the software. The same prescription is displayed at the pharmacy counter so patients can directly collect the medicines,” Singh said. Similarly, diagnostic tests are automatically displayed at the relevant counters. Under Singh’s leadership, there has been wide adoption of the system. Over 43,000 patients have registered through the OPD module while more than 13,000 consultations have been managed through the clinic module. Over 43,000 patients have benefited from the store and inventory module and 4,580 patients have used the IPD registration module for admissions and discharges. Additionally, 19,828 patients have generated their ABHA IDs, allowing them to maintain digital health records linked to the national health database. To support this digital transition, the hospital has installed several computer systems with printers and UPS backup along with high-speed internet connectivity. Queue management displays and dedicated registration counters have also been introduced to streamline patient flow. Apart from this initiative, Operation Smile has been launched to provide affordable dental care and dentures to people from below poverty line families who cannot afford dental treatment. A survey is being conducted across the district to identify beneficiaries and facilitate their treatment. Through these initiatives, Raghvendra Singh is shaping a new chapter for healthcare in Jabalpur by simplifying hospital services and improving access for people.
Who will be CBI Chief (1)
Tenure of CBI Chief Praveen Sood is coming to an end in May. A 1986 batch IPS officer of Karnataka cadre Sood is now unlikely to get extension.
ECI shifts Chief Secretary and Home Secretary in West Bengal
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has appointed Dushyant Nariala as the new Chief Secretary and Sanghamitra Ghosh, as Principal Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs. just a day after the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into force for the 2026 Assembly elections.
Over 93,000 posts vacant in CAPFs
More than 93,000 posts are lying vacant in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. In a written reply to a question, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai presented vacancies data in the paramilitary forces, showing that the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has the highest number of vacancies at 27,400, followed by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) with 28,342 vacant posts. The Border Security Force (BSF) has 14,531 vacancies, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has 12,333, and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has 6,784 vacant positions. The Assam Rifles has 3,749 vacancies, taking the total to 93,139 posts.
Steel Ministry’s SCSC select Prabhakar as CMD, RINL
The Search-cum-Selection Committee (SCSC) set up by the Ministry of Steel has recommended the name of M N V S Prabhakar, Executive Director, NMDC Steel Limited for the post of Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL). As many as five candidates were interviewed for the same.
Alok Tripathi appointed as Joint Secretary, Petroleum
Alok Tripathi has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas. He is a 1999 batch IRTS officer.
A Amarnath appointed as OSD, Petroleum
A Amarnath has been appointed as OSD at Joint Secretary level, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas. He is a 2006 batch IFS officer.
Lt Gen V.M.B. Krishnan
Dogra Regiment previously commanded XVII Corps (mountain strike) and served as DG Information Technology) moves from Quartermaster General (Army HQ) to Eastern Army Commander (Kolkata), succeeding Lt Gen Ram Chander Tiwari (retiring end-March). Eastern Command handles LAC with China plus Myanmar/Bangladesh borders.
Air Marshal Praveen Keshav Vohra, assumed charge as Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff
Air Marshal Praveen Keshav Vohra, UYSM, AVSM, VM (Commissioned 19 Dec 1987 into fighter stream) assumed charge as Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Policy Planning & Force Development) at HQ IDS. Air Marshal Vohra is NDA & Air Force Academy alumnus; has over 3,500 flying hours on MiG-21/MiG-29 variants; Category ‘A’ flying instructor and fighter combat leader; founder member of Suryakirans aerobatic team; commanded No. 47 Squadron (Adampur); key staff roles including Director Joint Operations Planning, Air Assistant to CAS, ACAS (Ops Strategy), Senior Air Staff Officer Western Air Command (from 1 Dec 2023), and Commandant Air Force Academy (from 1 June 2025). Awards: UYSM (15 Aug 2025 for Operation Sindoor 2025 India–Pakistan conflict), AVSM (2017), VM (2007). Commodore Commandant of No. 47 Squadron.
Interviews for Director (Fin), MMTC on Mar 18
The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) is holding interviews for the post of Director (Finance), MMTC on March 18, 2026.
Ved Prakash Surya moves to Goa
On return from the central deputation Ved Prakash Surya has been moved to Goa. He is 2009 batch IPS officer of AGUMT cadre.
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